Joseph Naytowhow is a gifted Plains/Woodland Cree (Nēhiyaw) singer/songwriter, storyteller and voice, stage and film actor from the Sturgeon Lake First Nation Band in Saskatchewan. He is renowned for his unique style of Cree/English storytelling, combined with original hybrid and traditional First Nations drum, flute and rattle songs. Joseph is the recipient of the 2006 Canadian Aboriginal Music Award’s Keeper of the Tradition Award and the 2005 Commemorative Medal for Saskatchewan’s Centennial. In 2009 Joseph also received a Gemini Award for Best Individual or Ensemble Performance in an Animated Program or Series for his role in the Wapos Bay Series. That same year he was also awarded Best Emerging Male Actor at the Winnipeg Aboriginal Film Festival for his role in Run and won Best Traditional Male Dancer at John Arcand’s Fiddlefest in Saskatchewan.
Joseph’s generosity and compassion for sharing cultural knowledge makes him a much sought after speaker, performer and educator for children and adults alike. As a child he was influenced by his grandfather’s traditional and ceremonial chants as well as the sounds of the fiddle and guitar. From 1995 to 2000 he served as the Storyteller-In- Residence for Meadow Lake Tribal Council. He has performed for the Prince of Wales, the Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan and many other notables. His demanding schedule continues to take him to conferences, symposia, forums, festivals and film sets across Canada, North America and around the world.
He holds a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Saskatchewan.
