Dayle McLeod/Gogo Nyoka Yomfula(Grandmother River Snake)
Dayle McLeod is a fully initiated South African sangoma (traditional medicine person), multi-disciplinary Artist, (Actress, Musician and Author) & Doula (Death & Birth). Born in rural Alliston, Ontario, Dayle was the only coloured, queer person in her community and survived her childhood by connecting with the arts, singing in church and performing in community theatre. Now she is an award nominated actress that can be seen on Amazon’s ‘The Expanse’, the CW’s ‘Burden of Truth’ & ‘The L.A Complex, and D.W Waterson’s ‘That’s My DJ’.
A storyeller, her Folk Album ‘In Bloom’ has been featured in multiple films and tv shows such as CBC’s ‘Kim’s Convenience’, Mary Harron’s ‘Charlie Says’ & Sam Coyle's Award-winning Webseries. 'Avocado Toast'.
Dayle is the author of 'The Big Dream; My Terrifyingly Beautiful Shamanic Initiation into the Arts' a memoir chronicling the spiritual-crisis of being called to become an indigenous healer.
She is currently working on completing a documentary that followed her initiation as a sangoma in South Africa comissioned by the Toronto Arts Council and Canada Council for the Arts.