Originally from Manitoba and of Saulteaux and Cree descent, Renae Morriseau has called Vancouver's Coast Salish shores her home for more than 30 years. Many will recognize her from her role in the CBC television series North of 60, but her contributions to the storytelling craft extend far beyond this – she received the 2015 City of Vancouver Mayor's Arts Award for community engaged arts for her work cultivating social justice and inclusiveness through theatre and music.

A producer, writer and director of award-winning television documentaries and theatre productions, Morriseau is also a talented musician with the Indigenous women's hand-drumming group, M'Girl, who toured in New Zealand and Germany. She continues to work with First Nation communities in B.C. and Manitoba to share stories of resilience, healing and the importance of Indigenous language and cultural worldview.

"We're at an exciting time for innovative storytelling between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Peoples in Canada," says Morriseau. "This is a great opportunity to invigorate Canadian consciousness on reconciliation and understanding what it means to be an Indigenous person in Canada in the 21st century.

"I've seen the power of story as a form of leadership and healing in many First Nation communities," she continues. "As the library's Indigenous storyteller in residence, I look forward to sharing stories of our land, history and cultural hopes for a shared future together."