MANITOWANING—Debajehmujig Storytellers has undergone many changes in the past six years guided under the steady hand of General Manager Lynda Trudeau. But change is once again in the air at Canada’s premier Indigenous theatre troupe. This month, the board of directors has appointed long-time Debajehmujig stalwart Richard Ashley Manitowabi as general manager, effective April 2026.
“Lynda has done an amazing job,” said board chair Richard Lathwell. “She first started with Debaj as a summer student in 2002 and joined our board in 2005 until 2011. She became our general manager in 2018 during a time of major changes in the arts sector.”
Thanks to Ms. Trudeau’s efforts, noted Mr. Lathwell, “we were able to transition through a global pandemic and stabilized our organization through Indigenous governance practices.”
Along with guiding Debajehmujig through the rough pandemic seas that rocked all theatre organizations heavily, a press release noted Ms. Trudeau was selected for the Business/Arts and Leadership Program and graduated a Master of Environment and Business Degree, a Master of Fine Arts: Cultural Administration degree from the internationally acclaimed Institute of American Indian Arts.
Mr. Manitowabi might be familiar as the entertaining children’s magician and many Island events, or as an actor in innumerable Debajehmujig Storytellers productions over the years. He initially joined the theatre company as a volunteer at the tender age of 11 and went on to graduate from the National Arts Animator Program in which capacity (as well as cultural creator) he began to work with the company. He would go on to become the Land-Based Arts faculty lead, assisting the company to develop a sustainability component to its operations.
Mr. Manitowabi has also become something of an internet maven, gaining expertise in media and media management, bringing modern technology into play. His Galloping Horse YouTube channel and the Debajehmujig Storytellers YouTube channel feature podcasts and shorts chronicling the Debajehmujig story.
“Ashley is a compassionate and innovative leader,” noted Mr. Lathwell, who said he is excited to see what the future holds under his leadership.
