Wilma Pelly (March 5, 1937 – December 28, 2020) was an

Aboriginal Canadian In Canada, Indigenous groups comprise the First Nations, Inuit and Métis. Although ''Indian'' is a term still commonly used in legal documents, the descriptors ''Indian'' and '' Eskimo'' have fallen into disuse in Canada, and most consider the ...

film and television actress, best known for her roles as Elsie Tsa'Che in the

CBC Television CBC Television (also known as CBC TV) is a Canadian English-language broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster. The network began operations on September 6, 1952. Its French-l ...

drama ''

North of 60 ''North of 60'' is a 1990s Canadian television drama depicting life in the sub-Arctic northern boreal forest (north of 60° north latitude, hence the title). It first aired on CBC Television in 1992 and was syndicated around the world. It is s ...

''Bob Remington, "Subtle humor helps North of 60; Charm of native north helps CBC ease Street Legal disease". ''

Edmonton Journal The ''Edmonton Journal'' is a daily newspaper in Edmonton, Alberta. It is part of the Postmedia Network. History The ''Journal'' was founded in 1903 by three local businessmen — John Macpherson, Arthur Moore and J.W. Cunningham — as ...

'', December 3, 1992. and as Kookum in '' Mixed Blessings''.

Early life

Born Wilma Episkenew, she was a member of the Muscowpetung Saulteaux

First Nation Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...

. She met her husband James Edward Pelly in the 1950s, and moved with him to

Calgary Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, makin ...

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

Career

Pelly worked in factories until launching her acting career. While recovering from a workplace injury in the late 1980s, she answered a casting call for film extras. Her breakthrough role in ''North of 60'', beginning in 1992 and extending throughout the series and into several followup television films, made her an iconic figure in Canadian indigenous communities; her character Elsie, although not always talkative, was wise, dignified and funny, and Pelly was widely recognized as a scene-stealing performer. She was recognized by the Alberta Media Production Industries Association's

Rosie Awards The Rosie Awards is the name given to the Alberta Film and Television Awards, presented annually by Alberta Media Production Industries Association (AMPIA). AMPIA is non-profit professional association that supports its members by encouraging the ...

as Best Actress in 1998. Following the conclusion of the regular weekly ''North of 60'' series, Pelly was cast in

Giovanni Veronesi Giovanni Veronesi (born 1962) is an Italian film screenwriter, actor and director. Born in Prato, he is the brother of the writer Sandro Veronesi. He started his career writing scripts for directors such as Francesco Nuti, Leonardo Pieraccioni, ...

's film ''

Gunslinger's Revenge ''Gunslinger's Revenge'' ( it, Il mio West) is a 1998 in film, 1998 Italian language, Italian Western (genre), Western comedy film directed by Giovanni Veronesi and starring Leonardo Pieraccioni, Harvey Keitel and David Bowie. The screenplay was ...

'', the production of which marked her first time ever travelling outside of North America. She subsequently appeared in other film and television productions, usually playing an indigenous grandmother or community elder. She also had selected stage roles, most notably appearing in a 2005 production of ''

Uncle Vanya ''Uncle Vanya'' ( rus, Дя́дя Ва́ня, r=Dyádya Ványa, p=ˈdʲædʲə ˈvanʲə) is a play by the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. It was first published in 1898, and was first produced in 1899 by the Moscow Art Theatre under the direct ...

'' which was staged at the

Citadel Theatre The Citadel Theatre is the major venue for theatre arts in the city of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, located in the city's downtown core on Churchill Square. It is the third largest regional theatre in Canada. History It began in a former Salvati ...

in Edmonton before travelling to

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

for a production at the

National Arts Centre The National Arts Centre (NAC) (french: Centre national des Arts) is a Arts centre, performing arts organisation in Ottawa, Ontario, along the Rideau Canal. It is based in the eponymous National Arts Centre (building), National Arts Centre build ...

.Bruce Deachman, "Vanya leaves audience crying 'Uncle!'". ''

Ottawa Citizen The ''Ottawa Citizen'' is an English-language daily newspaper owned by Postmedia Network in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. History Established as ''The Bytown Packet'' in 1845 by William Harris (journalist), William Harris, it was renamed the '' ...

'', April 23, 2005.

Death

She died on December 28, 2020, in Calgary. Her final film performance, in Rueben Martell's film ''Don't Say Its Name'', was in post-production and had not yet been released at the time of her death.

Filmography

Television

* ''

'' (1992-1997) - Elsie Tsa Che * '' Children of the Dust'' (1995) - Nita * '' In the Blue Ground'' (1999) - Elsie Tsa Che * '' Dream Storm'' (2001) - Elsie Tsa Che * '' Another Country'' (2003) - Elsie Tsa Che * ''

Dreamkeeper ''Dreamkeeper'' is a 2003 film written by John Fusco and directed by Steve Barron. The main plot of the film is the conflict between a Lakota elder and storyteller named Pete Chasing Horse (August Schellenberg) and his Lakota grandson, Shane Chas ...

'' (2003) - Old Woman * '' Into the West'' (2005) - Burnt by the Sun * '' Distant Drumming'' (2005) - Elsie Tsa Che * ''Elijah'' (2007) - Old Woman * '' Mixed Blessings'' (2007-08) - Kookum * ''

Arctic Air ''Arctic Air'' is a Canadian drama television series that began airing on CBC Television on January 10, 2012. The series was canceled on March 17, 2014, due to government budgetary cuts. Synopsis ''Arctic Air'' is about a Yellowknife-based m ...

'' (2014) - Auntie Belle * ''

Documentary Now! ''Documentary Now!'' is an American mockumentary television series, created by Fred Armisen, Bill Hader, Seth Meyers, and Rhys Thomas, that premiered on August 20, 2015, on IFC. Armisen and Hader star in many episodes, and Thomas and Alex Buono ...

'' (2015) - Aglatki Qamaniq * '' Fargo'' (2015) - Native American housekeeper

Film

* ''

'' (1998) - Native Grandmother * '' The Last Rites of Ransom Pride'' (2010) - Old Woman * ''

Land Land, also known as dry land, ground, or earth, is the solid terrestrial surface of the planet Earth that is not submerged by the ocean or other bodies of water. It makes up 29% of Earth's surface and includes the continents and various islan ...

'' (2018) - Mary Yellow Eagle * ''Parallel Minds'' (2020) - Kookum * ''Don't Say Its Name'' (2021) - Aggie

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Pelly, Wilma 1937 births 2020 deaths Actresses from Saskatchewan Canadian television actresses Canadian film actresses Canadian stage actresses First Nations actresses People from Fort Qu'Appelle Saulteaux people 20th-century Canadian actresses 21st-century Canadian actresses 20th-century First Nations people 21st-century First Nations people