Irene Bedard

*The voice and model for animated movie Pocahontas.

*Named by People Magazine, "One of the World's Most Beautiful People".

Irene Bedard (Métis/Cree/Inuit) was born in Anchorage Alaska and reared in its suburbs where she was active in performing arts. She studied musical theater at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and went on to become one of the co-founders of the Chuka Lokali Ensemble Theater for Native Americans in New York City.

She began her acting career in 1994. She played a supporting role in the Disney adventure film, "Squanto: A Warrior's Tale."

Although she has many other roles to her credit, Irene Bedard is probably best known as the voice and model for the Disney animated film, Pocahontas (1995) and Pocahontas II: Journey to the New World (1998). She also appeared in the 1998 Independent Native film, Smoke Signals.

Bedard was nominated for a Golden Globe award, and won a Bronze Wrangler award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television for her role as Mary Crow Dog in Lakota Woman: Siege at Wounded Knee (1995). She also received a Bronze Wrangler for her role in Two for Texas (1999).

She received the American Indian LA Film and TV Award for Best Lead Actress in a Feature Film for Greasewood Flat (2004) and a Best Dramatic Performance Vision Award for Into the West (2006).

Bedard portrayed Mary Stillwater in the Western/mystery drama A&E TV pilot, Longmire. Hers was one of numerous Native American roles that were written into the storylines. Filmed in Santa Fe, New Mexico the series is based on Craig Johnson's bestselling novels, and premiered to record ratings in June 2012.

In addition to her accomplishments as an actress, in 1995 People magazine chose Bedard-whose Eskimo name Goodiarook means someone who dropped-as one of its 50 Most Beautiful People in the World.

Although Irene Bedard plays Native American characters with great emotional depth and is proud of her heritage, according to a BiggestStars.com biography, she also longs for opportunities to expand her acting experiences through portraying characters that are not necessarily ethnically-linked.

In 2012, Bedard initiated Sleeping Lady Films and Waking Giant Productions. The company focuses on bringing positive and edifying television, animation and movies about Native Americans to an international audience.

Also a singer, Irene Bedard once performed in a band with former husband, musician Deny Wilson (1993-2003), while she juggled acting and motherhood responsibilities to son, Quinn (b. 2003).

A version of this article appears in 100+ Native American Women Who Changed the World, Winner, International Book Award, Women's Issues category, by KB Schaller

Sources: BiggestStars.com;Corona.com, Inner Circle: Native American Heritage Month, Irene Bedard; Examine.com: Irene Bedard initiates Sleeping Lady Films-Waking Giant Productions, November 4, 2012; First Americans.org, Native American Actresses; IMDb, Irene Bedard film credits; InfoPlease, All the Knowledge You Need website, Irene Bedard, Actor, Singer; Moremus, David, The Real Pocahontas; SuperiorPics.com., Celebrity Profiles, Irene Bedard; Wikipedia, Irene Bedard

References:

America's Story Website, The Purchase of Alaska

Cole, Terrence M., Jim Crow in Alaska, The Passage of the Alaska Equal Rights Act of 1945, (1992)

Iowa Public Television website, For the Rights of All: Ending Jim Crow in Alaska ( 2009)

Marston, Muktuk, Men of the Tundra: Alaska Eskimos at War, excerpt, Chapter 11, The Beam in Thine Own Eye, (1969, 1972 )

Website, In Loving Memory, Alberta Daisy Schenck Adams

Wikipedia, Alberta Schenck Adams

KB Schaller (Cherokee/Seminole heritage) is a journalist, researcher, novelist and illustrator. Her books are available through Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Books-a-Million, and other bookstores. She lives in South Florida. Email: soaring-eagles@msn.com http://www.KBSchaller.com