Ian Ross the son of Grace and Raymond Ross; is a Métis

Métis people (Canada)

The Métis are one of the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who trace their descent to mixed First Nations parentage. The term was historically a catch-all describing the offspring of any such union, but within generations the culture syncretised into what is today a distinct aboriginal group, with...

 Canadian playwright. Ross earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in film and a minor in theatre from the University of Manitoba

University of Manitoba

The University of Manitoba , in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is the largest university in the province of Manitoba. It is Manitoba's most comprehensive and only research-intensive post-secondary educational institution. It was founded in 1877, making it Western Canada’s first university. It placed...

 in 1992. He spent the first five years of his life in the Métis community of Kinosota, Manitoba before moving to Winnipeg

Winnipeg

Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...

, which he currently now calls his home. Ross has written for theatre, film, television and radio, and has been writing plays for a number of years but is perhaps best known as the creator of Farewel. FareWel is Ross’ first professional production, which later won him the 1997 Governor General's Award

Governor General's Award

The Governor General's Awards are a collection of awards presented by the Governor General of Canada, marking distinction in a number of academic, artistic and social fields. The first was conceived in 1937 by Lord Tweedsmuir, a prolific author of fiction and non-fiction who created the Governor...

 for English Drama, making Ross the first Métis to win the award.
Ross is also the author of a number of plays which include: The Gap, Heart of a Distant Tribe, Bic Off!, Bereav'd of Light, An Illustrated History of the Anishinabe, and a children’s play called, Baloney! Ross' plays have been produced by the Manitoba Theatre for Young People

Manitoba Theatre for Young People

Manitoba Theatre for Young People is a theatre for children and young adults in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It was originally founded in 1965 as Actors' Showcase and incorporated in 1977. In 1982, it became a professional theatre devoted to young people...

, Black Hole Theatre Company, and the Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival

Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival

The Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival is an annual alternative theatre festival held in Winnipeg, Manitoba. It is the currently the second-largest North American festival of its kind, and since 2003, has been the longest at twelve days , and it is common for a small number of shows to be held over...

. Ross has written many segments for CBC

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...

, but is well known for his humorous segment on the radio as "Joe from Winnipeg". After “Joe from Winnipeg” aired, episodes were later published in two books, The Book of Joe and Joe from Winnipeg.

FareWel, is fictional comedy about a group of First Nations

First Nations

First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...

 that are forced to take control of their own lives, when their chief leaves to gamble in Las Vegas. As the Reserve is declaring self-government and the people are no longer receiving their welfare cheques, a new chief is elected by manipulation. The text was published by Scirocco 1997, and the play premiered at Prairie Theatre Exchange

Prairie Theatre Exchange

The Prairie Theatre Exchange is a professional theatre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It has its origins with the Manitoba Theatre School started by the Manitoba Theatre Centre in 1960....

 (PTE) in 1996, and was remounted at PTE in 1998. FareWel was later invited to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2001.

The Gap is a fictional story that portrays a love relationship between an Aboriginal man and a French woman set against the backdrop of a flood and premiered at Prairie Theatre Exchange in 2001.

An Illustrated History of the Anishinabe, is a three person play that started in Winnipeg for only eight days of school performances. The play uses a healthy amount of comedy

Comedy

Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...

 to tell the story of First Nations history on the Prairies. Anishinabe is a word the prairie Ojibwa

Ojibwa

The Ojibwe or Chippewa are among the largest groups of Native Americans–First Nations north of Mexico. They are divided between Canada and the United States. In Canada, they are the third-largest population among First Nations, surpassed only by Cree and Inuit...

 people used to describe themselves.

Plays

• Don't Eat Any Red Snow
• CDED
• King of Saturday Night
• Zombies
• Residue of Pain
• fareWel
• Asamikawin-- ("fareWel" in Cree translation)
• Heart of a Distant Tribe
• The Gap
• Bereav’d of Light
• Bic Off!
• Towaw -- ("The Gap" in Cree translation)
• An Illustrated History of the Anishinabe
• Baloney!

Awards

• Winner, James Buller Award, 1999.
• Winner, fareWel, Governor General's Award
  Governor General's Award
  The Governor General's Awards are a collection of awards presented by the Governor General of Canada, marking distinction in a number of academic, artistic and social fields. The first was conceived in 1937 by Lord Tweedsmuir, a prolific author of fiction and non-fiction who created the Governor...
  
   for Drama, 1997.
• Winner, John Hirsch Award for Most Promising Manitoba Writer, 1996.