Tomson Highway will spend several days in La Ronge, before travelling to Creighton and Pelican Narrows. (Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)

By Derek Cornet

Indigenous writer

Tomson Highway attracts sold out crowd to La Ronge presentation

Sep 24, 2024 | 3:27 PM

Renown Cree writer Tomson Highway is in La Ronge this week as part of Northlands College’s annual Culture Days.

He began his visit on Monday with a special presentation held at Churchill Community High School, which was attended by about 150 people. At the event, he spoke a bit about himself, played songs on the piano that are featured on his album, as well as participated in a question and answer session.

“For a lot of folks and our students, Tomson’s visit is really a once in a lifetime opportunity and it is an opportunity to get to meet and to have a conversation and to have direct teachings from not only an icon and Elder, but somebody I believe, and who many believe, will go down as one of the most influential Indigenous authors in history,” said Northlands President and CEO Karsten Henriksen.

“Tomson Highway is a tremendous Canadian talent. From my perspective, he is a gift and he’s published countless plays, he has been a role model for a lot of Canadians and citizens around the globe really. Not only is he a tremendous author, but he is a classically trained pianist. As part of culture days – this is our fifth anniversary of culture days – I thought it would be a good opportunity for us to bring Tomson here.”

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Highway, 72, is an award-winning writer and is particularly known for his plays The Rez Sisters and Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing, as well as the novel Kiss of the Fur Queen. Most recently in 2022, Highway released the CD Cree Country, an album of original Cree-language country songs written by himself and sung by Patricia Cano.

Highway explained he hosts about 30 presentations per year and the message he wants people to take away from them is to be joyful and to have a good time.

Tomson Highway signs a copy of his CD for a fan. (Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)

“What I believe is God put us on this Earth to laugh, to have a good time,” he said.

“That’s the reason for existence here on this planet. That’s why at the center of our spirituality is this laughing God, the trickster, which is why the Cree language is so funny. It’s a laughing language.”

Over the next two days, Highway will participate in the various activities Northlands College is hosting for Culture Days. A traditional feast is being held Tuesday at the Canoe Campus between 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., which the public is invited.

On Thursday, Highway will also be in Pelican Narrows, and then on Friday, he will be in Creighton.

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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com