We are thrilled to announce the winners of the 2026 Call for Stories written by Indigenous children in Canada. The contest invited young Indigenous storytellers to share their unique voices and perspectives while highlighting the cultural heritage of their families and communities. This year’s winning stories stood out for their imagination, originality, and heartfelt expression.
Meet the authors and stay tuned for their stories, which will be published in the Summer of 2026!
Funding from this program is through a generous Gift from the National Sixties Scoop Healing Foundation of Canada.
MEET THE WINNERS
GOLD
Makayla Smith
Story: The Buffalo Jump
Makayla Smith is a 10-year-old from Alberta with an interesting cultural heritage, being Métis and Ukrainian on her mom's side. She is passionate about sports, playing both hockey and lacrosse with enthusiasm and skill.
In addition to her athletic pursuits, Makayla enjoys expressing her creativity through art and welcomes opportunities to showcase her writing, such as participating in writing contests.
Silver
Ella Lopes
Story: The River Between Us
Ella is 16 years old living in Ottawa, Ontario. She is a student of Notre Dame High School, currently in grade 11.
She’s half Algonquin and half Portuguese, and a proud member of The Algonquins of Pikwakanagan (pr. pick-WOK-nah-gone) First Nation. She has been a creative writer since the age of 10.
Her favourite form of writing is poetry, but short stories are next in line. Most of her writing evolves around Indigenous topics and she had been eager to share her writing with the world for a long time.
Bronze
Selah Freund
Story: I Still Remember The Knock
Selah is eight years old from Fort Smith, Northwest Territories and deep roots in Treaty 8 territory. She is a proud mix of Chipewyan (pr. Chip-a-why-an) Dënesųłiné (Dene-soo-lee-nay) and Cree, with European family ties, and she carries her culture with joy and confidence. Her Cree name, Moniyaeskwew (pr. mo-nee-yask-wev) meaning White Girl, was gifted to her by her Kokum at birth and is worn with pride.
Selah thrives on the land, where she hunts, traps, and travels with her family in a northern way of life that supports healing from the impacts of the Sixties Scoop. She is passionate about learning Indigenous languages and understanding her ancestors’ ways.
Honorable Mentions
Josh Sampson
Story: The Canyon: Where The River Listens
Josh is a Grade 7 student at Stein Valley School in Lytton, BC. and a young author who enjoys expressing ideas through storytelling. He has a strong interest in creative writing and enjoys developing original characters, exciting plots, and vivid settings, often inspired by adventure, nature, and the games he enjoys playing. Writing allows him to share his thoughts, emotions, and unique perspective with others.
Ethan Malchuck Benner
Story: The Sash
Ethan is an 11-year-old from Alberta, with Métis heritage on his mom’s side. He enjoys making music and plays the piano, attending lessons regularly to build his skills. Ethan also likes to draw, play video games, and stay active through sports such as hockey.
Beyond his hobbies, he is a young entrepreneur who started his own business called See 4 E, using the profits to help raise money toward finding a cure for his eye disease. Ethan is proud to use his talents and determination to make a positive difference.
We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all the winners and participants. We hope this achievement gives you confidence to keep inspiring with your voices. The world needs storytellers like you!
Our deepest gratitude to the National Sixties Scoop Healing Foundation of Canada for making this contest possible and to the Indigenous Leadership Commission for judging the contest entries. Together, we contribute to the empowerment of young writers and to the preservation of Indigenous storytelling for future generations.
