I was born in Onguiaahra/Niagara Falls. I grew up in the place now known as Welland and currently live in a place called St. Catharines - both in Treaty 3 territory and all on land covered by The Dish with One Spoon Wampum Agreement.
I am a transplant and a visitor on Turtle Island. Not sure for how long .. we’ll see.
At one point in the history on this planet, the people with the longest and deepest relations to Tobacco were banned from using it as a Sacred Medicine while the plant continued to be commodified, altered and made into a regulated, taxed item that makes billions of dollars around the world while simultaneously killing billions of people caught in its addictive web.
As a smoker (sorry mom), my relationship with tobacco has always been complicated and the process of untangling my own thoughts and feelings about it isn’t something that’s happened overnight or something that is even close to being fully untangled. Kind of like my path along and toward reconciliation. I look forward to continuing to find ways to frame my work and life by my desire to be a part of justice for the crimes of colonial culture on Indigenous peoples -in ways that continue to affect us all.
I am so grateful to everyone who welcomed me into their places and practices, and to those who gifted me with their teachings and experiences to inform my work in this play and in my life on this earth.
Deanna Jones is an award-winning Niagara-born artist, writer, actor, director, and producer with a love for honest, comedic storytelling. She’s co-founder and Artistic Director of Suitcase in Point, has created and toured handfuls of shows around Canada (and the world) including her Dora-nominated Keith Richards One Woman Show. Born in Welland, Deanna draws humour and heart from the mundanity and wonder of working-class life. She’s gratefully received multiple awards for her work as an artist and producer, including the City of St. Catharines 2024 Making a Difference Award. Deanna thrives on collaboration, curiosity, and bringing creative sparks to life in unexpected places.
