Innovation can start in any community, and emerges from a variety of activities and ideas. Here we celebrate Northern innovators who are discussing and developing digital technologies in creative and exciting ways.
DigitalNWT is proud to showcase these NWT Digital Innovators, who are also featured in our curriculum and in courses taught in communities across the territories.
Leela Gilday
Hear how Leela Gilday, an award-winning Dene musician, reconsidered how she shares her music since COVID-19 #nwtdigitalinnovators #nwtdigitaldivide
Kirsten Carthew is a film-maker and producer who grew up in both Whitehorse and Yellowknife. While filming The Sun at Midnight, Kirsten worked with the Gwich'in Tribal Council to ensure Indigenous peoples and perspectives in the work filmed on Indigenous lands.
Jacey has used social media to reconnect with her language, Gwichy'a Gwich'in. She is a student at the University of Alberta, and used media to reconnect with her language. Jacey started the #speakgwichintome campaign.
Agnes is a Gwichya Gwich'in Elder who is originally from Tsiigehtchic and now lives in Edmonton. She uses technology to share her life and her language, which includes joining in on Gwichya Gwich'in language classes through Zoom and recording an album with The Hummingbirds.
Leanne Goose is a Dene/Inuvialuit musician from Inuvik, and is now a Director of the Northern Arts & Cultural Centre (NACC). Leanne has used digital technologies to share her music, and to support other musicians. Leanne is now also a student with the University of Alberta pursing a Master of Arts in Community Engagement.
Casey Koyczan, MFA, uses digital technologies to share stories from Denendeh. He has recreated elements of Indigenous stories in virtual reality, and has run several workshops for those interested in virtual world-building.
Travis Mercredi is a Métis sound designer who has worked with virtual reality, 360˚ sound, live production and post-production. Travis addresses issues related to the digital divide in the Northwest Territories, including lack of access to markets and mentorship, as well as limitations around internet connectivity and bandwidth.
D'Arcy Moses is a Dene fashion designer who has toured the world with his art. D'Arcy Moses created one-of-a-kind digital embroidery techniques to hone his craft and ensure that Dene youth have access to Dene-style clothing back in his ancestral homelands, and in the community of Enterprise, NT.
Lyle responded to the limited Internet speeds and bandwidth in his own community by first establishing a broadband, then a fibre optic connection. He has since used these skills and expertise to help other remote First Nations communities to establish their own community-owned Internet infrastructure.
Sydone worked with the Internet Society to start discussions around establishing a community-owned network in her hometown of Uluhaktok, NWT. She has then travelled internationally to discuss Indigenous-owned community networks in Hawai'i at her second Indigenous Connectivity Summit, held by the Internet Society.
Tunchai Redvers (she/they) is a two-spirit Dene-Métis social justice warrior, writer, wanderer and performer. She and her brother co-founded the We Matter campaign to create a space to address hope in the face of "hard times."
Kelsey Norbert is a Gwichy'a Gwich'in journalist who uses communications as a tool to aide in representation in remote and rural reserves in central Alberta. He describes his reason for pursuing journalism, as digital literacy allows for sovereignty of storytelling and Indigenous community members can share their own stories.
Innovation can start in any community, and emerges from a variety of activities and ideas. Here we celebrate Northern innovators who are discussing and developing digital technologies in creative and exciting ways.
DigitalNWT is proud to showcase these NWT Digital Innovators, who are also featured in our curriculum and in courses taught in communities across the territories.
Highlighting NWT-Led Digital Innovation
Promoting creativity
Innovator Outreach
We reached out to digital innovators to ask them about the benefits and boundaries of digital technology use and access in the Northwest Territories.
Involvement in the Process
Digital innovators are interviewed, and are involved in the video editing and publishing process Every video released has been reviewed and approved by the individual(s) featured.
Sharing the Stories
Each person featured is an #nwtdigitalinnovator who shares personal stories of #nwtdigitalliteracy and the #nwtdigitaldivide. Each video features music that has been licensed for use from NWT musicians.
DO YOU KNOW AN INNOVATOR?
Suggest an innovator!
We want to showcase innovators, so we can help inspire countless more. If you are or know of anyone you think reflects digital creativity in an NWT-context, please contact us today!
