Michelle St. John

Michelle St. John is a Canadian actress, singer, producer and director who has been involved in creative projects in theatre, film, television and music since the 1980s. Her directorial debut, Colonization Road, is a 2016 feature-length documentary that premiered at imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival.[1]

Career

Michelle St. John, grew up in Toronto, Ontario as the daughter of musician Wayne St. John[2] and Jewish mother Rochelle (Gruskin) St. John.[3] Michelle was born in Bakersfield, California on August 26, 1967.[4] Her birth name was Michelle L. Richardson. Michelle began her career in film as an actress. One of her first roles was as the protagonist in the 1989 CBC film Where the Spirit Lives, for which she won a Gemini Award for Best Actress - Dramatic Program.[5]

In 1992, St. John won her second Gemini Award for Best Guest Performance in a Series by an Actor or Actress for her role as Merrily Swanson on E.N.G.. She has worked on many television series, including Northern Exposure and By Way of the Stars and she voiced the character of Nakoma in Disney’s 1995 animated film Pocahontas.

In 1998, she had a cameo as Velma in Chris Eyre’s award winning Smoke Signals. The screenwriter, Sherman Alexie, describes the scene as a "trap door" for Indigenous audiences to fall through, while those less familiar with Indigenous culture will pass right by.[6][7]

She co-founded Turtle Gals Performance Ensemble in 1999 with Jani Lauzon and Monique Mojica.[8] As Co-Managing Artistic Director, she co-created, produced and toured The Scrubbing Project,[9] an exploration of mixed Indigenous heritage, The Triple Truth, which was nominated for a Dora Award and The Only Good Indian…, a multi-media musical.[10]

St. John has produced several short films and theatre productions with partner Marie Clements.[11] She recently collaborated with Shane Belcourt as co-producer on two Heritage Minutes, Chanie Wenjack and Naskumituwin (Treaty)[12] and the independent feature film Red Rover.[13]

She came across the inspiration for Colonization Road, which she wrote, produced, and directed, while touring with Turtle Gals in Fort Frances, Ontario.[14] The film follows comedian Ryan McMahon as he explores the historical significance of this road in his hometown, and how its endurance reflects the uncomfortable reality of Canada’s colonial past and present.[15]

The World Premiere of Colonization Road was on October 23, 2016 at imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival,[16] and it has been nominated for a 2017 Canadian Screen Award in Donald Brittain Social Political Documentary[17] category. It also received a Golden Sheaf Awards for Best History Documentary.[18]

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1990 Straight Line Secretary
1995 Pocahontas Nakoma (voice)
1996 Coyote Summer Rachel
1998 Smoke Signals Velma
1998 Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World Nakoma (voice) Video
2002 The Business of Fancydancing Agnes Roth
2010 Keeping Quiet Maureen Short
2010 Jesus Indian Short
2010 Every Emotion Costs Juniper
2014 Rez Carz (voice) Short

Television
Year Title Role Notes
1986 9B Emma Kostynuik TV film
1987 CBS Schoolbreak Special Maggie Episode: "The Day They Came to Arrest the Book"
1987 Beverly Hills Teens Shanelle (voice) Episode: "Dream Date"
1988 T. and T. Secretary Episode: "Straight Line: Part 4"
1988 9B Emma Kostynuik Main role
1989 Where the Spirit Lives Komi / Amelia TV film
1990 E.N.G. Merrily Swanson Episode: "A Long Way from Hopeful"
1991 Conspiracy of Silence Helen Betty Osborne TV miniseries
1992 Lost in the Barrens: The Curse of the Viking Grave Angeline TV film
1992–93 By Way of the Stars White Feather TV miniseries
1993 Liar, Liar: Between Father and Daughter Janice Wilson TV film
1993 Northern Exposure Debbie Episode: "Love's Labour Mislaid"
1993 Geronimo TV film
1993 Spirit Rider Camilla St. Claire TV film
1995 Side Effects Iris Episode: "Lucky Numbers"
1995 Murphy Brown Volunteer Episode: "Murphy's Law"
1996 The Adventures of Dudley the Dragon Catherine Episode: "Mama Crabby Tree"
1998 White Lies TV Newsperson 1 TV film
2002 Tipi Tales Great-grandmother (voice) TV series
2004 This Is Wonderland Naomi King Episode: "1.7"

Other work
Year Title Project Notes
2010 Jesus Indian Short Producer
2012 The Language of Love Documentary short Producer
2015 Hadwin's Judgement Documentary Production coordinator
2016 Urban Native Girl TV series Associate producer, researcher, writer, production manager
2016 Heritage Minutes Episodes: "Naskumituwin (Treaty)", "Chanie Wenjack" Co-producer
2016 Colonization Road Documentary Producer, writer, director, camera operator
2017 CBC Docs POV Episode: "The Crimes of Shelly Chartier" Researcher
2017 The Road Forward Documentary Performer: "1965"
2018 Red Rover Feature Associate producer, production manager
2019 Merchants of the Wild TV series documentary Associate producer, location manager

Awards

References
  1. "Colonization Road". Imaginative Film + Media.
  2. Christopher Reynolds, "Toronto’s Jingle King still crooning". Toronto Star, June 5, 2016.
  3. "The Identity Dance". Jewish Journal. Oct 10, 2002.
  4. Michelle St. John, World Biographical Encyclopedia, Inc., New York, 2019
  5. "Native leader charges church with abuse". CBC Archives.
  6. Hearne, Joanna (2010). "Remembering Smoke Signals: interviews with Chris Eyre and Sherman Alexie". Postscript. 29.
  7. Knopf, Kerstin (2008). Decolonizing the Lens of Power: Indigenous Films in North America. ISBN 9789042025431.
  8. "Aboriginal Theatre Links".
  9. Minkin, Melissa. "The Identity Dance".
  10. "Red Diva".
  11. "Michelle St. John".
  12. "David Hannan, Films".
  13. "National Screen Institute Faculty".
  14. Footman, Akeesha. "Michelle St. John Uncovers Colonization Roads with Comedian Ryan McMahon in New Doc". Muskrat Magazine.
  15. "Colonization Road".
  16. "Colonization Road".
  17. "Donald Brittain Award", Wikipedia, 2019-05-12, retrieved 2019-06-03
  18. "2017 Nominees".
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