FEATURED AUTHOR
SMOKII SUMAC
The Elk Valley - Qukin Amakis , Land of the Raven , lies within the Ktunaxa homelands , a region of some 70,000 sq km spanning south-eastern British Columbia , south-western Alberta , and northern Montana , Washington and Idaho .
With deep ties to the land and the people of this region , 34-year-old Smokii Sumac is studying the question : How do we come home ? as a PhD candidate in Indigenous Studies at Trent University , with maturity , openness , and clarity . The concept of coming home features heavily in both his life and his art having grown up in the Columbia Valley and moving to the East Kootenay in 2021 . Sumac is the son of Shuswap Chief Barb Cote of the Shushwap Band in Invermere .
Self-described as an Indigenous adoptee , intergenerational residential school survivor , and two-spirit person , Sumac is examining past , present and future as he moves through life , accepting and exposing past trauma while embracing and celebrating joy and pleasure . In talking about the Ktunaxa people , he says it is important to recognize the whole person and not just see victims of colonialism . His love of life and connection creates an engaging platform from which he shares his personal story and receives knowledge .
His first book , you are enough : love poems for the end of the world , ( Kegedonce Press , 2018 ) started as a personal daily poetry journal under the hashtag # haikuaday . Inspired by the work of Billy Ray Belcourt and Tenille Campbell , Sumac carefully weaves together the various themes of addiction , depression , ceremony , grief , consent , sex , and gender under the all-encompassing banner of love and sense of place . The collection is a reflection on identity , perception , and acceptance .
As a Two Spirit Ktunaxa artist , Sumac is examining his multi-faceted journey of self-expression and has been both pleased and surprised at the welcome he has found locally . He is enthusiastic about celebrating community and will be performing at the Elk Valley Pride Festival in September . He received a
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