Friends and family are remembering an Indigenous filmmaker and actor described by her family as a trailblazer after she died at an Alberta rodeo.
Georgina Lightning was at the Enoch Park race track on Saturday night when she was hit by a horse.
RCMP confirmed a woman died after a horse veered off the track and struck her. Lightning’s family confirmed the filmmaker was the victim.
“I am shattered in every way possible,” Crystle Lightning, Georgina’s daughter, said on Facebook late Saturday. “I have lost my mother, my sons Kohkum, my matriarch, my role model, my confidant. That’s all I can say right now. I’m wrecked.”
Lightning was in a designated media area when the incident happened, police said. She died at the track.
Enoch Cree Nation said in a statement that the community was in mourning following the loss of one of its members during the evening’s Indian relay event at the Enoch Rodeo Grounds on Saturday.
“Chief and Council extend our most sincere condolences to the family,” a statement from the office of Chief Cody Thomas. “Our community is grieving, and we are holding them in our thoughts and prayers.”
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The nation also said it was working with authorities as they conduct their investigation.
Lightning was at the track for an upcoming documentary.
The 63-year-old filmmaker was a member of Samson First Nation, about 100 kilometres south of Edmonton.
Janine Windolph, director of Indigenous Arts at the Banff Centre, said in a post on Facebook she was shocked to hear about Lightning’s death.
“She was an amazing talent, a matriarch and a supportive woman,” Windolph said. “No words… doesn’t feel real. Sending love and prayers to everyone who loved Georgina.”
Windolph recalled hosting Lightning for “Decolonizing the Narrative,” a conversation series held at the Banff Centre. She said Lightning was also a graduate of the Digital Constellations Residency: Production and Post-Production.
Tributes have been pouring in on social media for Lightning.
“Heartbroken to hear this news,” said MLA Janis Irwin (NDP – Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood). “I wish I had the right words. Rest easy, Georgina.”
Jennifer Podemski, a writer, showrunner, producer, director and member of the Muscowpetung Saulteaux Nation, said on Instagram that Lightning was her first role model.
“When I got into the business I knew something was broken and early in my journey I came upon the legend that was Georgina,” Podemski wrote. “This tragic and sudden loss has rocked the entire Indigenous arts and cinema community to its core.”
One of Lightning’s friends, Roberto Mukaro Borrero, called the filmmaker a “true soul sister.”
He said they met in 2015 and immediately connected.
“Georgie was a shining star—a brilliant and courageous Cree storyteller, filmmaker, actor, producer, mentor, and tireless advocate for Indigenous Peoples,” Borrero wrote. “She broke barriers, opened doors, and used the power of storytelling to speak truths that too many had tried to silence. Yet beyond all she accomplished, Georgie was simply a beautiful and genuine human being: loving, spirited, funny, fierce, and unforgettable.”
RCMP confirmed Alberta Occupational Health and Safety has taken over the investigation.
The relay races are planned to go ahead on Sunday, with a tribute to honour Lightning and her family.
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