A seasoned broadcaster, writer, and arts leader, Wente’s career spans more than two decades across CBC Radio, TIFF, the Indigenous Screen Office, and the Canada Council for the Arts, where he served as Chair. But for Wente, storytelling has always been more than just a profession–it’s a calling rooted in community, truth and the urgent need to reimagine the systems that shape culture.
In his new role, Wente will mentor students into professional storytellers, share his own vast catalogue of work, screen films as a tool for learning and help “unwrap storytelling from colonial thoughts.” It’s a mandate that aligns with the spirit of Saagajiwe: a space designed to honour Indigenous knowledge systems while pushing the boundaries of creative education.
Raised in Toronto, Wente’s Anishinaabe heritage has informed many aspects of his practice but his work is not focused on telling traditional stories. His storytelling has often been personal, deeply reflective of both his heritage and the ways in which identity is perceived, projected and politicized in Canada’s media landscape.
His national bestseller, Unreconciled: Family, Truth and Indigenous Resistance, is a sharp lyrical meditation on belonging, Indigenous sovereignty, and cultural reckoning. It earned him the Rakuten-Kobo Emerging Writer Prize in Non-Fiction and was named one of the best books of 2021 by Indigo, Apple Books, and the Globe and Mail.