White named Woman of the Year

There have been many stops along the way that led to Heather White being recognized as the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television, and Radio Artists (ACTRA)’s 2026 Woman of the Year, but for White, there’s none more important than the community theatre scene that raised her right here in Kahnawake.

“I’m just really proud to be a Turtle Island Theatre kid that’s gone on to make a career,” White said. “To represent my community in any way is always something I’m proud of, and to see that they’re proud of me has been really heartwarming.”

ACTRA is a union that represents almost 4,000 professional performers working in English-language recorded media in Canada, advocating for their rights in the industry. White was named the organization’s Woman of the Year by the Montreal chapter of the organization in honour of International Woman’s Day, which took place on March 8.

White was recognized with the title for her decades of commitment to theatre, starting with her first-ever summer theatre camp at Turtle Island Theatre when she was 12, and including celebrated performances in works like Tracey Deer’s Mohawk Girls, as well as her playwriting work as part of Teesri Duniya’s Fireworks playwright development program.

Holly Gauthier-Frankel, chair of ACTRA Montreal’s Women’s Committee, said that the committee was particularly compelled by White’s continued dedication to fostering the next generation of creative minds as a teacher at Kahnawake Survival School (KSS) – White has taught English Language Arts at the school since 2011.

“Heather has been a valuable contributor not only to the Montreal acting community at large, but also to the community of Kahnawake,” Gauthier-Frankel said. “Her work, advocacy, and dedication to the Survival School is compelling and meaningful. It also provides a window to the deeply important work being done there.”

For White, news that she was being named Woman of the Year came as a surprise. The award is nominations-based, meaning that other performers in the union chose to put her name forward for consideration by the committee.

“To be recognized by my peers and other women who have done amazing things with their careers that I really, really respect, for them to think that highly of me was really humbling, and really encouraging,” she said.

The evaluation process was holistic, looking at nominees’ overall careers and contributions to their field, rather than focusing on one particular project.

“They said they looked at everything I’ve been trying to do as an artist in terms of breaking down doors, and questioning the stories that are missing,” White said. “When you’re omitting a voice, when you’re not including people, what does that say? Trying to jockey for representation over the last 20 years has kind of been unintentionally the root of what I do as an artist.”

White said she’s encouraged to see so many young women, particularly in Kahnawake, pursuing careers in the arts, and she hopes more Indigenous actresses can take their seat at the table in the coming years.

“I think it’s a really great direction that we’re going in, I feel like there’s been change, and any change is better than no change,” she said.

She hopes to continue inspiring the next generation at KSS and beyond.

“What we do matters, what we create matters. The stories that we put out into the world matter, and just to be reminded that I’ve played my part in this creative tapestry of our community is awesome,” she said.

White will be recognized formally at the upcoming ACTRA Montreal Awards in June.

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