Shirley Cain

community partner

BIOGRAPHY

Shirley Cain first connected with In Progress through her brother, Tom Cain Jr., who worked alongside Kristine Sorensen at Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig School in northern Minnesota.

Shirley and Tom are committed to supporting their Native relatives by documenting and sharing community stories through podcasts and interviews. Shirley’s upcoming projects include exploring trauma and water through the perspectives of Indigenous youth filmmakers, Indigenous shadow puppetry, and food sovereignty. Together, these initiatives celebrate Indigenous storytelling, cultural preservation, and the resilience of Native communities as they continue to grow and thrive despite generations of historical trauma.