Santee Smith facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Santee Smith CM
Smith receiving the 2019 Johanna Metcalf Performing Arts Prize
19th Chancellor of McMaster University
Incumbent
Assumed office November 21, 2019
Preceded by	Suzanne Labarge
Personal details
Children	1
Alma mater	McMaster University

Santee Smith Tekaronhiáhkhwa is a talented Canadian artist. She is a member of the Mohawk Nation. Santee is a dancer, designer, and choreographer. She creates amazing dance shows that share Indigenous stories. Santee is a strong supporter of Indigenous art. Many people see her as one of Canada's best dance artists. She has won many awards for her work. In 2019, she became the Chancellor of McMaster University. This university is in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

Santee Smith's Life Story

Early Life and School

Santee Smith grew up on the Six Nations of the Grand River reserve. This is a special place for Indigenous people. She is proud to be a member of the Mohawk Nation.

When Santee was three years old, she had an accident. A car hit her, and she had to wear a body cast. Later that year, she broke her other leg. Dancing helped her heal and get stronger. At age 11, she was accepted into Canada's National Ballet School. She trained there for six years. Even though she was very good, she left the school. She felt it did not help her connect with her Mohawk identity. She also spent time at the Aboriginal Dance Program in Banff.

Santee went to McMaster University. She earned degrees in physical education and psychology. Later, she got a master's degree in dance. She studied at York University in Toronto.

Artistic Journey and Dance

Santee took a break from dancing to focus on her studies. But she missed being creative through dance. So, she started making her own dances in 1996. Her very first big dance show was in 2004. She worked on it for six years. She named it Kaha:wi, which means "to carry."

In 2005, Santee Smith started Kaha:wi Dance Theatre. She is the artistic director and producer. This company is based in Toronto and comes from Six Nations. Its goal is to bring together dance training, Indigenous identity, and performance. Santee's work blends old and new Haudenosaunee songs and dances. This helps connect the past and present. It also honors the culture and traditions.

Santee also creates beautiful pottery. This is another way she shows her Indigenous identity. Her pottery piece "Talking Earth" is now a permanent artwork. It is displayed at the Gardiner Museum. This piece shows the pain of colonization. Her pottery has also been shown in other places. These include the Woodland Cultural Centre and the National Gallery of Canada. Her family has a long history with pottery. Her grandmother, Elda "Bun" Smith, found broken pottery pieces on her reserve. She learned that pottery was a Mohawk tradition that had been lost. Santee's grandmother helped bring this tradition back. She taught it to Santee's parents. Now, Santee's parents have a pottery business. Santee also works there.

Santee uses pottery in her dance shows too. The pottery is made by Indigenous artists. It has images and symbols that are important to Indigenous culture. For example, they show the earth and how we must live in balance with it. In her show Blood Ties, she used a special pottery piece. Her father made it just for the performance. Santee's parents are famous Mohawk ceramic artists. Many Indigenous people help Santee create her work. For her first dance, Kaha:wi, she talked to people from her reserve and family. They helped her create the story. It was about Haudenosaunee life and ideas. She also used Indigenous musicians for the music.

Santee Smith has created 14 major dance productions. She has also made many shorter pieces. Her shows have been performed all over Canada and in other countries. Her research and passion make her a strong supporter of Indigenous performances. She creates stories that show Indigenous lives. Her work also helps people understand gender roles differently. She shows how colonization changed how women were seen in Indigenous traditions. Santee shows that Haudenosaunee and Mohawk women were traditionally powerful. They even owned land. Her performances try to bring back these important identities.

Some of the shows Santee has choreographed include the 2017 Louis Riel opera. This opera is about the Métis leader Louis Riel. She also designed the opening ceremony for the North American Indigenous Games in Toronto. With Kaha:wi Dance Theatre, Santee created The Mush Hole: Truth, Acknowledgement, Resilience. This show is about the Mohawk Institute Residential School. This was a residential school for First Nations children. It was in Brantford, Ontario. In 2019, The Mush Hole first played in Toronto. Then it went on a tour across North America.

Becoming a University Chancellor

In 2019, Santee Smith became the new Chancellor of McMaster University. The Chancellor is like an honorary head of the university. She took over from Suzanne Labarge. Santee is the first Indigenous person to hold this important position. She officially started on November 21, 2019. She was reappointed in February 2022.

Awards and Recognition

Santee Smith has received many awards for her amazing work.