Sherry Mckay
Program Advisor
Sherry Mckay is an Ojibway Anishinabe creator from Treaty 1 Territory. Born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba and band member of Sakgeeng First Nation.
Her birth father originates from Sandy Bay Ojibway First Nation.
She’s a proud mother of four and credits her role as a mother to her perseverance and ambition.
Her childhood dream was to become a police officer and fight on behalf of her Indigenous community on social issues regarding systemic racism and racial profiling. When in a university police prep course she discovered her passion for policing was driven by the desire to help her Indigenous community and not to reprimand or punish.
She discovered a way to share important messages and engage in education and discussions regarding Indigenous issues such as MMIWG2S, systemic racism and cultural appropriation.
It was through media she noticed a shift where Indigenous people can share and educate.
Her short period at Red River College’s creative communications program gave her the necessary skills to start her journey into media production. Her focus is to assert Indigenous representation in media and film.
TikTok is where she has had the biggest impact on her journey. She plans to use her platform to further amplify the voices of Indigenous people and People of Colour
Her future aspirations are to write and direct her own movie and sitcom series with an Indigenous focus.
Her content consists of Indigenous comedy, awareness and stereotypes.
Sherry acknowledges non-Indigenous allyship on and off social media and gives thanks and appreciation to anyone who stands in solidarity with Indigenous people.
Sarah Simpson-Yellowquill
Manager, Programs & Development
As manager of programs and development, Sarah works across many of the National Screen Institute’s programs, helps run the day-to-day activities of CBC New Indigenous Voices and provides production and mentorship support for NSI New Northern Voices.
As program manager, Sarah works across many of the National Screen Institute’s programs, helps run the day-to-day activities of CBC New Indigenous Voices and provides production and mentorship support for NSI New Northern Voices.
Sarah is a multi-talented Indigenous woman, born and raised on Treaty 1 Territory, (Winnipeg, Manitoba) and registered to Long Plain First Nation. She is a filmmaker with extensive experience who is dedicated to her craft and has made multiple short films that have screened at North American festivals. She strives to create stories and to help others share their stories through the medium of filmmaking.
Sarah went from thinking filmmaking could only be a hobby to making it a full-time career for herself: as a production manager for various productions and working at the National Screen Institute.
She is also co-chair of the board of directors for WNDX Festival of Moving Images and chair of Winnipeg Film Group.
Alumni
2021
- Star Anderson – Winnipeg, MB (TikTok handle: staranderson1)
- Lynn-Marie Angus – Vancouver, BC (sisters_sage)
- Thea Arthurson – Oliver, BC (cree..thea)
- Eagle Blackbird – Wallaceburg, ON (itzeaglee)
- Erin Brillon – Courtenay, BC (totemdesign)
- Vanessa Brousseau – Welland, ON (resilientInuk)
- Daniel Cutknife – Wetaskiwin, AB (zombieeagle7)
- Celeste Day Rider – Lethbridge, AB (celestedayrider)
- Jenny Kay Dupuis – North York, ON (jennykaydupuis)
- Sebastian Gaskin – Winnipeg, MB (sebastiangaskin)
- Hailey Hamelin-Wilson – Edmonton, AB (haileyykat)
- Penína Sara-Lynn Harding – Prince George, BC (academic_aunty)
- Crystal Harrison Collin – Sioux Lookout, ON (crystalharrisoncollin)
- Billi-J Heavy Shields – Standoff, AB (deadlyblackfoot_ma)
- Deanne Hupfield – Toronto, ON (deannehupfield)
- Jocelyn Joe-Strack – Whitehorse, YT (auntyjocey)
- Christina King – Tuktoyaktuk, NWT (taalrumiq)
- Richard Lush – Springvale, PEI (lightskinlnu)
- Brennen McGuire – Shannonville, ON (slapppps)
- Zachary Mann – Winnipeg, MB (neighbourhoodneechie)
- Shania Morin – Saskatoon, SK (wapimuskwa)
- Sean Morriseau – Thunder Bay, ON (nativepoolboy)
- Matthew Brian Shorting – Winnipeg, MB (travelingstarman)
- Kailey Simon – Elsipogtog, NB (sleepingpolarbr)
- Jessica Taylor – Regina, SK (jessalexamakeup)
- Kesha Tipewan – Saskatoon, SK (keshaheals)
- Lori Ann Tulugak-Kopak – Naujaat, NU (loraven16)
- Xavier Watso – Montreal, QC (watso_)
Program Partners
