Impact stories
Below we highlight some of our past grant recipients and the projects they have completed!
Dana Solomon
Project Grant
Dana created a short film, Strength of My Spirit, that explores the importance of hair to Indigenous Peoples. Hair represents the Mind, Body, Spirit and is our connection the the creator.
Nicolas Gibson
Project Grant
Nic filmed a video with the Elder in residence at the University of Alberta's Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Rick Lightning, to learn how to build a tipi and as a way to learn more and connect with his Métis heritage.
Noah Favel
Project Grant
Noah Favel is a member of Poundmaker Cree Nation located on Treaty 6 territory. He completed his undergraduate studies at McGill University in History and World Cinemas, where he was also the co-chair of the Indigenous Student Alliance (ISA). He is currently a law student at Queen's University.
Jonathan Elliott
Project Grant
Jonathan Elliott is a Mohawk filmmaker from the Six Nations Reserve in Ontario. Since attending York University’s Film Production program, he has worked as a director and cinematographer on a variety of projects, including: Wild Archaeology (APTN TV series), Voices From Here (Historica Canada video series), Tsi Teyoto:te - Even in the Silence (Voices with Impact funded film, entirely in the Mohawk language), Along the Water's Edge (Samuel Connected North Youth Leadership Fund funded film), Taken Home (Toronto Arts Council funded film), Her Water Drum (imagineNATIVE commissioned film), and Blood Child (Blood in the Snow film festival).
Jessica Schaub
Travel and Workshops
Métis graduate student Jessica Schaub grew up far from the sea, in the prairies, but since she was in elementary school she knew she wanted to study the ocean. She is now a graduate student at UBC and receives the Youth Leadership Fund to travel to schools in the Canadian Arctic. During her visits, she uses her knowledge of the ocean to relate science and Indigenous knowledge for youth, and to promote Indigenous voices in STEM.
Rudegang Entertainment
Albums and Travel
Meet Rudegang Entertainment; an Afro-Indigenous Hip Hop & Multimedia group hell bent on sharing authentic Hip Hop and Dope Content on the Regular. A Collective of four Talented Indigenous Artists (Hope, Doobie, Onata & Mamarudegyal MTHC), Rudegang Entertainment place a high value on Integrity and Authenticity in all they do. In 2014, Mamarudegyal MTHC teamed up with close friends and fellow Indigenous Hip Hop artists "Status Krew" to make Rudegang Entertainment an Official Entity on the Vancouver Hip Hop Scene, later joined by talented indigenous beat maker Onata. "We use our platform to speak power into BIPOC & Marginalized Communities at every opportunity."
Evan Redsky
Everything's The Same EP
Evan Redsky is a singer-songwriter from Mississaugi First Nation. He is a recipient of a Project Grant from the Samuel Family Connected North Youth Leadership Fund. Evan applied for a grant to finish an EP called “Everything’s The Same.” Listen to Evan Redsky on spotify
Dakota Bear
Music Video Projects
Dakota Bear (Dakk’One) is Plains Cree from Treaty 6 territory in Saskatchewan. He is a recipient of a Project Grant from the Samuel Family Connected North Youth Leadership Fund. Dakota applied for a grant to help make 2 music videos. The first video is called Dirty Laundry, and the second video made is called Lullaby. Listen to Dakk’One on spotify
Casey Desjarlais
30604 Apparel
Casey Desjarlais is a recipient of a Project Grant from the Samuel Family Connected North Youth Leadership Fund. Casey applied for funds to help support her business, 30604 Apparel. Casey states that it isn’t just a clothing brand, it is a movement that they are creating. With the funds they were able to collaborate, networks, and empower others to embrace their culture in a contemporary way.
Joshua Stribbell
National Urban Inuit Youth Council Gathering
Joshua Stribbell is a recipient of a Project Grant from the Samuel Family Connected North Youth Leadership Fund. Johs is the president of the Nation Urban Inuit Youth Council and the fund was one of their first supporters. With the funding, they were able to take a trip to Montreal to engage with the Southern Inuit Youth Council. Their goal is to strengthen the relationship between Northern and Southern communities. The fund helped to begin planning an exchange between Arviat and Toronto.
Kevin Wesaquate
Indigenous Poets Society
Kevin Wesaquate is from Piapot First Nation located in Treaty 4. He is a recipient of a Project Grant from the Samuel Family Connected North Youth Leadership Fund. Kevin applied for funding support for his organization called the Indigenous Poets Society which is a group of writers, spoken word artists, community advocates that come together and do spoken word poetry jams. Learn more about the Indigenous Poets Society