The Tomson Highway fonds is composed of the following series : Writings and Music series, which contains manuscripts and typed drafts of his novel "Kiss of the Fur Queen", drafts of several of his theatre plays and musical cabarets (along with musical scores and lyrics), several drafts of screenplay projects, various writing projects, articles, speeches, essays, notes and a small number of writing by other authors. Promotional material series containing articles and press clippings about Tomson Highway, his plays and productions. The series also contains posters, flyers and programmes as well as photographic material (notably photos of stage productions and tours). Personal material series pertains to various personal records created or maintained by Tomson Highway: appointment books and diaries, notebooks, education files, files on Highway's parents and family (notably files on his brother René), memorabilia, travel records, photos of Highway, his family, his friends and of his partner Raymond Lalonde. Correspondence series with personal correspondence with friends and family, as well as business correspondence with talent agencies, theatre companies, production companies and teaching institutions. Business and Financial files series divided into three sub-series: financial records (personal and business financial statements as well as income tax statements), business files (with notably film and television project files such as the "Kiss Of The Fur Queen" mini-series project); contracts and agreements (writing and publishing contracts, rights and royalties). Career files series which include files pertaining to Tomson Highway's tenure as artistic director of NEPA (Native Earth Performing Arts), his speaking engagements, his work as mentor and teacher in various writing workshops, his travels with official delegations and his participation in events and performances. Honours and Awards series which include files on Highway's many honorary degrees, his appointment to the Order of Canada, his reception of the National Aboriginal Achievement Award as well as other awards received during his career. Printed material series which holds a wide array of published materials accumulated by Highway throughout his career (notably pertaining to Indigenous and Aboriginal history, cultures and societies). Audio-visual material pertains but is not limited to: interviews and television features, promotional videos, video recordings of honorary degree ceremonies (convocations) as well as awards galas, recordings of special events and productions, music recordings of original music composed and performed by Tomson Highway (notably for his musical cabarets) as well as other sound recordings.
Highway, Tomson, 1951-: Tomson Highway (1951 - ), Cree author, playwright, and musician. Born in Brochet, Manitoba, Tomson Highway was sent at an early age to Guy Hills Residential School. He pursued his highschool and university studies in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Highway then completed a bachelor¿s degree in music (1975) and a B.A. in English (1976) at the University of Western Ontario where he studied and worked with playwright James Reaney. Highway afterwards worked as a social worker for various Indigenous organizations across Ontario and Canada. In the ensuing years, he has devoted his time to writing, notably about First Nations realities. Tomson Highway is the author of numerous acclaimed plays such as The Rez Sisters (1986), Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing (1989), Rose (2000), Aria (2003), and the renowned novel Kiss of the Fur Queen (1998). Recent works include the play Ernestine Shuswap Gets Her Trout (2004), a libretto for the opera in Cree language entitled The Journey (Pimoooteewin)(2008) , and the (Post) Mistress, which received its premiere in 2011 and was published in 2013. Several of his plays have been translated into other languages (notably in Japanese, Czech, German and French). Highway has also written several illustrated children¿s books in both Cree and English: Caribou Song (2001), Dragonfly Kiss (2002), Fox on the Ice (2003), as well as a number of essays. Highway¿s exploration of Aboriginal and individual identity, race, and gender in his writing helped precipitate Canada¿s emergent Aboriginal literary tradition and its introduction to a wider audience in Canada and abroad. Highway has begun writing cabarets ¿ bringing together his skills as a classically trained musician and playwright. He has also worked to promote First Nations' culture by organizing major festivals including the International Native Music Festival (London, ON), the Navajoland Festival of the Arts (Window Rock, AZ), and the World Assembly of First Nations (Regina, SK). During his career, Tomson Highway has been active on the faculty of the Native Theatre School, in addition to being Artistic Director (1986-1992) of the Native Earth Performing Arts, which is dedicated to the promotion of Aboriginal theatre. Highway has also been Writer-in-Residence at several universities, notably the University of Toronto, Concordia University, and Simon Fraser University. Tomson Highway has been the recipient of such prestigious awards as the Governor General¿s Literary Award for Drama and the Floyd S. Chalmers Canadian Play Award, for The Rez Sisters and Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada in 1994 in recognition of ¿his formidable talents as a playwright, producer and director to reflect the richness of Native people's culture and spiritualism.¿ Other awards include eight honorary degrees from various Canadian universities.