Duke Redbird was born on 1939 and is an Indigenous Canadian poet, journalist, activist, businessman, actor and administrator, best known as a key figure in the development of First Nations literature in Canada.
11 Facts About Duke Redbird
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Duke Redbird's spoken word performances were caught on film in the NFB documentary The Other Side of the Ledger.
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Duke Redbird has done other commissioned work for various public events in Canada, including the official opening of the Canadian Museum of Civilization and Expo 67.
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Duke Redbird collaborated with musician Winston Wuttunee in the 1970s, including a joint appearance at the Mariposa Folk Festival and the album See the Arrow.
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Duke Redbird subsequently served as president of the Ontario Metis and Non-Status Indian Association.
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Duke Redbird began working in television and film during the 1990s.
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Duke Redbird wrote the teleplay Four Directions: A Canoe for the Making for CBC Television, was an associate producer on the feature film Dance Me Outside, and produced a multimedia documentary on indigenous art for the National Film Board.
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Duke Redbird has worked in television as a news producer and First Nations issues reporter for Citytv.
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Duke Redbird took on multiple acting roles in this era, appearing in episodes of Wonderfalls and Relic Hunter, and in the films Elimination Dance, The Shaman's Source and Casino Jack.
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Duke Redbird launched Native Blend Coffee, a line of fair trade coffee, in 1999.
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Duke Redbird was awarded an honorary doctorate from the institution in 2013.