Mary Anne Barkhouse was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, but has strong ties to both coasts as her mother is from the Nimpkish band, Kwakiutl First Nation of Alert Bay, BC and her father is of German and British descent from Nova Scotia. She is a descendant of a long line of internationally recognized Northwest Coast artists that includes Ellen Neel, Mungo Martin and Charlie James. She graduated with Honours from the Ontario College of Art in Toronto and has exhibited widely across Canada and the United States. A member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, Barkhouse’s work can be found in numerous private and public collections.

Kent Monkman is an interdisciplinary Cree visual artist. A member of Fisher River Cree Nation in Treaty 5 Territory (Manitoba), he lives and works in Dish With One Spoon Territory (Toronto, Canada). Known for his thought-provoking interventions into Western European and American art history, Monkman explores themes of colonization, sexuality, loss, and resilience—the complexities of historic and contemporary Indigenous experiences—across painting, film/video, performance, and installation. Monkman’s painting and installation works have been exhibited at institutions such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art; Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal; The National Gallery of Canada; The Royal Ontario Museum; and Gardiner Museum.

A member of the Fort William First Nation (Thunder Bay) where he maintains a home, Andre Morriseau is based in Toronto. Over the past 20 years, Mr. Morriseau has served on numerous boards of directors including the Ontario Arts Council (OAC), ImagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts Festival, Native American Journalist’s Association (NAJA), the Toronto Council Fire Native Cultural Centre and is currently serving as a Director on the Anishnawbe Health Foundation board.

Dr. Duke Redbird is an Elder from the Saugeen Ojibway Nation, on the shores of Lake Huron. A celebrated Indigenous Visionary as well as an established public intellectual, poet, broadcaster, and filmmaker, Dr. Redbird is also a highly sought after keynote speaker. He is an Elder and Advisor to various public and private organizations, and his online presence brings his breadth of cultural knowledge and artistic practice to the benefit of a global audience. A multidisciplinary artist, Dr. Redbird brings an Indigenous lens to modern art and design, and has aided in the emergence of a vibrant Indigenous presence on the contemporary cultural scene.

Santee Smith is an internationally recognized leader in the performing arts, a multidisciplinary artist and producer from the Kahnyen’kehàka (Mohawk) Nation, Turtle Clan from Ohswé:ken (Six Nations of the Grand River, Ontario). She is one of Canada’s leading dance artists, and holds McMaster University degrees in Physical Education and Psychology along with a Master of Arts in Dance from York University. Her life and works have been the topic of TV series and films aired on CBC, NFB, APTN and PBS (US), and most recently on CBC Arts – The Move II. Smith is the 19th Chancellor of McMaster University.