UPCOMING DWF LIVE SESSIONS

Fawn Wood | Singer, Song Writer, Radio Host

Fawn Wood was born in Cree Round Dance season on an icy October evening. Through her father, Earl Wood of Saddle Lake, Alberta, she inherited the Round Dance and Pow-Wow singing traditions of his Plains Cree forefathers. Through her mother Cindy Jim-Wood, she inherited the traditions and Salish chants of the Whonnock and Stlatlimx peoples. Since then, Fawn’s distinct style reflects the confluence of her parents’ tribal lineages.

Time: Oct. 18, 2022 @ 12:00 PM ET 

Gerald Auger | Actor, Writer, Producer, Director

Gerald Auger is of Woodland Cree descent, Entrepreneur, GPRC graduate of Marketing Management, in Business Administration, National Native Role Model, Motivational Speaker, award winning Director and Actor. Gerald spent over 20 years working with Hollywood as an actor. Some of his most notable television & screen roles have been Pawnee Killer, AMC’s Hell On Wheels, Steven Spielberg’s Into The West, Dreamkeeper for Hallmark Entertainment’s, Tin Star for HBO, Anichov’s Bridge in Russia, & as Makamuk on Lost Face. Lost Face made it to the Top 10 of the Oscar’s in 2019. & he won Best Actor in LA. Both his documentary films, Walking Alone & Honour Thy Father, won industry awards & received industry acclaim. Gerald continues to be involved in film, television and documentaries, advancing the status of Indigenous People in film & television, exposing and debunking the stereotyping of his people. His latest TV Series, is called Matriarchs, as the creator and executive producer is based on 4 Directional prophecy, and 4 Directional cultural and spiritual beliefs.

Gerald walked away from mainstream society & Hollywood in 2009 to heal from childhood trauma, being a product of inter-generational impact from residential schools & colonization. Gerald’s 6 year sabbatical out on the land with traditional knowledge keepers, healers and ceremonial elders ended in 2015. Gerald’s continues to work with troubled youth, families and communities. He draws from his personal experiences of abuse as a child & what he learned from his 6 year sabbatical, to help guide and lead troubled youth and others struggling with life. In working with multi-barrier and disengaged youth, Gerald has developed programs that have helped troubled youth turn their life around for the positive, and hosts healing camps dealing with inter-generational impact through culture, spirituality and ceremony. Gerald currently works with agencies and organizations dealing with MMIWG and Stopping Violence against Women, and Human Trafficking.

Time: Oct. 18, 2022 @ 2:00 PM ET 

Kiefer Collison | Radio Host, Big Brother Canada (‘Canada’s Favourite Houseguest’ – Season 9), Youth Empowerment Speaker l

Time: Oct. 20, 2022 @ 12:00 PM ET  

Register: https://downiewenjack.ca/dwflive/register/

Phillip Cote | Visual Artist, Activist, Ancestral Knowledge Keeper, Historical & Cultural Mediator

His First Nations affiliations are Shawnee, Lakota, Potawatomi, Ojibway, Algonquin, Mississauga and Mohawk.

A Recognized Elder and acknowledged by Vern Harper, and Philip is also is a member of Moose Deer Point First Nation, shares important Indigenous oral histories about the Star Knowledge in connection to constellations and the moon. These oral histories were passed down to Philip through his ancestors, and traditional Elders: Ojibway Elder Edward Benton Banai, Cree Elder Joe Couture, Lakota Elder Floyd Looks For Buffalo Hand, Lakota Elder Jimmy Dubrey, Lakota Elder Chief Oliver Red Cloud, Navajo Elder Leon Secatero, Ojibway Elder Dr. Duke Redbird and “The Urban Elder” Vern Harper (Cree) and Ojibway Elder Basil Johnson also including elders from research Ojibway Elder James Redsky and Ojibway Elder Stewart King.

Philip is a Sundancer, Pipe Carrier and Sweat Ceremony Leader. Philip Cote’s spirit name is (Noodjmowin) “The Healer” Misko-gayaashk “Red-Seagull” and Philip is a member of the Falseface and Eagle Societies.

Philip is also a tour guide with “First Story”, since 2005 providing an Indigenous history of Toronto covering the last 13,500 years and as far back as 130,000 years this includes star knowledge and Ojibway Cosmology.

Time: Oct. 21, 2022 @ 10:00 AM ET  

Rhonda Head | Opera singer, Indigenous Music Activist

Rhonda Head is from the Opaskwayak Cree Nation in northern Manitoba, Canada.  Rhonda is a Mezzo-Soprano and has released five albums to date, numerous singles, and is currently working on her sixth album.  Rhonda has received 16 nominations in total and won six international music awards since she began her music career in 2010.  She writes her lyrics in her Indigenous Cree Language, and composes her melodies based off the landscape in her home reserve of Opaskwayak Cree Nation.

Time: Oct. 21, 2022 @ 12:00 PM ET