by Lori Schubert
The QWF community has lost a much-valued member, adviser, and friend.
Thaioronióhte Dan David died on Monday, January 12 after a years-long battle with cancer. You
may not know Dan’s name; he was a supremely modest man, but he was a very important
figure in Canadian journalism, and a true giant of Indigenous journalism. I won’t write an
obituary here—you can find them all over the internet. They list his numerous
accomplishments and awards, including being the founding news director of Canada’s
Aboriginal People’s Television Network (APTN), a long-time democratic journalism trainer in
post-Apartheid South Africa for the South African Broadcasting Corporation, and the winner of
the 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award from The Canadian Journalism Foundation.
I first sat down with Dan in the summer of 2015. We met for coffee at the newly opened
Roundhouse Café in Cabot Square, just across from the Atwater Library. I don’t remember
everything we talked about, but I remember the feeling I had that this was someone I wanted
to know better. His demeanor was calm and self-deprecating, and he had a mischievous sense
of humour (the beginning of his email address was “shmohawk”). He was full of interesting
stories that hinted at his illustrious career, but at the same time, he seemed to dismiss the
notion that he was important in any way. His ideas for QWF and his offer to get more involved
hooked me. I leaned on him for advice, which he offered willingly, and began to think about
wooing him for the board of directors.
Dan actually did join the board of QWF in the spring of 2019. He was a wonderful addition,
proactive and willing to put in real work to support the enterprise. It was always a pleasure
having him around. I’m not sure if that was the year of his cancer diagnosis, but it was in
November the same year that he regretfully stepped down, in part because of his health. The
following spring, when we formed our first Advisory Council and invited him to join, Dan
accepted, declaring himself “shocked, but not appalled” to be asked.
For the next five years, he continued to work on behalf of QWF, offering his wisdom and
contacts and serving in an ongoing capacity on our Writers in the Community steering
committee. When his health problems forced him to step back from that, knowing that he
played an important role in our work with Kahnawake and Kanehsatake, he put us in contact
with his niece Watsenniiostha Nelson, an educator in Kanehsatake, and encouraged her to take
his place on the committee, which she did. Even when he was at low points in his life, Dan
continued to think about—and care for—QWF and its mission. As recently as a month or so
ago, his outreach to some businesses in his community yielded a generous donation in his
honour, allowing us to hire an Indigenous editor for Quist for the coming year.
It is clear from the number of heartfelt tributes online this past week that Dan David was
consistent in his devotion and generosity, not just to QWF, but to all those people and
organizations he believed in. It is also clear that he was loved right back. We will feel his loss
deeply and for a long time.
Satoríshen Ontiatèn:ro.