Indigenous Wellness & Cultural Support
“This is for every little rez kid, every little urban kid, every little Native kid out there who has a dream, who is seeing themselves represented and our stories told by ourselves in our own words.”
Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon
Best Actress, Golden Globes 2024
What is an Indigenous Wellness Coordinator?
An Indigenous Wellness Coordinator (IWC) for film & theatre is:
- A provider of culturally based care to all cast and crew
- A liaisons between production and local First Nations, Métis or Inuit Elders or Communities
- An advocate for mental/emotional health and trained in Mental Health First Aid
What is the purpose of an IWC & when should a production hire one?
For projects with portrayals of challenging cultural content the purpose of an IWC is to offer cast and crew an opportunity to engage in pre-production wellness planning that is confidential and personalized. The IWC is also available on site during filming, rehearsals and/or performances to provide tangible resources to cast and crew; this ensures that they are able to uphold the narrative of the project while maintaining their own emotional wellness.
Projects that include historical and/or contemporary portrayals of Indigenous cultural trauma can benefit from engaging an IWC. Themes may include colonization, land displacement, discrimination, violence, substance use, residential schools, MMIWG2S and intergenerational trauma. An IWC can also support projects that employ a predominantly BIPOC cast and crew.
What kind of duties does an IWC have?
Duties can vary depending on the content of the project and the needs of the cast & crew involved. They may include:
- Developing emotional wellness plans for interested cast and crew during pre-production
- Facilitating ceremony (ie: smudging)
- Outreach to local Indigenous Elders/Communities for land protocols, education and engagement
- Liaising with other departments (wardrobe, props, make-up) on protocol for handling sacred objects or regalia
- Providing tangible backstage resources for cast and crew during filming/rehearsal
- On site check-ins and grounding exercises with cast and crew that are feeling activated by challenging content
- Supporting actors in de-masking/de-rolling from their characters
- Referring cast or crew to clinical or cultural resources for ongoing support
- Drafting content memos and arranging on-site support for live audiences
Why hire Ashley as your IWC?
Ashley is a proud member of the Mohawk Nation of Six Nations, ON (turtle clan) and is passionate about uplifting and empowering Indigenous artists and storytellers. She has extensive experience in social work, victim services and the performing arts; as well as lived experience as a queer, Indigenous woman. She is the granddaughter of the late Beatrice Thomas, a survivor of the Mohawk Institute (aka the “Mush Hole”) residential school, who taught Ashley how to thrive in the face of adversity.
Testimonials
“I recently held a development workshop for a new Indigenous musical I wrote which included actors, and one of my highest priorities was finding someone who could take on the job of both Intimacy Direction and Mental Health Facilitation. While the musical is meant to be a love story, it also has some sensitive themes, involving racism, colonization and violence. Ashley was the perfect person to hire for this job. While her title is Intimacy Director, her knowledge and experience, especially with Indigenous participants, was particularly helpful in ensuring the mental health and safety of all persons involved in this project. She is an excellent communicator, a kind and warm person, and she creates a very comfortable environment. She thinks ahead and comes up with solutions for issues before they can become a problem. She was a pleasure to work with, and I will absolutely be reaching out again for the next stage of development.”
Michelle Bardach, Writer/Director, Coast Salish Love Story
“I worked with Ashley on an Indigenous workshop of a new musical. Immediately, I was embraced with warmth and openness. Ashley created a space where everyone’s mental health and well-being were prioritized every step of the way. She provided traditional tools such as smudging as a way to open and close our days, as well as a variety of modernized mental health practices for our minds, hands, and mouths. Ashley asked questions and created safety plans that encouraged the cast to embrace the emotional ranges of our work by building our own personal support teams. Ashley has set the tone for Intimacy Directors I hope to work with in the future and anyone that does get to work with her is so lucky!”
Danelle Charette, Performance Artist, Coast Salish Love Story