CALGARY—Karen Pheasant-Neganigwane of Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory, who now lives and works in Calgary, Alberta said that being named as an 2023 inductee into the Dance Collection Danse (DCD) Hall of Fame was a complete surprise.
“When they told me, I was in shock for 48 hours,” stated Mr. Pheasant-Neganigwane. “I am now closer to 70 than 60, I have three children, eight grandchildren, and I am now a university professor. I have been focussing on being an academic for many years. My priorities are different than they were in the past. But dance has always been part of my life.”
The fifth annual DCD Hall of Fame, presented by Dance Collection Danse, announced the 2023 inductees of notable contributions to dance from across the country on October 2. The DCD Hall of Fame will honour and celebrate dynamic lifelong contributions to dance in Canada with a ceremony on Sunday, November 5 at the Palais Royale in Toronto.
“The 2023 Dance Collection Danse Hall of Fame inductees represent a diverse range of dance forms and backgrounds, highlighting the rich tapestry of the dance world. The evening will feature remarks from illustrious presenters, and inductees, live performances by the current generation of elite dancers, and a food and cocktail reception,” a release explained.
“We are honoured to recognize these (13) extraordinary individuals for their profound contributions to the world of dance,” said Amy Bowring, executive director of DCD. “Their artistry, creativity, and dedication have enriched the lives of countless people, and we are thrilled to celebrate their legacy.”
“Karen Pheasant-Neganigwane is an Anishinaabe of the Three Fires Confederacy (Ojibwe, Odawa and Pottawatomi),” a biography states. “She is a dancer, scholar, writer, artist and orator from Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory. The daughter of residential school survivors, Karen’s path to activism and scholarly work started as a youth during the height of the civil rights era of the 1970s. The social project of Rochdale College (Toronto) provided the embryonic opening for her inquisitive spirit.”
It was explained, “Shortly after an engaging ceremony with a great Indigenous philosopher and scholar, Dr. Joe Couture, in the early 1980s, she left Toronto. She has spent the past four years being mentored by iconic Indigenous scholars from the Great Lakes of her people to Treaty Three, Treaty Six, and currently in Treaty Seven. Her Western education includes a B.A. in political science and English literature, and graduate studies in educational policy studies from the University of Alberta. She is completing a PhD in educational policy studies/indigenous peoples education with the University of Alberta. Karen is an assistant professor at Mount Royal University in the Treaty Seven region in the Department of General Education, Office of Teaching and Learning, and the Department of Humanities-Indigenous Studies. A life-long powwow dancer, Karen is the author of the award-winning book ‘Powwow: A Celebration Through Song and Dance,’ which takes readers on a journey through powwow’s history and today’s thriving powwow culture.”
Karen J. Pheasant-Neganigwane is an Anishinaabe jingle dress dancer, a dance given to her people in a ceremonial way to bring well-being to the people. She believes in this time of Reconciliation and the 8th Fire Anishinaabe prophecy that Indigenous Ninendamowin (Ontology) is a vital knowledge system requirement in contemporary society.
Ms. Pheasant-Neganigwane is a current board member of Indigenous Performance Artist Alliance (IPAA), and former chairperson of the National Aboriginal Dance Collective and actively advocates for the preservation of cultural integrity and authenticity within Aboriginal cultural expression of dance. Her gift of storytelling and her dance style techniques has led her to teach at distinguished Aboriginal Arts programs such as the Banff Centre of the Arts (Alberta), the Centre for indigenous Theatre (Toronto), Debajehmujig Native Theatre Company (Manitoulin Island) En’owkin Centre, Women in the Arts (Toronto) and the Wikwemikong Heritage Organization.
In the summer of 2003, she facilitated the dance revival of one of Canada’s oldest dance forms, the Blackfoot Prairie Chicken Dance, at Eastern Canada’s oldest cultural festival gathering in Wiikwemkoong. In the summer of 2004 at The Debajehmujig Theatre Ms. Pheasant-Neganigwane fulfilled a lifelong dream by choreographing and presenting “The Promise” the story of how the Anishinaabe dance-The Jingle Dress continues to bring healing to the dancers of the dress).
She is the eldest daughter of Rosemary Mishibinijima and Moses Wassegijig (Lavallee), both who had the Indian Residential School experience. She attributes her audacity to both her parents, first generation to live successfully off-reserve, and remain connected to their land base of Wiikwemkoong.
As a young woman Ms. Pheasant-Neganigwane worked in community centres during the height of the Civil Rights movement, in education (K-12, post-secondary) and her continued involvement in the arts, as a published author, beader, dancer (since childhood), and an arts performer.
Ms. Pheasant-Neganigwane won the Top Canadian children’s book award in 2022 for Pow Wow Experience.
“Dance is my healing staff,” stated Ms. Pheasant-Neganigwane. “I was the first born of two residential school survivors. Without getting into the barrage of that, since I was little I have danced, for example at the Wiikwemkoong Civic holiday weekend as a young girl, and studied dance at a young age.”
Dance Collection Danse, founded in 1986 by Lawrence and Miriam Adams, is a national arts organization that safeguards Canada’s dance archives and artifacts and disseminates this history through its varied programs. A unique organization straddling the performing arts, museum, and archival communities, DCD offers the opportunity to understand, investigate, and experience the legacies of dance in Canada.
