Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) is welcoming Sonya Ballantyne as a new Indigenous Filmmaker and Writer in Residence, and Robert Jago as an Indigenous Journalist and Writer in Residence.
“KPU has been fortunate to host outstanding creators, thinkers and cultural experts,” says Dan Lett, Associate Dean of the Faculty of Arts at KPU. “This is one way for the Faculty of Arts to honour and support the work of Indigenous Peoples, whose lands our university occupies. Our students, faculty and staff benefit enormously from collaborating with and learning from them.”
Sonya Ballantyne, Indigenous Filmmaker and Writer in Residence
Originally from the Misipawistik Cree Nation in northern Manitoba, Sonya Ballantyne’s work focuses on contemporary and futuristic portrayals of Indigenous women and girls in non-traditional genres, such as horror and science fiction.
“Having a visible presence for an artist or writer who is Indigenous is so valuable in a university setting,” she says. “It shows that a university is willing to show their support and understanding about how certain issues can keep us from academia. Having these positions can maybe change that a little bit.”
Ballantyne is the founder and creative director of film production company Code Breaker Films. Her award-winning films have been recognized at imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival, Vancouver International Film Festival and Manitoba’s Gimli International Film Festival.
She has also written for book anthologies, the video game The Walking Dead: Last Mile, and TV shows, including an episode of Builder Brothers Dream Factory that focused on Orange Shirt Day.
“One of my goals in life as a filmmaker, and as an artist in general, is to not only change the perception of Indigenous people, but to make people aware that we exist in the now and in the future, so that is the majority of what my work has focused on,” she says.
Robert Jago, Indigenous Journalist and Writer in Residence
Robert Jago is a member of the Kwantlen First Nation and Nooksack Indian Tribe. He has written for various publications, including Maclean’s, The Globe and Mail and The Toronto Star.
“Over the years, I kept accidentally breaking stories,” says Jago, who began his writing career as a blogger. “I became a self-taught investigative journalist. As I developed the craft and worked with more editors, my writing improved, and I started getting better opportunities.”
As an entrepreneur, Jago founded Canada's first Indigenous community intelligence platform, Knowledge Keepr, and created a historical society, The Coast Salish History Project. Reflecting on the connection between his personal identity and professional life, Jago credits his success to his upbringing.
“If you are a writer — or if you do any type of work — it is a Salish cultural value that you have to produce something of worth,” he explains. “My work reflects the political issues surrounding my First Nation, like governance, land issues and activism.”
In his new role, Jago hopes to connect the KPU journalism community to experts, editors and writers from across the region. His goal is to pursue stories around the issue of free expression as it relates to Indigenous journalists, and to better equip aspiring journalists to report on Indigenous issues.
Sonya Ballantyne and Robert Jago are available for in-class visits and events at KPU, as well as student, faculty and staff engagements. For more information, contact IndigenousResident@kpu.ca.