Honouring Indigenous Changemakers
Celebrate Indigenous History Month by learning about nine Indigenous innovators.
Published: June 2, 2025
From artists and musicians to actors and writers, discover Indigenous changemakers this Indigenous History Month.
The Algonquin Students’ Association and Algonquin College’s Mamidosewin Centre proudly spotlight nine individuals who have uniquely contributed to Indigenous culture.
Paulina Alexis
This First Nations actress is best known for her roles in Reservation Dogs, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and Beans. She landed her first professional film role at 18 and has received several award nominations for her work. Discover more about this up-and-coming star’s career in this article from Maclean’s.
Christi Belcourt
Belcourt is known for her large floral paintings that feature Métis beadwork. Her work has been featured in the National Gallery of Canada, and she’s known for her contributions as a community activist, project creator, and coordinator. In 2024, Canada Post featured Belcourt on one of its stamps to commemorate National Indigenous Peoples Day.
Tomson Highway
As one of Canada’s most prominent and influential Indigenous writers, Highway uses his writing to explore issues affecting First Nations people. In 1988, Maclean’s named Highway one of the 100 most important people in Canadian history. He also received an award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement at the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards in 2022. Learn more about the remarkable life of Tomson Highway here.
Zacharias Kunuk
As a youth, this Inuk director sold soapstone sculptures so he could buy movie tickets. Kunuk is now an acclaimed filmmaker known for his incredible work in filmmaking. He may be best known for directing Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner, the first film to be written, directed and performed entirely in the Inuktitut language. Learn more about Kunuk’s filmmaking career here.
Brandon Montour
This NHL defenceman grew up on the Six Nations of the Grand River. Montour played one hockey season with the University of Massachusetts. He was the highest NHL draft pick in the school’s history and won the Stanley Cup while playing for the Florida Panthers in 2024.
Alanis Obomsawin
One of Canada’s most distinguished documentary filmmakers, Obomsawin initially pursued a career as a professional singer. After appearing in a documentary feature in 1966, she was hired as a consultant by the National Film Board, which eventually led to her directing her first documentary, Christmas at Moose Factory. Learn more.
Jay Odjick
Odjick is a writer, producer, and visual artist. He wrote and illustrated his own graphic novel, Kagagi: The Raven, before seeing it adapted into an animated TV show. The lines for Kagagi were fully recorded in English and Algonquin, and the version of the show that aired on TV featured a mix of the two. Outside his comics career, Odjick has illustrated children’s books for Robert Munsch, including Blackflies. Learn more.
Joshua Odjick
Odjick is an Indigenous actor from the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation. He had his breakout role in the Canadian TV series Unsettled and went on to get roles in works such as Bootlegger, The Swarm, and Wildhood. Learn more about Odjick’s career.
Tanya Tagaq
This Juno-winning artist is known for Inuit throat singing. Tagaq has created a unique sound that blends the traditional style with punk, metal, and electronic music. She uses her platform as a musician to advocate for Indigenous rights and raise awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. Discover more about Tagaq’s inspirational life.