The Aboriginal Studies Program kicked off its Distinguished Lecture Series on Sept. 23 with a talk from Toronto’s own Gary Farmer. The Native Canadian actor, producer, and cultural arts worker drew an intimate crowd at University College, where he spoke on “Breaking the Silence.”

Now nearly 50, Farmer has been breaking media waves for many years since his days growing up on the Six Nations Reserve outside Toronto. The Cayugan Native started out coaching theatre to kids in his community and has acquired a long list of film credits and awards in Canada and the U.S. He has appeared in more than 13 feature films, including Police Academy (1984) and Dead Man with Johnny Depp (1996).

Farmer has steered clear of the stereotypical Hollywood lifestyle, instead becoming actively involved in developing Native media opportunities closer to home. Since the early nineties he has published the award winning Aboriginal VOICES, a magazine dedicated to Native American arts and culture. He has also been a board member on the Ontario Arts Council and is the executive producer of the aboriginal people’s television talk show Buffalo Tracks.

During the lecture, Farmer reflected upon his busy and productive week. In addition to speaking at U of T, he had been around the corner on Brunswick Avenue shooting live tapings for Buffalo Tracks, performing at the Toronto Film studios for what will be Canada’s first Native sitcom, Our Diversity, and working with the CRTC to put Aboriginal VOICES on the radio in Toronto.

Farmer outlined the long struggle he and his colleagues have been going through to get a radio station in Canada. With CBC and Rogers occupying most of Canada’s FM radio, Farmer said, everyone else is left fighting over the small amount of bandwidth left in Toronto. He noted that Natives have persevered by raising their own finances and going up against big broadcasters. They have acquired signals in Calgary and Ottawa, and now are finally achieving success in Toronto.

Farmer moved the audience when he tearfully expressed that what is most important for indigenous peoples is building self-esteem. The audience applauded when he concluded his week had been so exhilarating because it was about the movement of a people.