Barbara Todd

Award-Winning Producer, Author, Director and Scriptwriter

Barbara Todd (Metis/Cree), owner of Aarrow Productions, Inc., is a producer, author, documentary director and scriptwriter. She is the daughter of Judy Todd (Sharp) and George Todd and is originally from Edmonton, Alberta. Her family traces its Metis ancestry to the Red River Settlement, Duck Lake and St. Paul.

Barbara is the director of From Bella Coola to Berlin, a one-hour documentary that tells the story of nine Nuxalk First Nations men who traveled throughout Germany in 1885-86 to perform their dances at zoos and performance halls as part of the Hagenbeck ethnic shows. She is the writer/director of 1491: The Untold Story of the Americas, Truth, Dance and Reconciliation and Down2Earth, as well as the writer of All Our Relations II. Barbara is the author of two books: Honour Song, (Raincoast Books, 1996), and On Her Way: The Life and Music of Shania Twain (Berkley/Putnam, 1998). For Honour Song, Barbara interviewed and profiled 16 prominent Aboriginal Canadians, including NHL coach Ted Nolan, architect Douglas Cardinal, actor Graham Greene and artist Robert Davidson. Her articles and commentaries have been published in The Globe and Mail, Chatelaine, Indian Artist, the Georgia Straight and US Rock.

She was a senior arts administrator for close to 15 years, including positions with the Art Commission of the City of New York, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, Writer’s Voice of Central Kentucky, Royal BC Museum, the First Peoples Festival, the 1997 North American Indigenous Games and the first National Aboriginal Achievement Awards.

Barbara Todd - Indspire_Ottawa_2018_1004_cropped
Photo by Indspire Awards 2019

Other Team Members

Director of Communications
Kristy Tomkinson is a thoughtful and conscientious collaborator who is passionate about storytelling that inspires curiosity, creates meaningful connections, and advances social justice. She ...
President of the Board and West Coast IPCA Conservation Director
Terry is from TLA-O-QUI-AHT FIRST NATIONS from the House of Hi-you-eah which is represented by the SEITCHER family. In 2003, when he got married ...
Co-Founder & Executive Director
Monica is a highly strategic, creative, and solutions-oriented leader, acknowledged for her ability to transform visions, concepts and ideas into successful programs and initiatives. ...
Director
Joseph (Joe) Martin has spent decades mastering the art of traditional ƛaʔuukʷiatḥ (Tla-o-qui-aht) canoe carving. ...
Director
Jeremy Williams is an award winning filmmaker with 25 years of experience producing grassroots documentary films. ...
Education and International Relations
Dr. Soudeh Jamshidian is a passionate leader, experienced in crafting dynamic and creative solutions for addressing environmental and social justice challenges. She is a ...
OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR
Mackenzie graduated from the University of Victoria with a B.Sc. (Honours) in geography and environmental studies. Before joining the IISAAK OLAM Foundation, Mackenzie’s education ...
Goldman Environmental Prize Recipient
Marilyn Baptiste is a former councillor and former Chief of the Xeni Gwet’in First Nation in British Columbia, one of the six First Nations ...
CEO and Founder of the Indigenomics Institute and the Global Centre of Indigenomics
Carol Anne Hilton, MBA is the CEO and Founder of the Indigenomics Institute and the Global Centre of Indigenomics. Carol Anne is a dynamic ...
WEST COAST IPCA CONSERVATION COORDINATOR
Abby is passionate about catalyzing creative and holistic solutions that address complex conservation challenges. She approaches her work with an artistic lens, woven with ...
IPCA Infrastructure and Systems Design
Eric is a PhD candidate in Civil Engineering at the University of Victoria. His position with the IISAAK OLAM Foundation is made possible by ...
Cross-Cultural Relations Coordinator
Anaïs Brusel is an aspiring leader and entrepreneur in Transpersonal Psychology, dedicated to inner healing and community development. Hailing from Northern France, she embodies ...
IPCA Planning and Research Lead
Dr. Justine Townsend holds a cross-appointed position with the IISAAK OLAM Foundation (IOF) and Vancouver Island University’s (VIU’s) Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region Research Institute. ...
Ethical Space Education Coordinator
Candice Steven is a passionate outdoor enthusiast with over two decades’ experience leading outdoor adventures and nature connection activities and learning opportunities for youth ...
Chief of T’Sou-ke Nation and Clean Energy Innovator
Gordon Planes (Hya-Quatcha) has been the elected chief of T’Sou-ke Nation on southern Vancouver Island since 2008 and has embarked on a 100-year process ...
Tla-o-qui-aht Elder and Cultural Educator
Levi Martin was born in Opitsaht, a Tla-o-qui-aht Nation village on Meares Island, on the west coast of Vancouver Island near Tofino. As a ...
IISAAK OLAM Foundation Co-Founder and CEO, Vice President of the Board
Eli Enns is an internationally recognized expert in Indigenous-led conservation. From Tla-o-qui-aht Nation on his father’s side, and of Dutch Mennonite heritage on his ...
Research and Engagement Coordinator
Isabel's interests can mostly be pinned at the intersections between community planning, ecology, and regenerative economic development. ...
IPCA Education & Food Systems Coordinator
Lauren Bernardi joins the IISAAK OLAM Foundation after connecting with co-founder Eli Enns through her Master's degree course work at the UN University for ...
Officer of the Order of Canada
Dr. John Borrows is one of the world’s leading scholars on Indigenous law. Dr. Borrows is a full professor of law at the University ...