Buckley Petawabano
Buckley Petawabano (born 1950), a Cree from Mistassini reserve in northern Québec,[1] is a First Nations actor,[2] cinematographer, and founder of a production company.[3]
Biography
[edit]Petawabano was born in a Cree settlement near Lake Mistassini. As part of the Canadian Indian residential school system, he attended Bishop Horden Memorial School and Shingwauk Indian Residential School.[4][5]
In 1968, at the age of 18, Petawabano had his first acting role in the CBC's series Adventures in Rainbow Country.[6]
He was the most prominent Canadian Native American cinematographer[7] and actor after Chief Dan George. With the role of Pete Gawa,[8] he became the first Native North American to star[9] in a Canadian television production series.
In 1976, he starred in Cold Journey, a film focused on the journey of a 15-year old boy raised in residential schools.[10][11] Petawabano's performance was praised by Peter Bakogeorge of the Edmonton Journal.[12]
His other film credits include: Cree Hunters of Mistassini (1974), Pelts: Politics of the Fur Trade (1989), Cree Way (1977) and Amisk (1977), the latter two marked his debut contributions of photography and editing.[13][14] He also had a stint on stage in Montreal's George Ryga play The Ecstasy of Rita Joe (1972).[15]
Legacy
[edit]An award is named after him from the Cree Nation Arts and Crafts Association.[16]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Revitalising Indigenous Languages: How to Recreate a Lost Generation. Multilingual Matters. 23 January 2013. ISBN 978-1-84769-890-2.
- ^ Canadian Film and Video: A Bibliography and Guide to the Literature. University of Toronto Press. January 1997. ISBN 978-0-8020-2988-1.
- ^ "Buckley Petawabano". Cree Native Arts and Crafts Association. 16 March 2021.
- ^ "Buckley Petawabano: More than just a local boy who made good". The Ottawa Citizen. 1971-07-17. p. 66. Retrieved 2025-04-26.
- ^ Lanken, Dane (1971-06-05). "Buckley Petawabano had a Cold Journey". The Gazette. p. 47. Retrieved 2025-04-26.
- ^ McDonald, Marci (1969-05-17). "Adventures in Rainbow Country". The Toronto Star. p. 25. Retrieved 2025-04-26.
- ^ Le Collège Manitou: Renouveau artistique et médiatique autochtone. Les Presses de l'Université de Montréal. ISBN 978-2-7606-5179-1.
- ^ Outside Looking in: Viewing First Nations Peoples in Canadian Dramatic Television Series. McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP. 9 June 2008. ISBN 978-0-7735-7487-8.
- ^ A Homeland for the Cree: Regional Development in James Bay, 1971-1981. McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP. 1986. ISBN 978-0-7735-0551-3.
- ^ Native Americans in the Movies: Portrayals from Silent Films to the Present. Rowman & Littlefield. 16 October 2015. ISBN 978-1-4422-4002-5.
- ^ "Indian film to reach natives first". The Sault Star. 1976-04-30. p. 7. Retrieved 2025-04-26.
- ^ Bakogeorge, Peter (1977-05-31). "New NFB film depicts dilemma of Indians". Edmonton Journal. p. 23. Retrieved 2025-04-26.
- ^ Canadian Journal of Film Studies. Film Studies Association of Canada = Association canadienne d'études cinématographiques. 2005. p. 79.
- ^ Lewis, Randolph (2006-01-01). Alanis Obomsawin: The Vision of a Native Filmmaker. U of Nebraska Press. p. 208. ISBN 978-0-8032-8045-8.
- ^ North of Everything: English-Canadian Cinema Since 1980. University of Alberta. June 2002. ISBN 978-0-88864-390-2.
- ^ "'Legend' retires after 40 years with CBC North's Cree unit". 2 November 2018.