Tomson Highway

About the Author

Tomson Highway is a renowned Canadian playwright, novelist, and musician of Cree ancestry, celebrated for his profound contributions to Indigenous literature and theatre. Born in 1951 on a trapline in northern Manitoba, Highway grew up speaking Cree as his first language and immersed himself in the rich oral traditions of his community. He studied piano at the Royal Conservatory of Music and later earned a degree in English from the University of Western Ontario. As a founding member of Native Earth Performing Arts, Canada's first professional Indigenous theatre company, he has championed Native voices on stage and page. His works often blend humour, spirituality, and social commentary to explore themes of identity, colonialism, and resilience. Highway's acclaimed memoir Our Story: Aboriginal Voices on Canada's Past offers a poignant collection of Indigenous perspectives on Canadian history, underscoring his commitment to reclaiming narratives long silenced.