A third-year drama student at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta has earned recognition within the university community for her play about Indigenous history. Naima Rain was named the second runner-up for the 2026 Play Right Prize on March 12, 2026, for her script titled Goodbye, See you Later.
The play tells the story of a father and daughter who are working through difficult topics like addiction and the lasting effects of residential schools. Rain based the story on conversations with her grandfather about Blackfoot traditions, specifically how families once dealt with death. In Blackfoot culture, when people died inside a tipi, the entrance was sewn shut and the circle of stones around the base was completed to create a death lodge.
The competition jury described the work as a mature and devastating testament of imagination that felt like both a lullaby and an elegy. As part of her third-place win, Rain received $250 and help from professional script experts to further develop her work. The award is part of an annual program supported by Terry Whitehead, the university’s chancellor, who also funds the Spirit Prize for Indigenous visual arts.
Rain and other winners were celebrated during a gala on March 19, 2026, at the David Spinks Theatre on campus. The event highlighted a rare level of success for an undergraduate student and drew attention to the university’s focus on sharing Indigenous stories. Other winners included Steele Prefontaine, who took first place, and Nikko Hunt, who finished second.
