Michelle St. John
Michelle St. John is an actress, singer, producer and director who has been involved in creative projects in theatre, film, television and music since the 1980s. Her directorial debut, Colonization Road, is a 2016 feature-length documentary that premiered at imagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts Festival.[1]
Early life
St. John was born Michelle L. Richardson, the daughter of musician Wayne St. John (né Wayne Alan Richardson)[2] and a Jewish mother.[3] Her father, who was raised on St. David's Island in Bermuda, descended from Wampanoags who were sold into slavery following King Philip's War.[4]
Career
St. John began her career in film as an actress. One of her first roles was as the protagonist in the 1989 CBC film Where the Spirit Lives, for which she won a Gemini Award for Best Actress - Dramatic Program.[5]
She has worked on many television series, including Northern Exposure and By Way of the Stars and she voiced the character of Nakoma in Disney's 1995 animated film Pocahontas.[6]
In 1998, she had a cameo as Velma in Chris Eyre's award-winning Smoke Signals.[7] She co-founded Turtle Gals Performance Ensemble in 1999 with Jani Lauzon and Monique Mojica.[8]
St. John has produced several short films and theatre productions with Marie Clements.[9] She has collaborated with Shane Belcourt as co-producer on two Heritage Minutes, Chanie Wenjack and Naskumituwin (Treaty)[10] and the independent feature film Red Rover.[11]
In 2016, She came across the inspiration for Colonization Road, which she wrote, produced, and directed, while touring with Turtle Gals in Fort Frances, Ontario.[12]
The World Premiere of Colonization Road was on October 23, 2016, at imagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts Festival,[13] and it was nominated for a 2017 Canadian Screen Award in Donald Brittain Social Political Documentary category.[citation needed] It also received a Golden Sheaf Awards for Best History Documentary.[14]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Straight Line | Secretary | |
| 1995 | Pocahontas | Nakoma (voice) | |
| 1996 | Coyote Summer | Rachel | |
| 1998 | Smoke Signals | Velma | |
| Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World | Nakoma (voice) | Video | |
| 2002 | The Business of Fancydancing | Agnes Roth | |
| 2010 | Keeping Quiet | Maureen | Short |
| Jesus Indian | Short | ||
| Every Emotion Costs | Juniper | ||
| 2014 | Rez Carz | (voice) | Short |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 9B | Emma Kostynuik | TV film |
| 1987 | CBS Schoolbreak Special | Maggie | Episode: "The Day They Came to Arrest the Book" |
| Beverly Hills Teens | Shanelle (voice) | Episode: "Dream Date" | |
| 1988 | T. and T. | Secretary | Episode: "Straight Line: Part 4" |
| 9B | Emma Kostynuik | Main role | |
| 1989 | Where the Spirit Lives | Komi / Amelia | TV film |
| 1990 | E.N.G. | Merrily Swanson | Episode: "A Long Way from Hopeful" |
| 1991 | Conspiracy of Silence | Helen Betty Osborne | TV miniseries |
| 1992 | Lost in the Barrens: The Curse of the Viking Grave | Angeline | TV film |
| Under the Umbrella Tree | Marie Blackbird | Episode: "Everybody's Garden" | |
| 1992–93 | By Way of the Stars | White Feather | TV miniseries |
| 1993 | Liar, Liar: Between Father and Daughter | Janice Wilson | TV film |
| Northern Exposure | Debbie | Episode: "Love's Labour Mislaid" | |
| Geronimo | TV film | ||
| Spirit Rider | Camilla St. Claire | TV film | |
| 1995 | Side Effects | Iris | Episode: "Lucky Numbers" |
| Murphy Brown | Volunteer | Episode: "Murphy's Law" | |
| 1996 | The Adventures of Dudley the Dragon | Catherine | Episode: "Mama Crabby Tree" |
| 1998 | White Lies | TV Newsperson 1 | TV film |
| 2002 | Tipi Tales | Great-grandmother (voice) | TV series |
| 2004 | This Is Wonderland | Naomi King | Episode: "1.7" |
Other work
| Year | Title | Project | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Jesus Indian | Short | Producer |
| 2012 | The Language of Love | Documentary short | Producer |
| 2015 | Hadwin's Judgement | Documentary | Production coordinator |
| 2016 | Urban Native Girl | TV series | Associate producer, researcher, writer, production manager |
| Heritage Minutes | Episodes: "Naskumituwin (Treaty)", "Chanie Wenjack" | Co-producer | |
| Colonization Road | Documentary | Producer, writer, director, camera operator | |
| 2017 | CBC Docs POV | Episode: "The Crimes of Shelly Chartier" | Researcher |
| The Road Forward | Documentary | Performer: "1965" | |
| 2018 | Red Rover | Feature | Associate producer, production manager |
| 2019 | Merchants of the Wild | TV series documentary | Associate producer, location manager |
Awards
- 1990 - Gemini Award: Best Actress - Dramatic Program (Where the Spirit Lives)
- 1992 - Gemini Award: Best Guest Performance in a Series by an Actor or Actress (E.N.G. Season 2, Episode 11)
- 2003 - FAITA Award: Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Film (The Business of Fancydancing)
- 2011 - American Indian Movie Award: Best Actress (Every Emotion Costs)
References
- ^ "Colonization Road". Imaginative Film + Media.
- ^ Christopher Reynolds, "Toronto’s Jingle King still crooning". Toronto Star, June 5, 2016.
- ^ "The Identity Dance". Jewish Journal. October 10, 2002.
- ^ Peters, Paula (July 14, 2002). "'We missed you'". Cape Cod Times. Retrieved October 18, 2024.
- ^ "Native leader charges church with abuse". CBC Archives.
- ^ Pocahontas Two-Disc 10th Anniversary Edition (Audio commentary). Mike Gabriel, Eric Goldberg, James Pentecost. Burbank, California: Walt Disney Home Entertainment. 2005.
{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Knopf, Kerstin (2008). Decolonizing the Lens of Power: Indigenous Films in North America. ISBN 9789042025431.
- ^ "Aboriginal Theatre Links".
- ^ "Michelle St. John".
- ^ "David Hannan, Films".
- ^ "National Screen Institute Faculty".
- ^ Footman, Akeesha (18 October 2016). "Michelle St. John Uncovers Colonization Roads with Comedian Ryan McMahon in New Doc". Muskrat Magazine.
- ^ "Colonization Road".
- ^ "2017 Nominees".