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Sarain Fox
Sarain Fox
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Sarain Fox is a Canadian Anishinaabe activist, broadcaster and filmmaker.[1] She is most noted for her 2020 documentary film Inendi,[2] for which she received a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Host or Interviewer in a News or Information Program or Series at the 9th Canadian Screen Awards in 2021.[3]

Key Information

She has also been host of the Viceland/APTN documentary series Rise,[4] and cohost of APTN's documentary series Future History.[5]

In 2021 she directed Giiwewizh, a series of short documentaries about indigenous musicians which premiered at the International Indigenous Music Summit.[6]

In 2023 she hosted Indigiqueer, a special about LGBT First Nations people, for Citytv's VeraCity documentary series,[7] for which she won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Host or Interviewer in a News or Information Program or Series at the 12th Canadian Screen Awards in 2024.[8]

She has appeared as a guest judge in the third, fourth and fifth seasons of Canada's Drag Race[9] as well as the first and second seasons of Canada's Drag Race: Canada vs. the World.

Personal life

[edit]

Descended from the Batchewana First Nation near Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario,[10] she grew up in Barrie.[11] In 2022, Fox and her cousin Chelsea Brunelle travelled with their uncle, Batchewana band councillor Harvey Bell, to Quebec City to protest the visit of Pope Francis.[12]

She is the partner of Nimkii Osawamick, a musician and dancer associated with the band Nimkii and the Niniis.[13]

Filmography

[edit]
Television
Year Title Role Notes
2017 Rise Herself Host
2018-19 Future History Herself Co-host
2020 Inendi Herself Writer, Director, Producer; Television documentary
2022 Canada's Drag Race (season 3) Herself Guest judge; 2 episodes
Canada's Drag Race: Canada vs. the World (season 1) Herself Guest judge
2023 VeraCity: Indigiqueer Herself Host; television documentary special
2024 Canada's Drag Race (season 4) Herself Guest judge
Canada's Drag Race: Canada vs the World (season 2) Herself Guest judge; 3 episodes
Canada's Drag Race (season 5) Herself Guest judge

References

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[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
Sarain Fox is a Canadian media personality, activist, and filmmaker who identifies as from Batchewana First Nation near . A storyteller utilizing dance, choreography, styling, and production, she focuses on amplifying Indigenous narratives through and . Fox gained recognition for her 2020 short documentary Inendi, which captures oral histories from her aunt , the family's eldest matriarch and a residential school survivor, to safeguard cultural knowledge threatened by the and elder vulnerability. She has hosted series like RISE and Future History, appeared in campaigns for brands such as , and served as a guest judge on . In 2023, she received the Entrepreneurial Spirit Award for founding Land Back Studios, a venture supporting Indigenous entrepreneurship and storytelling. Her advocacy extends to encouraging population growth among Indigenous communities amid environmental challenges, stating she has encountered no Indigenous individuals deterred from parenthood by beliefs in planetary doom—a position that has elicited backlash for perceived insensitivity toward reproductive autonomy. Fox has also produced works exploring indigiqueer experiences and reconciliation themes, blending personal and communal testimonies to address historical traumas and contemporary identities.

Early Life and Background

Ancestry and Upbringing

Sarain Fox is , with ancestry tied to the Batchawana First Nation near , where she is a registered member. She descends from the Bell family, which has connections to both Batchawana First Nation and Garden River First Nation. Fox was raised in , , by her single mother, who worked to reclaim their family's amid intergenerational trauma from residential schools. Her upbringing occurred in a politically active household, where she observed her mother's efforts to teach and foster community healing through cultural practices. She has two older sisters and one younger half-sister. As one of the few openly Indigenous children in her school, Fox encountered , including targeted harassment that contributed to personal traumas during her childhood. Her family's history includes direct experiences with residential s, as documented in her 2020 film Inendi, which features interviews with her aunt about survival and loss. This environment instilled an early commitment to cultural preservation and activism, influenced by matriarchal figures protecting land and traditions.

Education and Early Influences

Fox grew up in , , as one of the few openly Indigenous students in her school, where she faced significant and , including the formation of a "Sarain Haters club" and dismissal of her experiences by teachers. These challenges reinforced her pride in her heritage from Batchewana First Nation and Garden River First Nation, fostering a strong sense of identity tied to cultural teachings and elders' stories encountered during summer visits to the reserve and ceremonies around . Raised in a politically active Anishinaabekwe family by a single mother who worked in and counselling, Fox was exposed early to healing practices and a critical view of colonial influences, which her mother exemplified through frontline . This environment instilled in her an inherent political awareness, viewing Indigenous existence as activism, and shaped her later pursuits in storytelling and advocacy as extensions of familial values. Her formal education began in arts-focused institutions influenced by experiences of in , leading her to attend Quinte Ballet School of Canada for Grade 9 before transferring to and then City School for broader collaborative opportunities. She later pursued training at the Ailey School, a professional institution emphasizing opportunities for Black and Brown dancers, which provided a supportive environment aligning with her identity and artistic ambitions. These transitions reflected a deliberate pursuit of diverse, inclusive spaces amid early adversities, grounding her development in as a primary medium for cultural expression.

Professional Career

Dance and Performance

Sarain Fox trained in classical and at Quinte Ballet School, the Canadian Children's Dance Theatre, and . Her professional performances include appearances in music videos and on stage alongside Indigenous artists such as , Digging Roots, and A Tribe Called Red, as well as collaborations with dance companies like Kahawaii Dance Theatre in , Untld. Collective in , and Ajkun Ballet Theatre in . As a choreographer, Fox served as lead and choreographer for Theatre New Brunswick's production The Eighth Fire, premiered her solo work The Red Road Block at Toronto's , and contributed to projects with Xara Choral Theatre, including Fatty Legs and Rings Through Water. She has integrated dance into digital and activist-oriented works, such as the National Arts Centre's Dancing the Land series contribution Inendi in 2021, which drew inspiration from Indigenous land connections. Fox has applied her dance expertise to community empowerment, teaching and sharing techniques with at-risk Indigenous youth to foster cultural expression and resilience.

Broadcasting and Hosting

Fox began her broadcasting career as a host of documentary series centered on Indigenous experiences and resistance. In 2017, she co-hosted Rise on with Gitz Crazyboy, an eight-episode program that examined global Indigenous activism, including profiles of efforts to protect homelands from environmental threats and colonial pressures. The series highlighted frontline stories, such as the Standing Rock protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline. She expanded her hosting role with APTN's Future History, co-hosting alongside Nahrgang starting in 2018; the series investigated and their applications to contemporary challenges, blending , storytelling, and cultural revival across . A second season premiered on May 14, , continuing to feature origin stories and traditional teachings from elders and knowledge keepers. Fox also hosted on , a documentary addressing water contamination in Indigenous communities and featuring a visit by then-Prime Minister to a reserve lacking clean water. In 2023, Fox hosted VeraCity: Indigiqueer for , a one-hour special exploring the intersection of Indigenous and 2SLGBTQ+ identities across , which earned her the 2024 Canadian Screen Award for Best Host or Interviewer in a or Information Program or Series. Her hosting work emphasizes narrative-driven journalism, often drawing from her heritage to amplify underrepresented voices in factual programming.

Filmmaking and Documentaries

Sarain Fox entered as a means to document and preserve Indigenous narratives, particularly in response to the vulnerabilities exposed by the . In 2020, she directed and produced Inendi, a short documentary focusing on her auntie , a residential school survivor who serves as the family's matriarch and keeper of and truths. The film, meaning "she is absent" in Anishinaabemowin, captures oral histories amid fears of losing elders to the virus, earning Fox a nomination for Best Host or Interviewer in a News or Information Program at the 2021 . In 2021, Fox directed Giiwewizh, a series of short films profiling Indigenous musicians, produced remotely in collaboration with and inspired by Shoshona Kish. The project premiered at the International Indigenous Music Summit, emphasizing inclusive storytelling within Indigenous music communities. Fox expanded her documentary work to explore intersections of identity and culture in Indigiqueer (2023), which she directed and hosted, examining the historical, contemporary, and prospective experiences of queer individuals in Indigenous communities across . The one-hour special, produced by Wookey Films, premiered on Rogers/ in March 2024 and won Fox the Canadian Screen Award for Best Interviewer. Her filmmaking often integrates activism, using visual media to amplify underrepresented Indigenous voices on topics like heritage reclamation and , as seen in her contributions to series like Future History (2018–), where she collaborates on exploring Indigenous cultural revitalization.

Entrepreneurship and Business Ventures

In 2020, Sarain Fox founded Land Back Studios, a specializing in authentic Indigenous storytelling across , television, and film. The company, co-established with Tara Barnes, aims to produce content that challenges conventional portrayals of Indigenous narratives by prioritizing community-driven authenticity over commercialized stereotypes. Under Fox's leadership, Land Back Studios released the documentary Inendi in 2020, which explores themes of Indigenous resilience and fire stewardship. Fox's entrepreneurial efforts extend to collaborations with corporate partners to support Indigenous-led initiatives, including a 2021 partnership with Canada for the campaign, which promotes funding and resources for BIPOC-owned businesses. Her work through Land Back Studios has earned recognition, such as the 2023 Shopify Entrepreneurial Spirit Award from the Indigenous Tourism Association of , highlighting her contributions to Indigenous economic development via media production. These ventures reflect Fox's emphasis on leveraging creative enterprises to foster sustainable Indigenous representation and economic .

Activism and Advocacy

Indigenous Rights and Resistance

Sarain Fox has advocated for through documentary filmmaking that documents frontline resistance against colonial encroachment and environmental threats to native lands. As host of the series Rise (2016–2017), she profiled global indigenous movements, including efforts at Standing Rock to oppose the Dakota Access Pipeline and at Oak Flat to prevent copper mining on sacred territory, framing these as acts of defending homelands from resource extraction. The series emphasized the political dimensions of such resistance, bringing attention to communities actively blocking infrastructure projects perceived as violations of treaty rights and . Fox participated directly in campaigns against pipelines, including opposition to the Keystone XL and Bayou Bridge projects, aligning indigenous knowledge with broader to safeguard water and land resources central to sustenance. In 2019, she joined the of the Center for Biological Diversity, an organization litigating against industrial developments impacting indigenous territories, where she has contributed to strategies integrating frontline with legal challenges to preserve ecosystems tied to native cultural survival. Her advocacy draws from personal influences, including exposure to historical resistance events such as the (1990), (2012–ongoing), and Standing Rock (2016–2017), as well as family matriarchs who "held the front lines" in land defense. As co-host of APTN's Future History (2018–), Fox explores reclamation efforts that counter colonial narratives, promoting indigenous resilience through cultural revival as a form of sustained opposition to assimilation policies. She has described utilizing media platforms as "a tool of the revolution" to amplify suppressed truths about colonization's ongoing effects, such as resource dispossession, rather than relying solely on physical blockades.

Storytelling and Cultural Preservation

Sarain Fox employs as a primary medium to document and safeguard Indigenous oral histories, particularly those at risk from the loss of elders. In 2020, amid the , she directed the documentary Inendi, which records the residential school survivor testimonies of her aunt, , an matriarch, to prevent the erasure of familial and cultural knowledge. This project underscores her emphasis on urgent preservation efforts, as she has stated the need to capture elders' stories before they are lost to time or health crises. Fox has hosted and contributed to series amplifying Indigenous narratives across communities. In the 2017 Vice production RISE, she traveled to various Indigenous locations in , presenting firsthand accounts of resilience, traditions, and contemporary challenges to foster broader awareness and cultural continuity. Similarly, in the APTN docuseries Future History, she collaborated with archaeologist Kris Nahrgang to explore and document Indigenous artifacts and histories nationwide, linking past practices to ongoing cultural vitality. Her advocacy extends to broader storytelling platforms that integrate cultural preservation with sustainable practices. As a TreadRight Foundation ambassador, Fox featured in the 2020 short film Sarain Fox and the Power of Indigenous Storytelling, which highlights how Indigenous knowledge and narratives enhance place-based appreciation, particularly in tourism-dependent communities reliant on cultural transmission for survival. She promotes initiatives like the Manitobah Mukluks Storyboot School, which revives traditional craftsmanship to maintain skills and stories through hands-on education. In a 2023 , Fox centered Indigenous elders, youth, and perspectives, using her lens to empower marginalized voices within Indigenous contexts and ensure their inclusion in cultural records. Fox maintains that self-directed allows to control their legacies, independent of external consumption, thereby sustaining traditions on their own terms. Through these efforts, she integrates dance, film, and public narrative to counter cultural dilution, prioritizing empirical transmission of ancestral knowledge over performative representation.

Public Speaking and Community Engagement

Sarain Fox has delivered keynote speeches and presentations focused on Indigenous storytelling, cultural reclamation, and community resilience, often emphasizing the role of honest self-introduction and amplifying marginalized voices. In a December 13, 2018, TEDxToronto talk titled "The power of honest introductions," she advocated for authentic personal disclosures as a means to foster genuine connections, drawing from traditions. Her speeches typically integrate performance elements from her background as a dancer to engage audiences on topics like and Indigenous responses to systemic inequities. Fox has spoken at academic and cultural events, including a keynote address during Nipissing University's Indigenous Week, where she aimed to create dialogue between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities through . On January 15, 2020, she presented on leadership at the NSB Engage conference, highlighting strategies for overcoming challenges in Indigenous contexts. In a June 22, 2022, webinar hosted by Surrey Place, she explored Indigenous 's capacity to shape perceptions and introduce new ideas, positioning as a tool for voice reclamation. Her community engagement extends to workshops and movements like #ReconcileThis, launched to spark social media discussions and celebrations of Indigenous culture, involving activations across platforms to uplift and elders. Fox participated in the Family Wellness Program's Celebration of Life Conference on November 5, 2024, alongside journalist Angela Sterritt, focusing on wellness and change-making in Indigenous communities. She has also led virtual sessions, such as a , 2022, NSB webinar on "Rebuilding Trust & Reconnecting to Purpose," addressing post-pandemic recovery and the strength of Indigenous community networks amid inequity. Through these efforts, Fox promotes active participation in cultural preservation, often collaborating with organizations like the for -oriented programs.

Personal Views and Controversies

Advocacy for Reproduction and Demographic Renewal

Sarain Fox has articulated that serves as a form of resistance and renewal for Indigenous communities, framing motherhood as a deliberate political act in response to historical and cultural erasure. She argues that having children enables the transmission of Indigenous knowledge and aids in healing from past traumas, stating, "I think it’s the only way to heal from ." This perspective positions procreation not merely as a personal choice but as a strategic continuation of lineage and traditions amid ongoing existential threats to Indigenous populations. Fox emphasizes that such acts counteract depopulation pressures rooted in colonial policies, which historically aimed to diminish Indigenous demographics through and residential schools. In discussions surrounding the climate crisis, Fox rejects narratives that discourage reproduction due to environmental despair, particularly within Indigenous contexts. She asserts, "I have never met an Indigenous person who didn’t want to have kids because they thought the world was ending," highlighting a resilience derived from having already endured "post-apocalyptic" conditions like resource extraction and cultural suppression. For Fox, raising children constitutes "the revolution," as it involves protecting future generations while advancing activism: "The choice to be a mother, to raise and protect my child is the revolution." This advocacy aligns with broader Indigenous efforts to bolster population vitality and cultural sovereignty, countering low fertility incentives imposed by external crises or assimilation. Fox's own experiences as a of two children underscore her commitment, viewing family-building as integral to activist efficacy. She contends that committed activists should not fear parenthood, as their efforts ensure viable futures: "If you are doing enough work right now as an activist, then you shouldn’t be afraid of bringing in children because you know and you believe that the work that you’re doing is going to work." Her statements, drawn from interviews in , reflect a causal emphasis on as a counterforce to demographic decline, prioritizing empirical continuity of Indigenous ways of life over abstract global anxieties.

Criticisms of Identity and Relationship Preferences

Sarain Fox has faced online allegations of being a "pretendian," a term used to describe individuals accused of falsely claiming Indigenous identity for personal or professional gain. These claims, primarily advanced on platforms including and , cite purported inconsistencies in her family's , such as her grandfather Mario Sarain's Italian heritage and limited documented ties to traditional communities or Batchewana First Nation enrollment protocols. Critics argue that such representations undermine opportunities reserved for verified Indigenous people and contribute to cultural appropriation debates. Fox has publicly affirmed her heritage, emphasizing familial connections to survivors of and ongoing cultural practices, as detailed in her 2020 documentary Inendi. Regarding relationship preferences, Fox has advocated for Indigenous individuals to prioritize partners from within their communities to maintain "strong bloodlines" and counter historical disenfranchisement through intermarriage. In a 2014 CBC , she stated, "It's absolutely vital for us to actively be thinking of keeping our bloodline strong, within all aspects of our life." This position, reiterated in discussions on cultural preservation, has elicited criticism for promoting ethnic , which some view as exclusionary or at odds with broader interracial relationship norms in modern . Detractors, including in online forums, contend it reinforces tribal insularity amid declining Indigenous demographics, potentially alienating mixed-heritage or non-Indigenous partners. Fox's emphasis on reproduction within relationships has also sparked backlash, particularly her 2022 CBC documentary comments dismissing climate-related reluctance to have children among Indigenous people: "I have never met an Indigenous person who didn't want to have kids because they thought the world was ending." Critics, including Indigenous voices on and blogs, have interpreted this as shaming child-free choices, overlooking socioeconomic barriers, health issues, or personal autonomy—especially for or disabled individuals—and generalizing diverse community values into a monolithic pro-natalist imperative. Such views are seen by opponents as pressuring women into motherhood despite systemic challenges like and residential legacies, conflicting with her advocacy for fluid identities in Indigenous LGBTQ+ contexts.

Responses to Broader Cultural Debates

Fox has positioned motherhood as a revolutionary response to cultural debates on reproduction amid the climate crisis, viewing it as a deliberate act of political resistance rooted in Indigenous history of survival against genocide. In the 2022 documentary The Climate Baby Dilemma, she argued that raising children constitutes a continuation of culture essential for existence, stating, "To lose our very existence, which is our culture, is the end of the world." She framed this choice as inherently activist, noting, "Raising children, for me, is a political act informed by history, because the choice to be a mother, to raise and protect my child is the revolution." Countering arguments that environmental despair justifies forgoing parenthood, Fox asserted, "I have never met an Indigenous person who didn't want to have kids because they thought the world was ending," emphasizing that have already navigated post-apocalyptic realities through colonial violence and thus prioritize generational continuity over speculative futures. She contended that committed inherently fosters hope sufficient to support family-building, as "if you are doing enough work right now as an activist, then you shouldn't be afraid of bringing in children because you know and you believe that the work that you're doing is going to work." Regarding debates on women's societal roles, Fox has critiqued colonial norms that "lifted up" women in ways she experienced as objectifying and physically harmful, rejecting structures that reduced women to bodies for male desire or superficial empowerment. Instead, she draws from teachings that revere women's life-bearing capacities, menstrual cycles as sacred "moon time" for rest, and responsibilities in communal healing, positioning these as antidotes to the alienation of modern . This perspective aligns with her advocacy for matriarchal decision-making, where women's leadership integrates family and cultural preservation over isolated career pursuits.

Personal Life

Family Background and Relationships

Sarain Fox is , originating from Batchawana First Nation near . She was raised by a single mother described as a determined figure who actively worked to reclaim and preserve Indigenous cultural practices amid historical disruptions. Her upbringing occurred in a female-dominated household, consisting primarily of herself, her sisters, and her mother, with limited presence of male family members beyond community figures. Fox's family maintains oral traditions, with her mother and great-aunt serving as key record keepers of ancestral knowledge and stories. The family history includes direct impacts from Canadian residential schools, which Fox has documented through personal accounts of intergenerational trauma. In her personal relationships, Fox has emphasized a preference for partnering with other Indigenous individuals, viewing it as essential for cultural continuity and raising within traditional frameworks. She has navigated challenges in this approach, including a past relationship with a partner whose undisclosed Mormon religious practices conflicted with her values, leading to its dissolution after initial commitment. Currently, Fox resides on a farm north of with her partner, Nimkii Osawamick, a Juno-nominated Indigenous known for the project Nimkii and the Niniis. This relationship aligns with her stated priorities for shared and land-based living.

Motherhood and Family Priorities

Sarain Fox became a mother during the , giving birth to her daughter Maamaatesiinh (meaning "little firefly" in ) in early 2021, followed by her son Animkiibanasie around 2023. With her professional commitments in and paused amid lockdowns, Fox shifted her focus to family formation, viewing it as an urgent response to the accelerating loss of elders and oral traditions, which she feared would sever future generations from their heritage. This decision reflected a deliberate prioritization of and child-rearing over momentum, as she sought to ensure her children could connect virtually with relatives and absorb cultural knowledge before opportunities fully diminished. Fox has described motherhood as a transformative process that expanded her perspective, moving from external validations to centering her children's view of her authentic self, while navigating the contrasts between her first pregnancy's relative calm and the second's demands, including resuming work such as filming just two months postpartum. In family life, she emphasizes immersion in practices, including , ceremonial participation, and land-based activities like gathering rocks at Goulais Bay, which her children favor over toys, as a means of cultural reclamation against historical colonial disruptions such as residential schools. She frames the act of raising and protecting children as inherently revolutionary for , a continuation of existence that resists narratives of despair—whether from concerns or past genocides—rather than yielding to them by forgoing . Drawing from her upbringing under a resilient single mother and matriarchal figures like her aunt, Fox integrates into her maternal role, recognizing it as essential for sustaining the wisdom and required to guide her and community. This approach underscores her commitment to as a bulwark for Indigenous continuity, where nurturing the next generation directly counters demographic and cultural erosion.

Awards and Recognition

Key Honors and Achievements

Sarain Fox earned a nomination for the Canadian Screen Award in the Best Host or Interviewer, News or Information category in 2021 for hosting the documentary Inendi, which explored themes of and Indigenous resilience. In 2024, she won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Host or Interviewer, News or Information, for her interviewing work in the documentary Indigiqueer, a production examining queerness within Indigenous 2SLGBTQ+ communities across . Fox received the Entrepreneurial Spirit Award in 2023 at the third annual Indigenous Entrepreneur Awards, recognizing her multifaceted career as an activist, broadcaster, and founder of Land Back Studios, which focuses on Indigenous storytelling and content creation. She was selected as one of the Top 25 Women of Influence in in 2017, highlighted for her achievements in acting, professional dancing, modeling, and promoting Indigenous . In 2024, Fox was awarded the Harmony Award by the Harmony Movement for blending her skills in , , , and to foster cultural harmony and Indigenous advocacy.

Impact and Legacy Considerations

Sarain Fox's documentary Inendi (2020) has played a significant role in documenting and disseminating firsthand accounts of residential trauma, featuring interviews with her great-aunt , a survivor who endured nearly a decade in such institutions. Released amid the , which heightened risks to elder knowledge-keepers in Indigenous communities, the film preserves oral histories of , , and cultural erasure, contributing to heightened public discourse on Canada's residential legacy at a time when discoveries were prompting national reckonings. Her television hosting, including RISE on (2017) and Future History on APTN, has elevated Indigenous-led narratives on land defense, resource extraction conflicts, and , exposing non-Indigenous audiences to perspectives rooted in treaty rights and ecological interdependence. These projects, co-hosted with figures like , emphasize storytelling as a tool for , influencing media representations of Indigenous issues by prioritizing on-the-ground over abstracted policy discussions. Fox's public advocacy extends this impact, as seen in her rejection of climate-driven ; she argues that Indigenous continuity through family-building constitutes revolutionary stewardship of the land, drawing on ancestral practices that view as a deeper cultural threat than alone. Fox's legacy, as an multimedia artist, centers on bridging with modern platforms to foster Indigenous self-determination, including through via and entrepreneurship initiatives that counter historical dispossession. Her TEDx talk "The Power of Honest Introductions" (date not specified in sources) advocates for protocol-based engagements that respect Indigenous relational frameworks, potentially shaping cross-cultural interactions in educational and corporate settings. While her influence has been acknowledged in environmental circles, such as affiliations with the Center for Biological Diversity, its durability depends on broader institutional reforms addressing systemic underrepresentation of Indigenous viewpoints in policy and media, areas where mainstream outlets have historically amplified selective narratives.

References

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