Tomson Highway was born in a snowbank on an island in the sub-Arctic, the eleventh of twelve children in a nomadic, caribou-hunting Cree family. When Tomson was six, he was flown south by float plane to attend a residential school. He lived through the residential school system, faced prejudice, and struggled to have his work recognized. Along the way, he relied on music and art to heal and inspire himself and others around him. Throughout his life, Highway has overcome incredible obstacles to find himself where he is today.

He’s author of numerous bestselling books including his first, Kiss of the Fur Queen. In 2021, he released Permanent Astonishment: Growing Up in the Land of Snow and Sky, a “memoir offering insights, both hilarious and profound, into the Cree experience of culture, conquest, and survival.” He won the Writers Trust Award for Non-Fiction for this work. A member of the Order of Canada and the recipient of at least 10 honorary doctorates, Highway has shaped the development of aboriginal theatre in both Canada and around the world. He is one of Canada’s foremost aboriginal and creative voices.