News

A Legacy of Creativity, Community, and Generosity.

Barbara Laronde (1930-2026) was the mother of NWIA founder Sandra Laronde and a deeply important influence on the values that continue to guide Native Women in the Arts.

A member of Temagami First Nation, Barbara was the backbone of her family and a respected presence in her Northern Ontario community. She encouraged her children to be creative, entrepreneurial, independent, and connected to their community. Her influence extended beyond her immediate family, shaping a spirit of generosity, resilience, creativity, and determination that continues through the generations.

The Barbara Laronde Emerging Artist Award was established in that spirit. Sandra Laronde’s 19 years of leadership at Native Women in the Arts opened doors for countless Indigenous artists at different stages of their careers. Through her vision, NWIA developed into an organization dedicated to creating opportunities for Indigenous artists and bringing Indigenous artistic expression to audiences in Toronto, Northern Ontario, and beyond.

Naming the award after her mother is a reflection of the relationship between family, community, artistic practice, and legacy. Barbara’s encouragement of creativity and entrepreneurship helped nurture the very qualities that Sandra carried into her work at NWIA.

The award therefore represents more than a financial prize. It is an acknowledgment of the generations of knowledge, encouragement, and creative strength that make artistic careers possible. Barbara understood the importance of nurturing potential. She encouraged her children to find their own paths, to create, and to contribute to their communities. Those values remain at the heart of this award.

Today, each emerging artist recognized through the Barbara Laronde Award carries that legacy forward in their own way. From beadwork and traditional arts to contemporary visual art, performance, music, writing, and multidisciplinary practices, the artists recognized by this award demonstrate the continuing vitality of Indigenous artistic expression throughout Northern Ontario. Barbara inspired many artists through the generations, and her legacy will live on through the artists who continue to create, connect, and build community.

The Vision of the Award

The award was created to support and celebrate the achievements of Indigenous women and gender-marginalized artists from Northern Ontario, while providing financial support and career-enhancing opportunities that encourage their continued artistic development.

NWIA recognizes that geography can create significant barriers to artistic development, including limited access to professional networks, presentation opportunities, mentorship, training, and resources. The Barbara Laronde Award responds to these realities by creating pathways for emerging artists to strengthen their practices and build sustainable careers.

The Impact of the Award

The Barbara Laronde Award is given in the spirit of fostering the careers of emerging artists from Indigenous communities across Northern Ontario, both on and off reserve.

Since 1994, Native Women in the Arts has supported Indigenous artistic expression through theatre, dance, music, spoken word, visual and media arts, publications, artist talks, workshops, commissions, and symposiums.

NWIA’s programming creates opportunities for artists to connect with audiences and other artists in Toronto, Northern Ontario, and online. Through these initiatives, NWIA works to build stronger artistic networks while supporting Indigenous artists at emerging, mid-career, and established stages of their careers.

The Barbara Laronde Award is one part of this larger commitment: to ensure that emerging Indigenous artists have the resources, recognition, connections, and opportunities they need to continue creating.

Previous Award and Shortlisted Recipients

Award Winners – Aylan Couchie, Janelle Wawia, Lucille Atlookan, Caitlyn Bird, Joe Wood, Michel Dumont, Candace Twance, Storm Angeconeb, Mishiikenh Kwe, Amber Waboose

Shortlisted Winners – Emily Granville, MJ Singleton, Grace Swain, Chevaun Toulouse, Colleen Toulouse, Lucia Laford, Amber Waboose, Sara Kanutski, Leslie Neshkiwe, Acadia Solomon, Faith Turner, Naomi Desrochers, Ruby Thompson, Lynsey Kapera, Cherly Suggashie, Jana Rae Yerxa, Melody McKiver, Courtnee Osawabine, Sonya Belisle, Taryn Bobiwash, Leanna Marshall 

We are honoured to carry Barbara Laronde’s legacy forward by investing in the next generation of Indigenous artists from Northern Ontario.

In Memory of Barbara Laronde

In lieu of flowers, donations in Barbara’s memory to St. Elizabeth Catholic Church, Box 148, Temagami, Ontario P0H 2H0, would be greatly appreciated by the family. 

To support the next generation of emerging Indigenous women and gender-marginalized artists through the Barbara Laronde Emerging Artist Award, please consider donating to the Barbara Laronde Award.

Native Women in the Arts (NWIA) is pleased to announce Zoey Therriault as the recipient of the 11th Annual Barbara Laronde Emerging Artist Award. Therriault will receive a $5,000 cash prize in recognition of her emerging artistic practice and commitment to cultural reclamation, community, and the continuation of Indigenous artistic traditions.

The Barbara Laronde Emerging Artist Award recognizes outstanding emerging Indigenous women and gender-marginalized artists including Status and Non-Status First Nations, Métis, and Inuit artists from Northern Ontario. The award acknowledges the unique barriers faced by many artists working in Northern and remote communities and provides financial support, professional development, connections, and opportunities to advance their artistic careers.

Celebrating Zoey Therriault

An emerging Anishinaabe/Odawa artisan from Aroland First Nation, Ontario, Zoey Therriault has relations in Sagamok Anishinaabek and Wikwemikong Anishinaabek. Her artistic practice includes beadwork, moccasins, and other traditional crafts, which she approaches as part of an ongoing journey of cultural reclamation.

Each piece is created with gratitude to the land and respect for ancestral knowledge, carrying cultural meaning as well as personal story. Therriault understands her artistic practice as a way of nurturing connections between people, community, and the natural world. Through her work, she hopes to share beauty, belonging, and continuity with those who encounter her creations.

Zoey Therriault was selected from a number of nominees from across Northern Ontario. NWIA’s Artistic Director, Quach George remarked: “On behalf of the Board and staff of NWIA, we are thrilled to present the Barbara Laronde Emerging Artist Award to Zoey Therriault and recognize her commitment to the development of her artistic practice. Zoey’s work demonstrates the importance of cultural reclamation, connection, and the continuation of ancestral knowledge through contemporary artistic practice. We are honoured to support her journey with this $5,000 award and look forward to seeing her artistic practice continue to grow. A huge congratulations to Zoey!”

To support the next generation of emerging Indigenous women and gender-marginalized artists through the Barbara Laronde Emerging Artist Award, please consider donating to the Barbara Laronde Award.

Native Women in the Arts (NWIA) invites you to celebrate National Poetry Month 2026 in April, with resources, materials, funding, and opportunities made possible with the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, the Toronto Arts Council, and the Department of Canadian Heritage. National Poetry Month 2026 will shape itself around the theme Land & Sea: Mother Earth began with spirit — first water, then land — alive and sacred. To walk on the land and touch her waters is an act of respect and gratitude. Every stone, stream, mountain, and drop of water is a teacher; every breeze, a messenger. We are called to listen, honour, by giving thanks through acts with care. Speaking with water and land we acknowledge its life-sustaining gifts; carrying the lessons of the past into the future through ceremony. This National Poetry Month, the League of Canadian Poets, First Nations House, and NWIA invite poets and readers to explore their relationship with water and land — to write, reflect, and celebrate our shared responsibilities and the sacred bonds that sustain us all. On Thursday, April 30, 2026, we invite you to join us for an evening of poetry readings with guest artist Rosanna Deerchild, and five selected Indigenous readers. Each poet will be given the opportunity to present their poems with the theme of Land & Water. Each selected poet will be provided with a reader fee of $150.00 CAD, pre-register is required by end of day, Monday, April 27, 2026. Audiences will also have the opportunity to connect with Bobbie Lee Journal, who will be present with publications and information for contributors. National Poetry Month 2026 – Land & Sea  Thursday, April 30, 2026 | 5PM – 8PM The Teaching Lodge – 33 Willcocks Street, Toronto, ON Cost: FREE Spots are limited, please register for this event with bailey.bornyk@utoronto.ca. Reader Callout – NPM 2026, Land & Sea – Fill out this form.  U of T registration link: https://folio.utoronto.ca/students/events/detail/6820269 For more information contact fnhresource.centre@utoronto.ca.

ROSANNA DEERCHILD Rosanna Deerchild (She/Her) is Cree, from O-Pipon-Na-Piwan Cree Nation.Her first play, with Winnipeg’s RMTC’s Pimootayowin Creators Circle, The Secret to Good Tea was the first Indigenous-written play to debut on their mainstage for their 2023 season. It was produced by The Grand Theatre in London, Ontario and Ottawa’s NAC Indigenous Theatre in the 2025 season.  As the host of Unreserved (CBC Radio One, Sirius XM, US Public Radio and Native Voice One) Rosanna shares Indigenous community, culture and conversation.She has written three collections of poetry: this is a small northern town, calling down the sky, and she falls again, which won the Indigenous Voices Award for poetry in 2025.  BOBBIE LEE JOURNAL Bobbi Lee: a Collection of Indigenous Knowledges, is named in honour of Lee Maracle’s iconic 1975 autobiographical work Bobbi Lee Indian Rebel. The editorial team, comprised of Indigenous students at the University of Toronto, are seeking to establish a platform for Indigenous scholarly and creative work. We are seeking both academic works, such as research essays, along with creative works including poetry, short stories, screenplays, visual art, and videos. All mediums are accepted for publication. We welcome self-identifying Indigenous folks from across Turtle Island to submit their works. This includes those outside of post-secondary institutions, and those located in non-urban spaces or reserve communities. THE LEAGUE OF CANADIAN POETS The League of Canadian Poets is Canada’s only national professional poetry organization. The League serves the poetry community and promotes a high level of professional achievement through events, networking, projects, publications, mentoring, and awards. We administer programs and funds for governments and private donors and encourage an appreciative readership and audience for poetry through educational partnerships and presentations to diverse groups. As the recognized voice of Canadian poets, we represent poets’ concerns to governments, publishers, and society at large, and we maintain connections with similar organizations at home and abroad. The League strives to promote equal opportunities for poets from myriad literary traditions and cultural and demographic backgrounds.Members of the League are professional poets who are actively contributing to the development, growth, and public profile of poetry in Canada. FIRST NATIONS HOUSE – UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO INDIGENOUS STUDENT SERVICES  The First Nations House, provides culturally relevant services to Indigenous students to support academic success, personal growth and leadership development. We offer learning opportunities for all students to engage with Indigenous communities at U of T and beyond. NATIVE WOMEN IN THE ARTS Native Women in the Arts (NWIA) is a not-for-profit organisation for First Nations, Inuit and Métis women and other Indigenous gender marginalized folks who share the common interest of art, culture, community and the advancement of Indigenous peoples.

Experience powerful storytelling, movement, and cultural connection. From workshops and Experience powerful storytelling, movement, and cultural connection. From workshops and dance to film, this week brings together artists, knowledge keepers, and community to celebrate Haudenosaunee culture and resilience.

March 30 – The Centre for Indigenous Theatre & SASS

Residential Schools: The Art of Survival Through Defiance – 10:30AM – 12:30PM

Day 1 centers on storytelling, resistance, and cultural resilience through film, discussion, and hands-on learning.

Participants will engage with What If… Kahhori Reshaped the World? (2023), an episode that reimagines history through an Indigenous lens. Developed in close collaboration with Mohawk Nation knowledge keepers, including historian Doug George-Kanentiio and language expert Cecelia King, the work foregrounds cultural authenticity while exploring themes of power, identity, and alternate futures.

A keynote talk by Doug George-Kanentiio, an Akwesasne Mohawk residential school survivor, journalist, and cultural advocate, will provide critical insight into the lived realities of residential schools and the enduring strength of Haudenosaunee peoples. His decades of work in media, governance, and advocacy ground this session in both historical knowledge and contemporary resistance.

Corn Husk Dolls Legends and Teachings – 1:00PM – 4:00PM

The day also includes a Corn Husk Doll workshop, where participants will learn the story of the Onę́ste’ doll and create their own piece. This session emphasizes relational responsibility, balance, and the Haudenosaunee concept of the Good Mind (Kanikuhliyó).

The workshop is presented by Dr. Kahawhitha Leah Shenandoah, a Wolf Clan member of the Oneida Nation and Assistant Professor at OCAD University. Her interdisciplinary practice spans visual art, design, music, and scholarship, exploring Indigenous material culture, identity, and resurgence. Her work bridges artistic practice and research, creating pathways for cultural continuity, healing, and creative sovereignty.

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March 31 – The Native Canadian Centre of Toronto

Entering the Circle: Haudenosaunee Smoke Dance – 1:00PM – 4:00PM

Day 2 focuses on movement, embodiment, and cultural knowledge through Smoke Dance.

This workshop introduces participants to foundational footwork, rhythm, and timing, while emphasizing respect, awareness, and confidence when entering the dance circle. Designed for both beginners and experienced dancers, the session offers a supportive environment for learning through practice, storytelling, and mentorship.

Led by champion dancers, participants will develop stamina, control, and presence, while gaining insight into the cultural responsibilities carried through dance and participation in the powwow arena.

Facilitators include:

• Tekatsi’tsanèken Everstz, Bear Clan (Kahnawà:ke), a two-time World Smoke Dance Champion who has performed and taught internationally, bringing deep cultural knowledge and lifelong experience in the powwow circle.
• Jennifer Martin, Turtle Clan (Six Nations), an award-winning dancer with decades of experience, committed to mentoring and supporting the next generation.
• Adriel Harjo, a young Turtle Clan dancer from Six Nations, representing emerging leadership and the continuation of Smoke Dance traditions.

Participants will leave with strengthened technique, increased confidence, and a deeper understanding of carrying Haudenosaunee identity within the circle.

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 April 2– The Centre for Indigenous Theatre

Film Screening & Artist Talk – 11:00AM – 1:00PM

The final day highlights contemporary Indigenous storytelling through film.

A screening will be followed by an artist talk with Jessie Anthony, a Haudenosaunee filmmaker from Six Nations of the Grand River. A graduate of Capilano University’s Indigenous Independent Filmmaking Program, Anthony is an award-winning writer, director, and producer.

Her debut feature film, Brother, I Cry, received multiple awards, including the Audience Choice Award at imagineNATIVE and recognition for Best Screenwriting and Direction. She is also the producer of the Indigenous queer series Querencia and continues to develop work across film and television with major industry partners.

Through this session, participants will gain insight into Indigenous storytelling in contemporary media, as well as the creative processes and industry pathways shaping the next generation of Indigenous filmmakers.