Edna Manitowabi

Edna Manitowabi has been changing lives across Turtle Island for decades – and her work is far from finished. As a teacher at the forefront of the Indigenous cultural revitalization movement of the 1960s and ‘70s, she was a founding member, teacher, and curriculum designer of the Bidassige Native Way School in 1976. With her friend Kathy Bird, she established medicine lodges in many First Nations communities across Ontario and Manitoba to share traditional medicinal knowledge.

She is a Fifth Degree member of the Midewiwin Society, the head woman and the Ogimaakwe (Head Leader Woman) of the Eastern Doorway Minweyweywigaan Lodge which spans across Ontario and Manitoba.  Edna co-founded this Lodge with the late Chief and Ogimaa Charles Nelson of the Western Doorway of the Lodge.  Edna has helped Minweyweywigaan Lodge grow exponentially.

A teacher of Anishinaabemowin, Edna is also the author of teaching texts which have become key curricular components in disciplines such as Indigenous Studies, Women’s Studies, and Cultural Studies. She taught at Trent University for many years and is a Professor Emerita there; she was the driving force behind the creation of Nozhem Theatre, Trent’s dedicated Indigenous performance space, and the Indigenous Studies Department’s biennial Native Women’s Symposium.

Edna has served as the Traditional Cultural Director for The Native Theatre School, The Centre for Indigenous Theatre, and the Banff Aboriginal Dance Program. She is an accomplished actor, beginning in 1994 with her first-ever role in Drew Hayden Taylor’s play Someday. Her more recent work includes roles in the films Indian Horse and Café Daughter as well as the series Resident Alien.

As a strong advocate for Indigenous peoples, a teacher of Anishinaabemowin and Anishinaabeg traditions, and an unfailing champion of Indigenous ways of knowing, Edna has dedicated her life to ensuring cultural well-being and strength for future generations.