The McMaster community is invited to celebrate Chancellor Santee Smith and express appreciation for her years of leadership and service to the university at a Farewell Open House.
Chancellor Santee Smith / Tekaronhiáhkhwa, an award-winning multidisciplinary artist from the Kahnyen’kehàka (Mohawk) Nation, Turtle Clan, Six Nations of the Grand River, was installed as Chancellor in 2019. She will preside over convocation ceremonies for the final time on Nov. 19 and 20.
“We are so fortunate to have had such a warm, authentic and active Chancellor,” says President and Vice-Chancellor Susan Tighe. “The role demands a significant commitment of time and energy, and Chancellor Smith has given both in abundance. We are enormously grateful for her leadership, advocacy for Indigenous knowledges, and dedication to students.”
Register for Open House
The Farewell Open House will be held at Alumni Memorial Hall on Friday, Nov. 21 from 2:30-4:30 pm. Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to register here.
Smith is a McMaster graduate with degrees in physical education and psychology. She also has a Master of Arts in dance from York University.
Smith has been appointed to the Order of Canada, one of the country’s highest civilian honours, in recognition of her outstanding contributions as a leading Indigenous artist in performance and dance.
Smith founded the Kaha:wi Dance Theatre in 2005, with a vision to explore the intersection of Indigenous and new performance. Her artistic work speaks about identity, Indigenous narratives, creative process and representation. Her body of work includes numerous productions, and includes independent commissions with the National Arts Centre Orchestra, Canadian Opera Company, TOLive among others.
Smith directed, produced and performed in The Mush Hole, a theatrical dance production that reflected the brutalities of the Mohawk Institute, Canada’s first residential school for Indigenous children. In 2024 she and the Kaha:wi Dance Theatre brought the work to campus.
Her second term as chancellor officially ends on December 31. McMaster’s new chancellor, Nicholas Brathwaite, assumes the role on January 1, 2026.