Meet the Artist

Santee is a multidisciplinary artist from the Kahnyen’kehàka Nation, Turtle Clan, Ohswé:ken/Six Nations of the Grand River. Transformation, energetic exchange and fostering mind-heart connections through performance and design is her lifelong work. Santee trained at Canada’s National Ballet School; holds Physical Education and Psychology degrees from McMaster University and a M.A. in Dance from York University. Premiering her first production Kaha:wi – a family creation story in 2004, one year later she founded Kaha:wi Dance Theatre which has grown into an internationally renowned company. Santee’s work speaks about identity, teachings and way of life within Onkwehonwe:neha, creativity and Indigenous artistic process. She is a sought-after teacher and speaker on the performing arts, Indigenous performance, and culture. Smith is faculty at the Banff Centre for Arts & Creativity’s World Indigenous Dance Residency 2024 and curator and visionary of “Inviting the Land to Shape Us Series” land-based workshops and creation labs focused on Indigenous performance research. Recently, she premiered Dora Award nominated multimedia production SKéN:NEN at TOLive 2024 and toured award winning The Mush Hole embodying the truths of Canada’s oldest and standing Indian Residential School, The Mohawk Institute.