CARMEN MOORE
Carmen has been a Canadian television and film actor for more than 20 years and currently plays leading roles on two hit Canadian series. She plays the role of Leona Stoney on the multi-award-winning APTN series Blackstone, and is a series regular on CBC’s Arctic Air, playing Loreen Cassway. She is a Gemini nominee, a multiple Leo award nominee and winner, and winner of the 2007 Women in Film and Television award. Carmen lives in Vancouver and is a proud mom to son Jaden
Who was your inspiration when you were growing up?
I was a figure skater when I was very young, so I loved Dorothy Hamill and Scott Hamilton. There weren’t a lot of First Nations people in entertainment; there was Chief Dan George. I think my inspiration in that world came in my late teens and early twenties when there was Tantoo Cardinal, Gordon Tootoosis, and Graham Greene. To be quite honest, there was a lot of shame around being Native when I was kid, and it took me a really long time to embrace that side of me and be proud of it.
Were there any issues you dealt with as a young person that you see young people dealing with today?
When I was very young I didn’t ever feel like I fit in—even in my own family. When I was 12 or 13 years old I discovered alcohol. We lived in an area where there wasn’t much going on. There wasn’t anything for kids to do but drink in the bush. That was sort of our entertainment growing up, when there’s no money for things like sports or other activities. And with the self-esteem issues, alcohol seems the easy solution. Drinking gave me a courage that I never had before. I could almost feel like I fit in when I was drinking. That kind of took hold of me for a really, really long time, so I drank for a lot of years. I’ve been sober for 13 years now. That was a big struggle for me. To achieve the things I wanted in my life, I couldn’t have alcohol in my life. But it was my medicine for a really long time and it did work for awhile. But one day I realized it wasn’t working anymore, so I had to find my self-confidence, strength, and determination, and my belief in myself without having that medicine to soothe me—to give me a false sense of security and get me through awkward situations.
What role should our traditions and cultures have in the lives of our first nations youth?
Oh my goodness, it’s so important. If you have access to your elders, to the languages and the traditions, I think that’s so important to hold on to. So much of it has been lost. I don’t have a lot of access to the things I always wanted to know. My grandmother has forgotten most of her language and traditions, and I feel like a part of me is missing because it’s just gone. But I know in many communities they are teaching the language in schools, and they have elders coming in and talking to the youth. That’s so inspiring to me.
When you have that part of you, and someone is nurturingit and loving that part of you, then you can achieve so much more. When you’re a young child and you feel like something is missing, it’s heartbreaking and confusing. I really did feel like something was missing as a kid. I would’ve given anything to know more. It’s a spiritual thing; it’s that connection to the Creator when you can hold on to those traditional things.
What advice would you give to young athletes and potential leaders in the communities?
Stay true to yourself. Potential leaders, especially in politics you have a lot of people in your ear, trying to sway your judgment, or influence the next step you’re going to takein regard to big dollars and that kind of thing. Being true to yourself and doing what you think is right no matter what other people say, and no matter how risky it may seem is the only way we’re going to heal.
What are the values and qualities of a great leader?
Being able to hear what people are saying, rather than thinking that it’s all about status and power. I think humility is a big one, being teachable while still being in a position to lead. And intelligence.
What is your vision for your community?
I would really like to see people working together forthe greater good. People are fighting still so much in our communities. People are talking and not a lot of people are listening, and I would really like to see more people working together. That ties in with the question about our leaders. The best line in Blackstone ever was when Cecil (the late Gordon Tootoosis) said “Leadership is about submission to duty, not elevation to power.” Our community leaders are there for the people, and we all need to work together. It’s not about money and status.
Why is education important for our young people and their communities?
There was always a big part of me that really regretted dropping out of high school. Even though I’ve had a great career and I’ve been put on a really great path, I always felt— to be honest, I felt stupid. Being uneducated has left me at a disadvantage in many ways. I don’t have the vocabulary that a lot of people my age have. I don’t know a lot of the history that a lot of people my age have learned. There are just so many things I wish I had learned as kid. I think that education is something that will keep you interacting in a positive way.
Were there specific challenges you had to overcome to be where you are today?
Growing up as a young half-white, half-Aboriginal woman was certainly difficult. There was racism and sexism. In my early career I spent a lot of time in buckskin. I had a very Pocahontas look to me in my early twenties, and then I made a bold move and chopped off all my hair. I didn’t want to be put in a box as an Aboriginal actor—I just wanted to be known as an actor, and cutting my hair helped. It was risky, but it worked. I booked a lot of non-Native roles for a long time, but I have kind of gone back into the Native roles lately because that’s what was coming to me, plus they are important. Being a single mom has been a challenge too. Trying to balance taking care of my child and working in a field where the hours are ridiculous and I have to travel a lot. Somehow it all worked out though!
