Mike McKenna

To bring authenticity and accuracy to support the Indigenous information on the site, many of the illustrations on the First Nations and Metis sections were created by Mike McKenna.

Michael ‘Mike’ McKenna is an Ojibwe-Métis visual artist, writer and graphic designer currently living in Regina, Saskatchewan, Treaty 4 Territory. He is also the son and wascapios or knowledge keeper of Elder Betty McKenna. Both he and his mother are members of the Bear Clan. He often assists her in traditional ceremonies and storytelling. 2019 Mike was able to reach a level as a knowledge keeper where he can give traditional teachings on sage, tobacco ties, and Métis symbolism. Mike has a lifelong passion for the visual arts and aspired to be a professional artist from a very young age. In 2015 Mike graduated from the University of Regina with a double major in drawing and painting. Since then, Mike has completed murals for the city of Regina and for the Regina Public School Board. As a graphic designer, Mike has provided graphics, Illustrations and book covers for several organizations, publishers and authors. In 2019, Mike became one of the very few Indigenous professional comic book artists in North America when he signed on with Lev Gleason/Comic House, where he is still writing and illustrating comics today. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mike attended the Centre for Distance Education, an online post-secondary program where he received his graphic design certificate in early 2021. As an Indigenous person, Mike enjoys storytelling through various artistic mediums from drawing, painting to digital and interactive works. He wants to develop unique ways to share his cultural knowledge in a respectful way.