Cheryl L’Hirondelle (Cree/Halfbreed; German/Polish) is an interdisciplinary, community-engaged artist, a singer/songwriter and a critical thinker whose family roots are from Papaschase First Nation, amiskwaciy wâskahikan (Edmonton, Alberta) and Kikino Metis Settlement from the land now known as canada. Her work critically investigates and articulates a dynamism of nêhiyawin (Cree worldview) in contemporary time-place with a practice that incorporates Indigenous language(s), audio, video, virtual reality, the olfactory, music and audience/user participation to create immersive environments towards ‘radical inclusion.’

As a songwriter, L’Hirondelle’s focus is on both sharing nêhiyawêwin (Cree language) and Indigenous and contemporary song-forms and personal narrative songwriting as methodologies toward survivance. She has exhibited and performed widely, both nationally and internationally.

L’Hirondelle is the recipient of the 2021 Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts. She holds a master’s degree in Design from OCAD University’s Inclusive Design program (2015) and is a member of the University’s Indigenous Education Council. She is currently completing a practice-based PhD with SMARTlab/University College Dublin, Ireland and is an Irish Research Council Enterprise Awardee. Cheryl is also the CEO of Miyoh Music Inc., an Indigenous niche music publishing company and record label.

Nuala Hayes is an actor, storyteller, and independent radio producer. She trained at the Abbey Theatre, and has performed and toured extensively both in Ireland and abroad. Her interest in storytelling began over 25 years ago, when she founded Two Chairs Company with musician Ellen Cranitch to explore words and music in performance orally retelling Irish legends, myths, and folklore. She enjoys working with musicians and has collaborated with harpist and composer Anne Marie O’Farrell and with clarinet player, Paul Roe. She has toured internationally to storytelling festivals in the United States, Poland, Denmark, Spain, Germany, Scotland, and the United Kingdom. She has also collaborated with artist Rita Duffy on many projects, including Shirt Tales in Derry, as part of the U.K. City of Culture, 2010.

Nuala was the founder of Scéalta Shamhna, the first international storytelling festival in Dublin, which she ran for 10 years. She has also curated and administered many storytelling events, including the Farmleigh Festival of Story and Song. She was also the artistic co-ordinator of the FEST 2017 Conference Storytelling in Borderlands.

She has collected stories in the Midlands of Ireland and on Cape Clear Island, Co. Cork. Nuala is the author of Laois Folk Tales, published by History Press Ireland in 2015. As a storyteller she has a vibrant interactive style and she believes the listener is important as the teller. Nuala is presently the chairperson of Storytellers of Ireland.

J. Paul Halferty is Assistant Professor and Head of Drama Studies at University College Dublin, where he also serves as Director of the Centre for Canadian Studies. He is a theatre historian and performance studies scholar whose research examines the intersection of theatre and identity, primarily sexual, gender, national, and racial, in Canada and Ireland. He is a graduate of York University (BFA), and University of Toronto (MA, PhD).

Before returning to graduate school, Paul was assistant producer at da da kamera, the theatre company of playwright and actor Daniel MacIvor and producer Sherrie Johnson, and with Johnson he also worked on “Six Stages” an international theatre festival. He served on the Board of directors of Buddies in Bad Times Theatre in Toronto from 2007 to 2014, and was president of the board from 2008 to 2012.

Storyteller Jack Lynch is firmly rooted in the seanchaí tradition, mixing ancient Irish myths and Wonder Tales with scurrilous Tall Tales set in the County Cavan. He has much experience in schools, libraries, hospitals and prisons throughout Ireland and has played at festivals throughout the island and in England, Scotland, Belgium, France, Germany, Poland, Italy, Estonia, Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, the West Indies, Newfoundland and the US (most recently at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival).

He tours regularly with his performing partner, the traditional singer Len Graham. He is a founder member of the Dublin Yarnspinners and of Storytellers of Ireland/Aos Scéal Éireann. An associate member of Hakaya, the Arab storytelling network, Jack has been the English-language editor of three volumes of Timeless Tales, Syrian folktales collected recently in refugee camps in Lebanon.

Sonny Campbell has been playing lacrosse for 12 years, since starting at NUI Galway. He has lived and played in the UK, Australia, and even a little in India, and has been lucky enough to play for the Irish national team since 2014 which gave him the opportunity to play lacrosse in many more amazing corners of the world. In his day-to-day life he is a software engineer, currently working for a gaming company called Unity Technologies.

Michael Kennedy was a player on the Ireland National Lacrosse Team for 11 major tournaments between 2004 and 2019, and was captain from 2005 to 2010. He co-founded both the Dublin Lacrosse Club and University College Dublin Lacrosse Club, and has coached both teams. He has been Chief Executive Officer of Ireland Lacrosse since 2009, and he is the event director for the 2022 World Lacrosse Men’s under-21 World Championship and World Festival, taking place at the University of Limerick in August 2022. He works full-time as a Senior Quality Officer at UCD.

Hugh Burnam Hode'hnyahä:dye' is Mohawk, Wolf Clan from the Onondaga Nation. As the current Director of Education and Grants for the Iroquois Nationals Academy, Hugh provides leadership and administrative oversight for grant-funded and student support academic programs. He also facilitates cultural awareness trainings for the INA with partnering organizations. Hugh is a PhD Candidate in the Cultural Foundations of Education program at Syracuse University, where his PhD examines Haudenosaunee masculinity in higher education. Hugh has experience working in higher education supporting historically marginalized communities of colour and researching experiences of Native students in higher education.

Aidan Fearn is a player on the under-21 Iroquois Nationals team. He is Mi' kmaq and a member of Glooscap First Nation. He also has Celtic roots and is eager to be heading to Ireland for the 2022 Men’s under-21 World Championship. Aidan began playing lacrosse at nine years old, playing several positions including goalie, defense, attack, and now is a Faceoff/ Midfielder Specialist in field lacrosse and defensive player in box lacrosse. He was drafted first round (8th overall) in the Ontario Junior “A” Lacrosse league and currently plays for the Six Nations Arrows. He attends The Hill Academy, an elite lacrosse high school and is heading to Bellarmine University next fall to play Division 1 NCAA lacrosse.

The Akwesasne Women Singers were formed in 1999 by four inspired and inspiring women: Bear Fox, Katsitsionni Fox, Elizabeth Nanitcoke and Iawentas Nanticoke. The women were driven by the need to protect and preserve the Kanienkeha (Mohawk Language), traditional Kanienkeha:ka (Mohawk People) customs and stories, as well as the oral traditions that are passed down from grandmother to grand-daughter.

The group was founded on the principle that songs are the easiest way to pass on the language and culture to future generations. Blessed with beautiful singing voices, the women put their talents and their messages together to form a singing group that would write and perform traditional Kanienkeha:ka songs. Since their inception, the Akwesasne Women Singers have brought their beautiful and powerful music to the community of Ahkwesasne.



Members of the group are in various stages of their lives - grandmothers, mothers, aunts, daughters, sisters and cousins. They are teachers, environmental researchers, social workers, and students. They take time out of their personal and professional lives to assist their community whenever possible. The women also volunteer for fundraising activities and provide assistance to individual community members when asked.

Aside from singing Haudenosaunee social songs, some members of Kontiwennenhawi are song writers, though they work with Elders and fluent speakers from Akwesasne to ensure the correct usage and spelling of words. These songs contain their own messages that they believe are important for the Mohawk people to know and remember. Their songs honor our Elders, Kanienkehaka teachers, Mother Earth, Grandmother Moon, and Grandfather Thunder. Kontiwennenhawi is committed to continuing the traditions of our ancestors and preserving our language and culture through their beautiful songs and inspiring efforts.