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Janice Acoose

Janice AcooseJanice Acoose's roots stem from the Sakimay (Saulteaux) First Nation and the Marival Metis Community. Born in Broadview, Saskatchewan in 1954, she attended the Cowesis Indian Residential School in the early 1960's, and was culturally nourished in both the Saulteaux and Metis ways.

Currently an Associate Professor with the Saskatchewan Indian Federated College, she is also a distinguished scholar whose work has been acknowledged through the awarding of numerous scholarships. At this time, she is in the process of studying for a doctorate in English. As both Professor and Student of Indigenous literature, Ms. Acoose aspires to empower Indigenous peoples through critical reading and writing in the English language while simultaneously advocating for the retention of Indigenous languages.

Through her studies within mainstream university she strives to ensure that First Nations and Metis cultures are acknowledged, represented, honoured, and celebrated in all disciplines. Accordingly, in her doctoral work, she is studying the work of Cree, Metis, and Ojibway/Saulteaux writers and debunking the notion that Indigenous people are one big brown blob - singular and culturally indistinguishable from one another.

Ms. Acoose is a writer/scholar/producer who has utilized print, video, radio and television to enlighten mainstream society about the beauty, strength, and power of First Nations and Metis peoples. As a writer, she was Saskatchewan's first Native Affairs Columnist for the Saskatoon Star Phoenix. In addition to the Saskatoon newspaper, she also regularly contributed to the Regina Leader Post, the Prince Albert Herald, Aboriginal Voices, New Breed, and Windspeaker. Also throughout her career she has produced the following literary and film works:

  • Acoose, Janice, prod-scriptwriter. Voices in the Wind. dir. Chris Triffo. Partners in Motion, 1995.

  • - - - -. Iskwewak Kah Yaw Ni Wahkomakanak, Toronto: Women's Press, 1995.

  • - - -, scriptwriter. Our Way of Life (a documentary about Metis trappers, hunters, fishermen, and gatherers). prod/dir. Neil Collins. Collins Prod., 1995.

  • - - -, and Brenda Zeman. "Acoose: Man Standing Above Ground." Voices of First Nations. The Senior Issues Collection. Eds. Freda Ahenakew, Brenda Gardipy, and Barbara Lafond. Rpt. McGraw Hill-Ryerson, 1995. 112-124.

  • - - -. "Deconstructing Five Generations of white christian patriarchal Rule." Residential Schools: The Stolen Years, Saskatoon: University of Saskatchewan, 1993, 3-7 Rpt. 1995.

  • - - -. "Post Halfbreed." Looking at the Words of Our People: First Nations Analysis of Literature. Ed. Jeannette Armstrong. Penticton: Theytus Press, 1994. 28-44.

  • - - -. "A Revisiting of Maria Campbell's Halfbreed." Looking at the Words of Our People. Ed. Jeannette Armstrong. Penticton: Theytus Press, 1994. 138-150.

  • - - -."In Memory of Koochum Madeline." Gatherings: The En'owkin Journal of First North American Peoples 5. Ed. Beth Cuthand, Penticton: Theytus Press, 1994. 77.

  • - - -."Where Were the Women?" Gatherings 5. Ed. Beth Cuthand, Penticton: Theytus Press, 1994. 173.

  • - - -. "We Are Sensual/Sexual, Happy/Beautiful, Strong/Powerful People, Too." Gatherings 5. Penticton: Theytus Press, 1994. 174.

  • - - -, scriptwriter. "The 1993 Indigenous Games." prod. Chris Triffo. Partners in Motion, 1993.

  • - - -, and Brenda Zeman. "Acoose: Man Standing Above Ground." Playmaking (audiotape). Scarborough: Prentice Hall, 1994.

  • - - -. "All My Relations." Native Voices. The Issues Collection. Eds. Freda Ahenakew, Brenda Gardipy, Barbara Lafond. Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited, 1993. 150.

  • - - -, and Brenda Zeman. "Acoose: Man Standing Above Ground." Playmaking. Ed. Jean Ferrer. Rpt. Prentice Hall Canada, Inc. 1992. 83-84.

  • - - -, and Brenda Zeman. "Acoose: Man Standing Above Ground." Arts Education. Rpt. Regina: Saskatchewan Education, 1992.

  • - - -, scriptwriter. Wanuskewin: A Place of Harmony. producer Pat McCloski. McCloski productions, 1992.

  • - - -. "Acoose: Man Standing Above Ground." Studio One: Stories Made For Radio. Ed. Wayne Schmalz. Regina: Coteau Books, 1990. 81-93.

  • - - -. "In Memory of Koochum Madeline O'Soup Acoose." Canadian Women's Studies: Growing Into Age 12 (1992): 87.

  • - - -, scriptwriter and co-prod. "Designers and Dreamers." Our Partners, Our People. co-prod. Maria Campbell. CKCK TV, 1987.

  • - - -. "Acoose: Man Standing Above Ground." Ambiance. CBC Regina, 1985.

Links: (click on X in top right corner of outside link to return to photo gallery)

Janice Acoose - Saskatoon, SK

SIFC English Department - Faculty and Support Staff

Womens Presses Library Project - Authors - ...Keeping women's words in circulation

Legends Live On

New Indian Books - August 1996 - Iskewak--Kah'Ki Yaw Ni Wahkomakanak: Neither Indian Princesses nor Easy Squaws / Janice Acoose. Toronto: Women's Press, 1995.

Recommended Books About Native American Women

New books at OSU Nov95 - Bibliography of New Books at Oklahoma State U. - November, 1995 - by John Berry

U of S - Graduate Students - Acoose builds bridge between university and community: By Cassandra Phillips

Women's Press

University of Regina - Statement of Goals of the University of Regina - The Council

Attack on literature's stereotypes

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