Rod Michano
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Rod Michano | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Toussaint Roderick Michano |
| Born | April 19, 1964 |
| Origin | Pic River First Nation , Ontario, Canada |
| Occupation(s) | educator, public speaker, social activist |
| Years active | 1990–present (activist) |
| Website | Official website |
Rod Michano, (born Toussaint Roderick Michano, April 19, 1964 in Thunder Bay, Ontario) is a noted Canadian First Nations HIV/AIDS activist and educator. He is a member of the Ojibways of the Pic River First Nation in Northern Ontario. His father, Toussaint Michano, a World War II veteran, was a former chief to the Ojibways of the Pic River First Nation. His mother was Veronica Star.
He left Pic River at age 18, travelling extensively throughout the United States and Canada before coming to Toronto, Ontario where he become active in many Aboriginal and LGBT community organizations. He began HIV/AIDS work and activism in 1990 and has since become a regarded public speaker and educator. He has been involved in many grass-roots initiatives that helped raise the profile of HIV/AIDS among Aboriginal, First Nations, Metis, and Inuit people, and was featured in the 1997 documentary film Changing Faces of AIDS.
He is a cultural educator of ‘Agokwa/Okitcitakwe’ (modern day Two-Spirit) history and traditional teachings.
He resides in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and was co-host of Toronto's 2007 AIDS Vigil.
