Meet the NIFF Collective
Advisors/Mentors
Muriel Miguel
Muriel is a choreographer, director and actor. She is the founder and Artistic Director of Spiderwoman Theater, the longest running Indigenous women’s theater company in North America. Muriel is a 2016 Guggenheim Fellow; awarded an Honorary DFA from Miami University in Ohio; a member of the National Theatre Conference and in 2015 attended the Rauschenberg Residency. She taught at the Centre for Indigenous Theatre and is a pioneer in the development of a culturally based Indigenous performance methodology. She facilitates Storyweaving Workshops in universities and communities across the US, Canada and Europe.
Muriel is a choreographer, director and actor. She is the founder and Artistic Director of Spiderwoman Theater, the longest running Indigenous women’s theater company in North America. Muriel is a 2016 Guggenheim Fellow; awarded an Honorary DFA from Miami University in Ohio; a member of the National Theatre Conference and in 2015 attended the Rauschenberg Residency. She taught at the Centre for Indigenous Theatre and is a pioneer in the development of a culturally based Indigenous performance methodology. She facilitates Storyweaving Workshops in universities and communities across the US, Canada and Europe.
Drew Hayden Taylor
Drew is a well-known author, playwright and journalist from Curve Lake First Nation and the author of more than twenty plays and 33 books.
As a playwright, Drew has proudly been a part of what he refers to as the contemporary Native Literary Renascence. An author of more than 20 plays (resulting in almost a hundred productions), his popular plays such as TORONTO AT DREAMER’S ROCK, ONLY DRUNKS AND CHILDREN TELL THE TRUTH, THE BERLIN BLUES, and COTTAGERS AND INDIANS have left their mark on the Canadian theatre scene.
Drew is a well-known author, playwright and journalist from Curve Lake First Nation and the author of more than twenty plays and 33 books.
As a playwright, Drew has proudly been a part of what he refers to as the contemporary Native Literary Renascence. An author of more than 20 plays (resulting in almost a hundred productions), his popular plays such as TORONTO AT DREAMER’S ROCK, ONLY DRUNKS AND CHILDREN TELL THE TRUTH, THE BERLIN BLUES, and COTTAGERS AND INDIANS have left their mark on the Canadian theatre scene.
Deborah Ratelle
Deborah is the Managing Director of Two Spirit Productions and is a consultant with Spiderwoman Theater. Stage Management credits include: The Gala Performance for the opening of the Nunavut Territory in 1999; The Unnatural and Accidental Women (Firehall Arts Centre); BONES: An Aboriginal Dance Opera (The Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity); When Will You Rage? at Planet IndigenUs (Penny Couchie). Project/Production Management credits: Native Earth Performing Arts and The Centre for Indigenous Theatre in Toronto; Aboriginal Dance Program at The Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity; Indigenous Performance Initiatives at Trent University and most Aanmitaagzi in Nipissing First Nation.
Deborah is the Managing Director of Two Spirit Productions and is a consultant with Spiderwoman Theater. Stage Management credits include: The Gala Performance for the opening of the Nunavut Territory in 1999; The Unnatural and Accidental Women (Firehall Arts Centre); BONES: An Aboriginal Dance Opera (The Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity); When Will You Rage? at Planet IndigenUs (Penny Couchie). Project/Production Management credits: Native Earth Performing Arts and The Centre for Indigenous Theatre in Toronto; Aboriginal Dance Program at The Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity; Indigenous Performance Initiatives at Trent University and most Aanmitaagzi in Nipissing First Nation.
Festival Founder
Joeann Argue
Joeann is an Indigenous musician, artist, and educator. She has worked for fifteen years under the mentorship of Muriel Miguel from Spiderwoman Theater in New York City, learning how to teach, develop, and present Indigenous theatre. Joeann studied and taught with the Centre for Indigenous Theatre in their summer school intensive and currently teaches music and storytelling and Trent University.
Joeann Argue
Joeann is an Indigenous musician, artist, and educator. She has worked for fifteen years under the mentorship of Muriel Miguel from Spiderwoman Theater in New York City, learning how to teach, develop, and present Indigenous theatre. Joeann studied and taught with the Centre for Indigenous Theatre in their summer school intensive and currently teaches music and storytelling and Trent University.
General Manager
Lee Bolton
Lee is a life-long theatre practitioner who is a director, playwright, and has managed numerous theatres and festivals. She has a long history of working with Indigenous arts and artists, including Full Circle: First Nations Performance in Vancouver. As a Fringe veteran, she has done shows in the Vancouver, San Francisco, Charlottetown and Fundy (Saint John) festivals. She is currently Theatre Coordinator of Nozhem First Peoples Performance Space.
Lee Bolton
Lee is a life-long theatre practitioner who is a director, playwright, and has managed numerous theatres and festivals. She has a long history of working with Indigenous arts and artists, including Full Circle: First Nations Performance in Vancouver. As a Fringe veteran, she has done shows in the Vancouver, San Francisco, Charlottetown and Fundy (Saint John) festivals. She is currently Theatre Coordinator of Nozhem First Peoples Performance Space.
Technical Director
Don White
Don White has more than three decades experience in the entertainment industry. He is currently the Special Events Technical Coordinator and Technical Director at Trent University. Previous engagements include Touring Lighting Designer for Spiderwoman Theatre and Stuart McLean; Technical Director for Showplace Performance Centre, Lindsay Academy Theatre and Market Hall Performance Centre; Lighting Designer for Whispers Dinner Theatre, Peterborough Theatre Guild, Empire Theatre Belleville, Orillia Opera House, Kawartha Summer Theatre and New Stages Theatre; Front of House Manager for Arbor Theatre; Audio Engineering and Technical Support for an extensive list of musical groups.
Don White
Don White has more than three decades experience in the entertainment industry. He is currently the Special Events Technical Coordinator and Technical Director at Trent University. Previous engagements include Touring Lighting Designer for Spiderwoman Theatre and Stuart McLean; Technical Director for Showplace Performance Centre, Lindsay Academy Theatre and Market Hall Performance Centre; Lighting Designer for Whispers Dinner Theatre, Peterborough Theatre Guild, Empire Theatre Belleville, Orillia Opera House, Kawartha Summer Theatre and New Stages Theatre; Front of House Manager for Arbor Theatre; Audio Engineering and Technical Support for an extensive list of musical groups.
Administrative Coordinator
Leah Simms-Karp
Leah was born into the arts and followed in her family’s footsteps, merging her love of multi-disciplinary performing arts, community and organization into one. Studying theatre in throughout her life showed her an appreciation and comfort in working behind the scenes. She has spent the last 10+ years working in arts administration and Indigenous communities, where her creative and organizational ways of thinking thrive. Leah has worked locally with Indigenous Performance Initiatives, Market Hall, Showplace and Peterborough MusicFest and outside of Nogojiwanong with Native Earth, Toronto Fringe Festival, Art Starts, Toronto Centre for the Arts and Naomi Tyrrell Services. Leah is driven by this work and is excited to continue to be immersed in Nogojiwanong’s arts community.
Leah Simms-Karp
Leah was born into the arts and followed in her family’s footsteps, merging her love of multi-disciplinary performing arts, community and organization into one. Studying theatre in throughout her life showed her an appreciation and comfort in working behind the scenes. She has spent the last 10+ years working in arts administration and Indigenous communities, where her creative and organizational ways of thinking thrive. Leah has worked locally with Indigenous Performance Initiatives, Market Hall, Showplace and Peterborough MusicFest and outside of Nogojiwanong with Native Earth, Toronto Fringe Festival, Art Starts, Toronto Centre for the Arts and Naomi Tyrrell Services. Leah is driven by this work and is excited to continue to be immersed in Nogojiwanong’s arts community.
Board Members
President
Nancy Stevens
Nancy has worn many hats over the years: single mom of 4 kids and grandma to 2 boys, counsellor, teacher, and almost professional student. She has been a bit of a rolling stone and has lived in more places than she can recall. The upside has been many interesting people to meet and things to do! Nancy is on the NIFF board as a result of knowing all the right people and not because of any particular artistic abilities. She currently teaches at Nipissing University in North Bay in the Indigenous Studies program.
Nancy Stevens
Nancy has worn many hats over the years: single mom of 4 kids and grandma to 2 boys, counsellor, teacher, and almost professional student. She has been a bit of a rolling stone and has lived in more places than she can recall. The upside has been many interesting people to meet and things to do! Nancy is on the NIFF board as a result of knowing all the right people and not because of any particular artistic abilities. She currently teaches at Nipissing University in North Bay in the Indigenous Studies program.
Treasurer
Sandra Tomatuk
Sandra is the Finance Officer for the First Peoples House of Learning and the Chanie Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies at Trent University. She is a member of the Cree Nation of Eastmain, from Moose Factory Ontario; Trent ’03. She is also a proud Gookoom!
Sandra Tomatuk
Sandra is the Finance Officer for the First Peoples House of Learning and the Chanie Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies at Trent University. She is a member of the Cree Nation of Eastmain, from Moose Factory Ontario; Trent ’03. She is also a proud Gookoom!
Secretary
Brenda Maracle-O'Toole
Brenda (Kanien’Keha:ka) is a member of the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte, Tyendinaga Territory. She has been the Academic Assistant for the Trent University Indigenous Studies Phd Program for the last 20 years as well as a Trent alumni. She is so excited to be part of this new initiative!As a member of the acapella women’s group, Unity, for the last 15 years, she has had the honour of participating in many singing and speaking engagements with various Indigenous and Non- Indigenous organizations, schools and universities in the surrounding areas, sharing songs and stories to educate as many as possible as to the reality of who Indigenous people are.
She is a self taught piano and guitar player and has tried her hand at writing a song or two. Brenda is constantly amazed at the courage and confidence all artists have, to tell their own stories in so many different ways. NIFF will be a great platform to see this. She has never being part of such a unique event, it is her sincere wish that all the Indigenous artists who participate and visit the festival, have wonderful stories and experiences to pass on to future artists.
Brenda Maracle-O'Toole
Brenda (Kanien’Keha:ka) is a member of the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte, Tyendinaga Territory. She has been the Academic Assistant for the Trent University Indigenous Studies Phd Program for the last 20 years as well as a Trent alumni. She is so excited to be part of this new initiative!As a member of the acapella women’s group, Unity, for the last 15 years, she has had the honour of participating in many singing and speaking engagements with various Indigenous and Non- Indigenous organizations, schools and universities in the surrounding areas, sharing songs and stories to educate as many as possible as to the reality of who Indigenous people are.
She is a self taught piano and guitar player and has tried her hand at writing a song or two. Brenda is constantly amazed at the courage and confidence all artists have, to tell their own stories in so many different ways. NIFF will be a great platform to see this. She has never being part of such a unique event, it is her sincere wish that all the Indigenous artists who participate and visit the festival, have wonderful stories and experiences to pass on to future artists.