Adam Beach is an actor and activist from the Saulteaux First Nation. He may be recognized for his role as Victor Joseph in Smoke Signals, but his work has extended far beyond the screen.
Beach is a vocal supporter of the land defenders and Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs who stand against Coastal GasLink’s proposed pipeline. He also has been a long time advocate for suicide prevention and awareness in Indigenous communities, calling out colonialism at the root of this crisis.
Indigenous representation in film still has a long way to go from the racist-stereotypes perpetuated by Hollywood. And thanks to actors and artists like Adam Beach, Indigenous youth are starting to see a more accurate portrayal of themselves on the big screen.
