Dawn Dumont is the pen name of Dawn Marie Walker'','' a Plains Cree writer, former lawyer, comedian and journalist from the

Okanese First Nation The Okanese First Nation ( cr, ᐅᑭᓃᐢ, ''okinîs'', literal meaning: ''Little Rose-hip'')Wolvengrey, Arok, editor. Cree: Words. Regina, University of Regina Press, 2001https://itwewina.altlab.app/word/okin%C3%AEs@3//ref> is a Cree-Saulteaux ...

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. In 2022, she became the subject of multiple criminal investigations after allegedly faking the death and disappearance of herself and her son.

Career

Writing

Her first book, ''Nobody Cries at Bingo'' (2011), is a fictionalized, humorous account of her own life growing up on a

reserve Reserve or reserves may refer to: Places * Reserve, Kansas, a US city * Reserve, Louisiana, a census-designated place in St. John the Baptist Parish * Reserve, Montana, a census-designated place in Sheridan County * Reserve, New Mexico, a US vi ...

. Dumont says that the book was inspired by the writing of

David Sedaris David Raymond Sedaris (; born December 26, 1956) is an American humorist, comedian, author, and radio contributor. He was publicly recognized in 1992 when National Public Radio broadcast his essay "Santaland Diaries.” He published his first co ...

. In 2012 it was shortlisted for an Alberta Readers' Choice Award and a

Robert Kroetsch Robert Paul Kroetsch (June 26, 1927 – June 21, 2011)

City of

Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...

Award, and selected for the

Canadian Children's Book Centre Canadian Children's Book Centre (CCBC) is a national non-profit organization that dedicates its resources to promoting quality Canadian children's literature to parents, librarians, teachers, and youth across Canada. Founded in 1976, the CCBC has l ...

's Best Books for Kids and Teens. In 2021, the French translation of the book (', translated by Daniel Grenier) was nominated for the

Governor General's Award for English to French translation This is a list of recipients of the Governor General's Award for English-to-French translation awarded by the Governor-General of Canada. Winners and nominees 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s References {{Governor General's Literar ...

at the 2020 Governor General's Awards. She followed up with ''Rose's Run'' (2014), the story of Rose Okanese, a single mother, who enters a marathon in an effort to boost her self-esteem. Writing in ''Pacific Rim Review of Books'', Chuck Barker described the novel as "integral Canadian literature" and praised Dumont's "self-depreciating, honest, comprehensive, and confidential" sense of humour. This book won the 2015 Saskatchewan Book Award for Fiction. The

Saskatoon StarPhoenix ''The StarPhoenix'' is a daily newspaper that serves Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, and is a part of Postmedia Network. The ''StarPhoenix'' puts out six editions each week and publishes one weekly, ''Bridges''. It is also part of the canada.com ...

hired Dumont as a twice monthly columnist in 2015. In 2017 she changed formats, publishing a collection of short stories titled ''Glass Beads''. In more than twenty stories, Dumont explores the relationships between four

First Nations First Nations or first peoples may refer to: * Indigenous peoples, for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area. Indigenous groups *First Nations is commonly used to describe some Indigenous groups including: **First Natio ...

characters over a period of two decades.

Shannon Webb-Campbell Shannon Webb-Campbell is Canadian writer, poet and editor. She is descended from Miꞌkmaq people from the Qalipu First Nation in Newfoundland. Writing career In December 2013 Webb-Campbell was chosen to be the 2014 Canadian Women in Literary ...

, reviewing the book in ''

The Malahat Review ''The Malahat Review'' is a Canadian quarterly literary magazine established in 1967. It features contemporary Canadian and international works of poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction as well as reviews of recently published Canadian litera ...

'', notes that "much like beadwork, each strand or story stands on its own, but can only be fully formed in relation to others." ''Glass Beads'' was shortlisted for four Saskatchewan Book Awards, including the Book of the Year Award and the Indigenous Peoples' Writing Award. It won the Fiction Award. In 2022, her book, ''The Prairie Chicken Dance Tour,'' was shortlisted for the

Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour The Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour, also known as the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour or just the Leacock Medal, is an annual literary award presented for the best book of humour written in English by a Canadian writer, published or self ...

. The announcement of the shortlist was made while Walker was still considered a missing person.

Other

In addition to her books, Dumont has performed as a

stand-up comic Stand-up comedy is a comedic performance to a live audience in which the performer addresses the audience directly from the stage. The performer is known as a comedian, a comic or a stand-up. Stand-up comedy consists of one-liners, stories, ...

. She was a

story editor Story editor is a job title in motion picture and television production, also sometimes called "supervising producer". In live action television, a story editor is a member of the screenwriting staff who edits scripts, pitches stories, and reports ...

for the animated APTN program, '' By the Rapids'', and she wrote regular columns in ''

Eagle Feather News Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, jus ...

'' and the Saskatoon ''StarPhoenix''. Dumont has served as the Executive Operating Officer of the

Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN), formerly known as the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations, is a Saskatchewan-based First Nations organization. It represents 74 First Nations in Saskatchewan and is committed to honouring ...

(FSIN) since 2016. In 2021, Dumont, as Dawn Dumont Walker, ran as a candidate for the federal

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...

in Saskatoon's Saskatoon-University riding. She lost but received ten percent of the vote.

Personal life

Dumont was born and raised on the

. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the

University of Saskatchewan A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

in 1995. She holds a law degree from Queen's University. , she has one child.

Disappearance and criminal charges

On July 24, 2022, Dumont and her seven-year-old son were reported missing after Dumont's vehicle and personal items were found empty near Saskatoon's Chief Whitecap Park. Walker's friends were especially concerned as she had two pets that had been locked inside for days. Several investigations were launched, including by the

RCMP The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; french: Gendarmerie royale du Canada; french: GRC, label=none), commonly known in English as the Mounties (and colloquially in French as ) is the federal and national police service of Canada. As poli ...

. The

issued an amber alert for the child. During the investigation, Walker's friends and family heavily implied foul play. FSIN Vice Chief Heather Bear alleged that Dumont had previously been a victim of

domestic violence Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for ''intimate partner ...

. However, Bear did not make any formal allegations. Walker's friend, Eleanore Sunchild, also noted that Dumont had reported allegations of violence in her previous relationship to the police, who she claims did nothing. Sunchild is quoted saying “It’s totally out of character, She’s one of the most responsible people I know. She would not disappear.” While she was considered missing, a rally and a candlelight vigil were held in Saskatchewan to grieve and support the community. Walker had been an advocate for

missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) is an epidemic of violence against Indigenous women in Canada, the United States, and Latin America; notably those in the FNIM (First Nations, Inuit, Métis) and Native American communities. Acros ...

and her disappearance was linked with that particular human rights crisis. The child's paternal family set up a

GoFundMe GoFundMe is an American for-profit crowdfunding platform that allows people to raise money for events ranging from life events such as celebrations and graduations to challenging circumstances like accidents and illnesses. From 2010 to the b ...

campaign to help with search costs. After Walker and her son were found, donations were capped; all unused funds were donated to help support other families of missing children. On August 5, 2022, following a joint investigation by

Saskatoon Police Service Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) is the municipal police service in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. It holds both municipal and provincial jurisdiction. Police Chief Troy Cooper is the head of the service. The deputy chiefs are Deputy Chief Randy ...

and

Homeland Security Homeland security is an American national security term for "the national effort to ensure a homeland that is safe, secure, and resilient against terrorism and other hazards where American interests, aspirations, and ways of life can thrive" to ...

, Dumont and her son were found at a rental in

Oregon City, Oregon ) , image_skyline = McLoughlin House.jpg , imagesize = , image_caption = The McLoughlin House, est. 1845 , image_flag = , image_seal = Oregon City seal.png , image_map ...

. Court documents filed in Oregon alleged that Dumont faked her death and that of her son in what they describe as an elaborate scheme to illegally enter the country. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has charged her with the felony offence of knowingly producing a passport of another person and a misdemeanour charge of possessing identification that was stolen or produced illegally. She was also charged with aggravated

identity theft Identity theft occurs when someone uses another person's personal identifying information, like their name, identifying number, or credit card number, without their permission, to commit fraud or other crimes. The term ''identity theft'' was co ...

. In Canada, she is charged with

parental abduction Parental child abduction is the hiding, taking, or keeping hold of a child by their parent while defying the rights of the child's other parent or another member of the family. This type of abduction occurs when the parents separate or begin d ...

and public mischief. If the American authorities were to drop identity theft charges, Dumont could then face that charge in Canada, where the alleged identity theft occurred. Dumont's friends and family have urged compassion, stating that the situation is complex and requires patience.

Idle No More Idle No More is an ongoing protest Social movement, movement, founded in December 2012 by four women: three First Nations in Canada, First Nations women and one non-Native ally. It is a grassroots movement among the Indigenous peoples in Canad ...

launched a GoFundMe campaign to help fund Dumont's legal expenses. While detained in the US, Dumont made a statement claiming that she left because she feared for her and her son's safety. She also cited previous domestic abuse allegations against her ex, alleging that they were not taken seriously by Saskatchewan police. Saskatchewan police said they had investigated the claims but found no evidence. Critics of Walker state that her ex and her have been separated for four years and that she made domestic abuse allegations only after entering a losing custody battle. Dumont, who remains in custody, was set to appear in court in Oregon on September 7, 2022. Following hearings in the United States, an informal agreement was reached that would have American authorities transfer Dumont to Canadian authorities without a formal extradition process. Her son is with his father in Canada. On August 29, 2022, Dumont made her first appearance in court in Saskatchewan. At an FSIN news conference that day, several women spoke in favor of Dumont and critiqued the legal system, restating claims that Dumont is a survivor of domestic violence. The women who spoke asserted that Dumont should be released from custody. A support rally was held prior to that hearing outside of the courthouse. Supporters reiterated their wishes that Dumont be released from custody, though the Crown maintains their opposition to her release. She was granted bail in September 2022. Her US court appearance has been postponed in light of her charges in Canada. Dawn was released into house arrest on September 2nd, 2022, following her bail hearing. On November 15 she was arrested on new charges in relation to identity theft, fraud and forgery. Dumont elected to proceed with a trial by judge and waived her right to a preliminary hearing. She pleaded not guilty to all charges (public mischief, parental abduction and identity fraud) in January 2023.

Works

* ** * ** * ** * **

References

External links

Dawn Dumont at Thistledown Press
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dumont, Dawn 1970s births Living people 2020s missing person cases 21st-century Canadian novelists 21st-century Canadian short story writers 21st-century Canadian women writers 21st-century First Nations writers 21st-century pseudonymous writers Canadian women novelists Canadian women short story writers Cree people First Nations novelists First Nations women writers Formerly missing people Missing person cases in Canada Pseudonymous women writers Queen's University at Kingston alumni University of Saskatchewan alumni Writers from Saskatchewan Date of birth missing (living people) Place of birth missing (living people)