# Duke Redbird

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Duke_Redbird
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Duke_Redbird.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Redbird
> Source revision: 1347737521
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{Short description|Canadian poet, journalist, activist, actor}}
{{Infobox person
| name          = Duke Redbird
| image         = <!-- just the filename, without the File: or Image: prefix or enclosing [brackets](/source/brackets) -->
| alt           = 
| caption       = 
| birth_name    = <!-- only use if different from name -->
| birth_date    = 1939
| birth_place   = [Saugeen First Nation](/source/Saugeen_First_Nation), [Ontario](/source/Ontario)
| death_date    = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} or {{Death-date and age|death date†|birth date†}} -->
| death_place   = 
| other_names   = 
| occupation    = poet, journalist, academic, actor
| years_active  = 1960s-present
| known_for     = 
| notable_works = ''I Am Canadian'', ''Loveshine and Red Wine'', ''We Are Métis''
| children = Jay Bell Redbird
}}
'''Duke Redbird''' (born 1939) is an [Indigenous Canadian](/source/Indigenous_peoples_in_Canada) poet, journalist, activist, businessman, actor and administrator, best known as a key figure in the development of [First Nations](/source/First_Nations_in_Canada) literature in Canada.<ref>[https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/literary-history-in-english-1960-1980 Literary History in English] at [The Canadian Encyclopedia](/source/The_Canadian_Encyclopedia).</ref>

An [Ojibwe](/source/Ojibwe) from the [Saugeen First Nation](/source/Saugeen_First_Nation) in Southwestern Ontario,<ref name=broadview>Jeannette Armstrong and Lally Grauer, ''Native Poetry in Canada: A Contemporary Anthology''. [Broadview Press](/source/Broadview_Press), 2001. {{ISBN|978-1551112008}}. p. 41.</ref> he became a ward of the [Children's Aid Society](/source/Children's_Aid_Society_(Ontario)) at nine months of age after his mother died in a house fire.<ref name=unbending>"An unbending spirit: The creative journey is far from over for the artist, poet, and former politico, Duke Redbird". ''[National Post](/source/National_Post)'', April 10, 1999.</ref> Raised predominantly by white foster families, he began writing as a way to deal with the anti-indigenous racism he faced in schools.<ref name=unbending />

==Early career==
During the mid-1960s, he started his career as a [spoken word](/source/spoken_word) artist on [folk festival](/source/folk_festival), coffeehouse and theatre tours across Canada,<ref name=broadview /> he then became editor of a native newspaper named ''The Thunderbird'',<ref name=dirtpoor>"Joni: `Dirt poor,' 20 and pregnant Excerpts from a new book reveal details of Joni Mitchell's life in '60s Toronto". ''[Toronto Star](/source/Toronto_Star)'', April 7, 1997.</ref> and was a determined organizer of protests and spoke on native rights issues.<ref name=shaman>"Shaman of the global village". ''[The Globe and Mail](/source/The_Globe_and_Mail)'', September 12, 1981.</ref>

In this era, he was also the neighbour of [Joni Mitchell](/source/Joni_Mitchell) during her early career on Toronto's [Yorkville](/source/Yorkville%2C_Toronto) coffeehouse scene,<ref name=dirtpoor/> and had his first acting role in an episode of ''[Adventures in Rainbow Country](/source/Adventures_in_Rainbow_Country)''.

Marty Dunn published a biography of Redbird, ''Red on White'', in 1971.<ref name=shaman/>

Redbird's spoken word performances were caught on film in the NFB documentary ''The Other Side of the Ledger''.

==Writing==
His collections of published poetry include ''I Am Canadian'' (1978) and ''Loveshine and Red Wine'' (1981).<ref name=broadview /> He has also done other commissioned work for various public events in Canada, including the official opening of the [Canadian Museum of Civilization](/source/Canadian_Museum_of_Civilization) and [Expo 67](/source/Expo_67).<ref name=gala>"Pre-opening gala planned for Museum of Civilization". ''[The Globe and Mail](/source/The_Globe_and_Mail)'', June 22, 1989.</ref> A project of musical theatre primarily based on his poetry was performed for [Queen Elizabeth II](/source/Queen_Elizabeth_II) and [Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh](/source/Prince_Philip%2C_Duke_of_Edinburgh) during the [Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II](/source/Silver_Jubilee_of_Elizabeth_II) in 1977,<ref name=broadview /> and Redbird represented Canada at the Valmiki World Poetry Festival in [Delhi](/source/Delhi), [India](/source/India) in 1985.<ref name=broadview />

He collaborated with musician [Winston Wuttunee](/source/Winston_Wuttunee) in the 1970s, including a joint appearance at the [Mariposa Folk Festival](/source/Mariposa_Folk_Festival) and the album ''See the Arrow''.

From his spoken word work, two CD's ''Duke Redbird the Poet'' (1994) and ''In Other Words'' (1999) have been released.<ref name=unbending/> In 1999, indigenous rapper [TKO](/source/TKO_(rapper)) persuaded Redbird to work together on his next album, asserting that "Duke Redbird is the old master of the spoken word and I'm the new master."<ref name=unbending/>

"Silver River", a song Redbird recorded in 1975 in collaboration with musician [Shingoose](/source/Shingoose), appears on the 2014 compilation album ''[Native North America, Vol. 1](/source/Native_North_America%2C_Vol._1)''.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/dec/04/forgotten-native-american-musicians-we-could-have-been-the-next-nirvana "Forgotten Native American musicians: 'We could have been the next Nirvana'"]. ''[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)'', December 4, 2014.</ref> The song originally appeared on Shingoose's four-song EP ''Native Country''.<ref>"Native Country: Record launches Indian artistic project". ''[Ottawa Journal](/source/Ottawa_Journal)'', January 23, 1976.</ref>

With [Bonnie Devine](/source/Bonnie_Devine) and [Robert Houle](/source/Robert_Houle), he also cowrote ''The Drawings and Paintings of Daphne Odjig: A Retrospective Exhibition'', the guidebook to the [National Gallery of Art](/source/National_Gallery_of_Art)'s 2009 retrospective exhibition of artist [Daphne Odjig](/source/Daphne_Odjig).

==Activism==
During the 1970s, Redbird was  vice-president of the [Native Council of Canada](/source/Native_Council_of_Canada).<ref name=broadview /> After earning a master's degree in [political science](/source/political_science) from [York University](/source/York_University), his academic thesis ''We Are Metis'' was published in 1980.<ref name=canenc>[https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/ethnic-literature Ethnic Literature] at [The Canadian Encyclopedia](/source/The_Canadian_Encyclopedia).</ref> He subsequently served as president of the Ontario Métis and Non-Status Indian Association.<ref name=broadview />

==Media work==
He began working in television and film during the 1990s. He wrote the teleplay ''[Four Directions: A Canoe for the Making](/source/Four_Directions_(television_show))'' for [CBC Television](/source/CBC_Television),<ref>"Writer urges CBC to let natives tell their own stories". ''[Toronto Star](/source/Toronto_Star)'', November 20, 1993.</ref> was an associate producer on the feature film ''[Dance Me Outside](/source/Dance_Me_Outside)'',<ref name=broadview /> and produced a multimedia documentary on indigenous art for the [National Film Board](/source/National_Film_Board).<ref name=unbending/> He has also worked in television as a news producer and First Nations issues reporter for [Citytv](/source/CITY-DT).<ref name=jonisecret />

He took on multiple acting roles in this era, appearing in episodes of ''[Wonderfalls](/source/Wonderfalls)'' and ''[Relic Hunter](/source/Relic_Hunter)'', and in the films ''[Elimination Dance](/source/Elimination_Dance)'', ''The Shaman's Source'' and ''[Casino Jack](/source/Casino_Jack)''.

==Business==
In the 1990s he was co-owner of a downtown Toronto pub, the Coloured Stone,<ref name=jonisecret /> and played a pivotal role in reuniting Mitchell with Kilauren Gibb, the daughter she had given up for adoption in the 1960s.<ref name=jonisecret>[http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/joni-mitchells-secret/ "Joni Mitchell's Secret"]. ''[Maclean's](/source/Maclean's)'', April 21, 1997.</ref> He also launched Native Blend Coffee, a line of [fair trade coffee](/source/fair_trade_coffee), in 1999.<ref name=unbending /> In 2000, he opened a restaurant, Eureka Continuum, to specialize in indigenous cuisine.<ref name=restaurant>"Restaurant celebrates home and native food". ''[Toronto Star](/source/Toronto_Star)'', June 28, 2000.</ref>

In this era, he described to the ''[Toronto Star](/source/Toronto_Star)'' the ways in which his philosophy of activism had shifted: "I'm still a kind of activist, but it's on a different level. Now, I'm an elder, a wisdom-keeper, a sharer. I try to help people from community - aboriginal, indigenous people who may be Metis, First Nations or Inuit - who are assembling strategies to accomplish their goals. Wisdom is choosing the right goal. It's my job to ask: Is it wise?"<ref name=restaurant/>

==Academic work==
After leaving Citytv in 2009, Redbird joined [OCAD University](/source/OCAD_University) as a mentor and advisor in the institution's indigenous visual culture program until 2012. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from the institution in 2013.<ref name = "OCAD">{{cite web |title=OCAD UNIVERSITY TO CONFER HONORARY DEGREES ON DOUGLAS COUPLAND AND DUKE REDBIRD |url=https://www2.ocadu.ca/news/ocad-university-to-confer-honorary-degrees-on-douglas-coupland-and-duke-redbird |website=ocadu.ca |accessdate=February 1, 2019 |date=May 30, 2013}}</ref>

In 2019, he collaborated with [Myseum of Toronto](/source/Myseum_of_Toronto) on an indigenous history project at [Ontario Place](/source/Ontario_Place).<ref>[https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2019/06/30/why-the-otter-is-better-than-the-beaver-and-other-canada-day-lessons-with-indigenous-elder-duke-redbird.html "Why the otter is better than the beaver and other Canada Day lessons with Indigenous elder Duke Redbird"]. ''[Toronto Star](/source/Toronto_Star)'', June 30, 2019.</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb name|0714639}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Redbird, Duke}}
Category:1939 births
Category:20th-century Canadian poets
Category:Canadian male poets
Category:Canadian television reporters and correspondents
Category:Canadian spoken word poets
Category:Canadian television producers
Category:Canadian restaurateurs
Category:Film producers from Ontario
Category:Academic staff of OCAD University
Category:First Nations poets
Category:Ojibwe musicians
Category:First Nations journalists
Category:Canadian Ojibwe people
Category:Living people
Category:Canadian male film actors
Category:Canadian male television actors
Category:Ojibwe male actors
Category:First Nations screenwriters
Category:20th-century Canadian male writers
Category:20th-century First Nations writers
Category:21st-century First Nations writers
Category:Canadian male non-fiction writers
Category:Saugeen First Nation
Category:First Nations academics
Category:Non-Status Indians
Category:Screenwriters from Ontario
Category:Ojibwe male writers
Category:20th-century First Nations musicians
Category:21st-century First Nations musicians
Category:Poets from Ontario

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Duke Redbird](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Redbird) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Redbird?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.