Skip to main content Skip to search Skip to search

About

Eleanor Brass

Eleanor Brass (1905–1992, née Deiter) was born on the Peepeekisis Reserve on May 1, 1905, and her ancestors included two signers of Treaty 4: Chief Gabriel Cote and Chief Okanese. Eleanor worked her whole life to foster friendship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, and helped establish Native Friendship Centres to assist young Indigenous people making the transition from reserve to urban living. Her career encompassed various government jobs, and she wrote extensively for magazines and newspapers, including a column in the Leader-Post called “Breaking the Barriers.” In an effort to bridge cultural diversity with understanding, Eleanor also became a puppeteer, storyteller, and writer. After retirement, she wrote two books: Medicine Boy and Other Cree Tales (1978) and I Walk in Two Worlds (1987), her autobiography. Eleanor received an honorary degree in literature from the University of Toronto in 1991. She died on May 20, 1992.

Books by Eleanor Brass