Carol Daniels, an Aboriginal storyteller, was welcomed by Preeceville elementary and preschool students during Education Week celebrations on October 19 and 20. The event also celebrated Library Week.
Daniels is Saskatchewan travelling artist (animateur) employed by SaskCulture who shares stories, songs and dance with students.
“The Town of Preeceville was grateful for the school’s participation in welcoming Carol and hopes to continue to explore new opportunities to work together on creating new activates within our local communities,” said Andrea Tonn.
Daniels is a professional writer, singer/drummer, artist and storyteller in Regina and a member of the Cree First Nation. Her visual art has recently been featured at the First Nations University of Canada and the Elsie Scherle Art Gallery. She has also been inspiring students as a touring artist with SaskCulture and the Saskatchewan Cultural Exchange Society. She is currently working on a new children’s book that will feature original stories and illustrations.
Daniels now resides in Kinookimaw Beach with her husband Lyle Daniels and three children. She is a Canadian television journalist, musician and writer. She was formerly an anchor on CBC Newsworld, becoming the first Aboriginal woman to anchor a national news broadcast in Canada, and later became the original host of In-Vision News on APTN. She was also the anchor of CBC News Northbeat on the CBC North system in the Canadian territories.
Daniels began her career in television broadcasting at CKCK TV in Regina in 1983. Years later, experiencing some ups and down as a freelance broadcaster for the CBC in New Brunswick, she decided to study law at the University of New Brunswick, eventually becoming the first Aboriginal woman to become a Lay Bencher with the Law Society of Manitoba.
She recalls walking down the hall at the CBC in Calgary, when she was interrupted by a group of Aboriginal women who said, “You’re perfect.” They thought she was auditioning for a role in Thomas King’s Borders, a movie-of-the week in the CBC’s Four Directions project. She auditioned successfully, beginning a three-year sojourn as an actress on television and on stage in Calgary.
Her work has earned her a 2009 National Aboriginal Achievement Award for Best Newscaster for the Prairie Region by the RTNDA in 2005 and 2006; Best Television News Anchor by Manitoba Film and Television Industry; and Best Producer, Best Feature Story, Best Live Coverage and General Excellence, by Native American Journalists Association. She has been inducted into the Northwest Territories Hall of Fame, and has been nominated for a Prairie Music Award for her CD of Aboriginal women’s drum songs.
