Award-winning Indigenous writer says his career was forged by story and community

Award-winning author Waubgeshig Rice joins Tony Ryma to talk about what started his literary career, saying that reading Indigenous writers inspired his journey

An award-winning Indigenous writer, author and journalist originally from the Parry Sound area, Waubgeshig Rice, is being recognized across Canada for his impactful work.

His journey into the literary world, he told CTV News, was paved by a lifelong passion for reading.

“I was very keen reading all kinds of stuff when I was a kid growing up in Wasauksing which is near Parry Sound,” Rice said.

His literary horizons expanded significantly in high school when he was exposed to a canon of Indigenous authors.

“By the time I got to high school I was exposed to a lot of Indigenous authors: Richard Wagamese, Lee Maracle, Richard Van Camp and so on,” Rice said.

The power of representation

For Rice, the importance of representation and seeing Indigenous culture authentically reflected in media is paramount. He describes the profound effect of discovering these voices, stating it was both impactful and life-changing to see Indigenous authors writing Indigenous stories.

“Experiences like mine reflected to me on the page was important,” he said. “That’s really where the motivation began.”

This initial motivation, however, would first lead him down a parallel path.

“I kind of got sidetracked by a career in journalism before I became a full-time author.”

Eye-opening journey to ‘the big city’

Following high school, Rice embarked on his post-secondary education at Toronto Metropolitan University, then known as Ryerson.

He said that the move to the big city was a significant transition.

“It was eye-opening. I went there in the fall of 1998 when I was 19,” Rice said.

“I had some experience off the reservation but now I was in the big smoke, Toronto!”

He added that during the beginning of his university studies, finding a sense of community in Toronto proved challenging, particularly given the significantly smaller population of Indigenous students at the time.

Foundation in journalism

Despite the initial challenges, his time in the journalism program proved invaluable.

“Going through the journalism program there, I made so many contacts through CBC, CTV, the Toronto Star and other media outlets,” Rice said expressing deep gratitude for the career that followed.

Exploring Anishinaabe roots through literature

The now seasoned author of four books, Rice told CTV News that he continues to draw deeply from his cultural heritage and confirmed that his writing is a continual process of exploring his Anishinaabe roots.

Rice said he considers himself fortunate to have been raised within his culture, a foundation that profoundly informs his celebrated work.