Indigenous musician and educator’s contributions celebrated with Alumni Honour Award

From the classroom to the stage, Faculty of Education alumnus Stephen Wood, ‘01 BEd, has been an inspiring Indigenous leader for more than four decades. 

This week, the Cree musician, performer and retired educator will receive an Alumni Honour Award in recognition of his achievements and contributions to the community.

Wood, who is originally from the Saddle Lake Cree Nation, has spent most of his life in Maskwacis, Alberta, where he was a teacher for more than 20 years before spending several years as vice principal of Ermineskin Junior Senior High. 

A fluent speaker of the Plains Cree dialect, Wood was dedicated to keeping the language alive for the next generation during his career in education. Along with teaching Cree language classes, he also developed and wrote curriculum within the Alberta school system. 

Outside of the classroom, Wood has gained widespread recognition for his work with Northern Cree, a powwow and round dance drum and singing group based in Maskwacis. 

Northern Cree, which was co-founded by Wood and his brothers in 1982, has recorded more than 40 albums and performed for audiences around the world. The group’s numerous accolades include nine Grammy nominations and a Juno Award for their collaboration with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra on Going Home Star: Truth and Reconciliation.