Featured: March 8, 2024
- Who are your influences?
As a newly writer, I am most influenced by the stories that are told to me by my mother, family, and grandparents. I cherish them and want to honour the stories, elders, and the places that I grew up as best as I could as a Nitsitapii woman. My writing is also influenced by dreams that I have had in the past as well. It wasn't until I enrolled into the Introduction to Indigenous literature course with Dr. David Kootnikoff that I started to learn about the variety of Indigenous authors such as Lee Maracle, Eden Robinson, and Louise B. Halfe. This semester I learned about Gregory Scofield whose work has been such a great inspiration for writing memoirs and healing.
I hope to continue to learn more about Indigenous authors and become even more inspired from them.
- Describe your artistic style.
My artistic style is a unique one that expresses my identity as a Nitsitapii woman and the two nationals that I am from. In doing so, I do my best to write and honour the plants, the water, the stars, and places that are familiar to me such as Old Agency in Kainai and my grandparents' house in Piikani because these are the things that have shaped me. Some of my pieces are also influenced from dreams that I have had as a child, teenager, and adult. I've found healing from some of these things, and I would love to share it with others. I also do my best to write about the modern Indigenous lifestyle through an Indigenous woman's perspective - more specifically Blackfoot - because these acknowledge the things that have shaped me.
- In your free time, what do you like to do?
I like to go running at the gym because it helps me to de-stress from doing homework. I also like to sew and bead while listening to Netflix or Disney Plus movies or series such as "How to Get Away with Murder", "Orange is the New Black" or "Modern Family", and "Bobs Burgers." Lately, I've been trying my best to get in touch with my nerdy side and watch more Marvel movies and I'm trying to grow my love for Star Wars, but everything is so confusing. Be patient I'm working on it... (Please don't quiz me on anything because I know nothing!)
- What advice would you give aspiring artists?
Don't be afraid to express your creativity and the things that make you unique. Allow yourself to break free from any restrictions that try to define you. Be open to allowing the writing to heal you from any and all things in your life. To my fellow Indigenous writers, embrace your identity and don't be afraid to share your culture with whoever is willing to listen.
In our recent Creative Writing class, Gregory Scofield's advice involved writing about "the land, the colours, the smells, and the things that we remember because that is ours to write about." In my Introduction to Indigenous Literature course, we watched a video about Eden Robinson, and she spoke about how "writing is medicine." Ever since that day her words have stuck with me. So, I encourage everyone to embrace her teachings.