i Biographies

Jeannette Christine Armstrong, Director of the En’owkin Centre
and a member of the Okanagan Nation, Jeannette is a recognized
Canadian author, artist and an advocate of Indigenous Peoples rights.
One of her two chilren’s books won the Children’s Book Centre “Our
Choice” award. She has published a critically acclaimed novel Slash,
Whispering In Shadows, a collection of poetry Breath Tracks and
collaborated with Douglas Cardinal on the book Native Creative
Process. Jeannette co-edited the book Native Poetry in Canada: A
Contemporary Anthology as well as edited Looking at the Words of our
People: First Nations Analysis of Literature. She has published
fiction, poetry and articles in a wide variety of journals and antholo-
gies. She has a BFA, First Class, from the University of Victoria.
Jeannette was recently distinguished with an Honourary Doctorate of
Letters from St. Thomas University, Fredericton.

Suzi Bekkattla is from St George’s Hill, Saskatchewan and now lives
in Vancouver BC. She is proud to be fluent in the Dene language. j
Leaving En’owkin Center in 1999, and completing a third year of a |
Bachelors of Education at the University of Saskatchewan, Suzi
journeyed to Hong Kong to teach ESL. Upon returning to Canada, she

attended the Aboriginal Film School at the Native Education Center.

She has worked at Young Eagles Healing Lodge youth Treatment

Center in Vancouver and has volunteered at Potters Place Mission

Center. Currently Suzi works as a First Nations Support worker for the
Vancouver School Board. Her dreams are to open a library in Northern
Saskatchewan, interview elders and utilize their knowledge to write,

and to make films.

Gordon Bird is from Lac La Ronge, Saskatchewan. Born August 13,
1967, he has a Cree and French background. A recovering alcoholic
and drug addict, April 11, 2004 will be nine years of sobriety for
Gordon. His Spirit name is Circle Dancing Eagle. He has had his
poetry published and played the lead role in the play Elvis Goodrunner.
He has worked as a lighting technician for theaters. He has a deep
appreciation for music, art and all artistic genre’s. He loves to write
drama and has a dream to one day become a film director. “I learn a
lot from being out on the land. There are many valuable lessons that
come from the land about how to live upon Mother Earth.”

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