Rosary Spence

Rosary Spence is a Mushkegowuk (Swampy Cree) musician, designer and visual artist from Peetabeck, otherwise known at Fort Albany First Nation, in northern Ontario. Taught how to bead and create leatherworks by her maternal grandmother at a young age, both her visual and musical work is steeped in her Cree heritage. In 2007, she released a self-labelled fashion line that included Indigenous fashion and footwear, graphic apparel, jewelry and accessories. Since then, she has designed pieces for and worked with companies such as Manitobah Mukluks, Urban Nish and Dreamcatcher Eyewear.

Currently residing in Toronto, Rosary works within the Indigenous community as an advocate for cultural and language preservation by providing classes, workshops, and seminars based on the Traditional Knowledge gained from her maternal grandparents, her mentors, and life experiences. She also works as an Indigenous Learners Support Program Coordinator for the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto.