IDR2025: Kwanita Drew

In partnership with First Light and the Spirit Song Festival, we are proud to sponsor an Indigenous movement artist each year. This support helps bring their work to the stage at Spirit Song Festival while also offering an inclusive workshop for the community.

We are honored to support Kwanita Drew as 2025's Indigenous Dancer in Residency.

Kwanita Drew is a Mi’kmaw jingle dress dancer from Miawpukek First Nation. Her first regalia was lovingly made by her grandmother, and she now dances in a vibrant jingle dress designed in collaboration with a local artist. Deeply rooted in community, Kwanita works with First Light in St. John’s, NL, and comes from a strong Mi’kmaw family of singers and makers. Known for her powerful, dynamic performances, Kwanita has recently been featured in the opening and closing ceremonies of the Canada Summer Games, as well as at community events across the province.

As the 2025 Indigenous Dancer in Residence, Kwanita Drew shared her artistry throughout Spirit Song Festival. Her residency centres on cultural sharing, intergenerational connection, and dance as medicine, weaving together community learning and performance. She led a Powwow Dance workshop, served as a guest facilitator for First Light’s Active Spirit family resource program (for ages 0–6), and performed in collaboration with Wape’k Muin during Homegrown Harmony, Spirit Song Festival’s traditional performance night.