Duke Redbird facts for kids

Duke Redbird, born in 1939, is an Indigenous Canadian writer, journalist, and activist. He is famous for helping to shape First Nations literature in Canada.

Duke is an Ojibwe person from the Saugeen First Nation in Ontario. When he was only nine months old, his mother passed away in a house fire. He then became a ward of the Children's Aid Society. He grew up mostly with white foster families. Duke started writing to cope with the unfair treatment he faced in schools because he was Indigenous.

Early Life and Career

In the mid-1960s, Duke Redbird began his career as a spoken word artist. He performed at folk festivals, coffeehouses, and theaters across Canada. Later, he became the editor of a newspaper for Indigenous people called The Thunderbird. He was also very active in organizing protests and speaking out about Indigenous rights.

During this time, he lived near famous singer Joni Mitchell in Toronto's Yorkville area. He also had his first acting role in a TV show called Adventures in Rainbow Country. In 1971, Marty Dunn wrote a book about Duke Redbird called Red on White. Duke's spoken word performances were also shown in a documentary film called The Other Side of the Ledger.

Writing and Poetry

Duke Redbird has published several collections of poetry. These include I Am Canadian (1978) and Loveshine and Red Wine (1981). He has also created special works for big events in Canada. These include the opening of the Canadian Museum of Civilization and Expo 67.

In 1977, a musical play based on his poetry was performed for Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. In 1985, Duke represented Canada at a world poetry festival in Delhi, India.

Musical Collaborations

In the 1970s, Duke worked with musician Winston Wuttunee. They performed together at the Mariposa Folk Festival and released an album called See the Arrow. Two CDs of his spoken word work have been released: Duke Redbird the Poet (1994) and In Other Words (1999).

In 1999, Indigenous rapper TKO asked Duke to work on his next album. TKO said that Duke was the "old master of the spoken word" and he was the "new master." A song Duke recorded in 1975 with musician Shingoose, called "Silver River," was included on a 2014 album called Native North America, Vol. 1.

Art and Books

Duke Redbird also helped write a guidebook for an art exhibition. This book, The Drawings and Paintings of Daphne Odjig: A Retrospective Exhibition, was for a 2009 show at the National Gallery of Art. He wrote it with Bonnie Devine and Robert Houle. The exhibition featured the work of artist Daphne Odjig.

Activism and Education

In the 1970s, Duke Redbird was the vice-president of the Native Council of Canada. He later earned a master's degree in political science from York University. His master's paper, We Are Metis, was published in 1980. After that, he became the president of the Ontario Métis and Non-Status Indian Association.

Media and Acting Work

Duke Redbird started working in television and film in the 1990s. He wrote a TV play for CBC Television called Four Directions: A Canoe for the Making. He was also a producer for the movie Dance Me Outside. He created a documentary about Indigenous art for the National Film Board. He also worked for Citytv as a news producer and a reporter covering First Nations issues.

During this time, he also took on many acting roles. He appeared in TV shows like Wonderfalls and Relic Hunter. He also acted in films such as Elimination Dance, The Shaman's Source, and Casino Jack.

Business Ventures

In the 1990s, Duke Redbird co-owned a pub in downtown Toronto called the Coloured Stone. He also played a big part in helping Joni Mitchell reconnect with her daughter, Kilauren Gibb, whom she had given up for adoption many years before. In 1999, he launched Native Blend Coffee, a brand of fair trade coffee. In 2000, he opened a restaurant called Eureka Continuum, which specialized in Indigenous food.

Duke explained that his approach to activism had changed over time. He told the Toronto Star that he was still an activist, but in a different way. He saw himself as an elder and a "wisdom-keeper." His role was to help Indigenous people find the right goals and strategies to achieve them.

Academic Contributions

After leaving Citytv in 2009, Duke Redbird joined OCAD University. He worked there as a mentor and advisor in their Indigenous visual culture program until 2012. In 2013, the university gave him an honorary doctorate degree.

In 2019, he worked with Myseum of Toronto on a project about Indigenous history at Ontario Place.