Award-winning Cree actor, director and screenwriter Georgina Lightning died Saturday after being struck by a horse while filming a documentary at the Indian Relay Championships near Edmonton. She was 63.
RCMP said the horse left the track and hit Lightning while she was standing in a designated media area. She was pronounced dead at the scene, and Alberta Occupational Health and Safety is investigating.
Born in Edmonton and a member of Samson Cree Nation, Lightning built a successful career in film and television with roles in Blackstone, The West Wing and DreamKeeper. In 2008, she became the first Indigenous woman in North America to direct a major feature film with Older Than America, which explored the lasting impacts of residential schools.
Friends said she was in the final stages of filming a documentary about Indian Relay racing and wanted to highlight its importance to Indigenous families, culture and healing. Her family asked that both the race and her film continue in her honour.
Lightning is being remembered as a passionate storyteller, mentor and advocate who worked to create more opportunities for Indigenous voices in film.
