mihko kiskisiwin

Book excerpt: Thomas King said, “The truth about stories is . . . stories are all that we are.” Colonization has tried to erase and eradicate Indigenous narratives for centuries. Even mainstream literature features the same kinds of stories told by the same voices. It fails to recognize the diversity of voices across Turtle Island. Stories exist and persist in diverse and divergent forms. mihko kiskisiwin is a collection of Indigenous North American voices, from incarcerated and diversified Indigenous community members, elders, and youth to people with dis/abilities and 2SLGBTTQQIA+ people. This anthology by the Indigenous Poets Society (Saskatchewan–Ontario) showcases spoken and written poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction from emerging and established artists, writers, and performers. Testimony is at the heart of this collection. With vulnerability and urgency, these writers illuminate the complexities of trauma, identity, and healing. By empowering diverse and divergent Indigenous voices, intersectional awareness and diversity flourish. We see how one story can’t possibly encapsulate the breadth of Indigenous North American cultures and experiences. In Cree, “mihko kiskisiwin” means “blood memory.” It’s the idea that our ancestral knowledge is in our blood’s memory, and calls for right relationship - cultural restoration and resilience, inter-related respectfulness, and interconnected reciprocity. This anthology is our stories in our own words - as a revolutionary act of remembering, reclamation & resurgence for future generations to come.