Smokii Sumac
| Pronouns | he/him or they/them |
|---|---|
| Gender identity | transmasculine |
| Occupation | poet |
Smokii Sumac is a Ktunaxa poet whose first book of poetry, you are enough: love poems for the end of the world was published in 2018 by Kegedonce Press.[1] In addition to writing, Sumac dedicates much of his work to Indigenous and LGBTQ communities.[2] He identifies as two-spirit, transmasculine, "an uncle" and "an auntie", and has said "I didn’t fit in that check box of male / female".[3] He currently lives in both Peterborough, Ontario and Ithaca, New York with his family and their dog.[1] Smokii uses he/him and they/them pronouns.[4]
Sumac grew up in Invermere, British Columbia. He attended the David Thompson Secondary School. He has talked openly about his recovery from alcoholism and addiction.[3] He credits the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word in 2017 with inspiring him to begin writing poetry.[5]
Their work has been published in Write Magazine, Electric City Magazine and Canadian Literature. you are enough has been favorably reviewed in publications including Muskrat Magazine[6] and Transmotion.[7] In 2017 the Indigenous Voices Award was presented to Sumac for his unpublished poetry including his #haikuaday, which he posted on social media.[8] They have performed at various events and venues including the Queer Arts Festival in 2018 and PoetryNOW: 11th Annual Battle of the Bards in 2019. Currently, Smokii Sumac is a PhD Candidate in Indigenous Studies at Trent University, where he is researching "coming home" stories from a Ktunaxa adoptee and two-spirit perspective.[9]
Publications[edit | edit source]
- 'there are hierarchies of grief'. 2016 Canadian Literature.
- "All My Relations": Aunties, Cousins, And Indigenous Methods Of Recognition. 2017 Write Magazine.
- "No Pipelines On Stolen Native Land". 2017 Electric City Magazine.
- "Two Spirit and Queer Indigenous Resurgence through Sci-Fi Futurisms, Doubleweaving, and Historical Re-Imaginings: A Review Essay" published on July 31, 2018 for Kent University.
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "About – Smokii Sumac". Archived from the original on 17 July 2023. Retrieved 2019-04-16.
- ↑ Chazan, May; Baldwin, Melissa; Evans, Patricia (2018). Unsettling Activisms: Critical Interventions on Aging, Gender, and Social Change. Canadian Scholars' Press. p. 16.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Ditson, Dauna (2019-01-02). "Poet finds their new voice". The Columbia Valley Pioneer. Archived from the original on 17 July 2023. Retrieved 2019-04-16.
- ↑ https://www.instagram.com/smokiisumac/ Archived on 17 July 2023
- ↑ "Smokii Sumac on Being Seen in Poetry, Why Endings Matter, and a New Spin on Love Letters". Open Book. February 21, 2019. Archived from the original on 17 July 2023.
- ↑ Cole, Jenn (May 3, 2019). "You Are Enough: Love Poems for the End of the World by Smokii Sumac (Ktunaxa)". Muskrat Magazine. Archived from the original on 17 July 2023.
- ↑ Morford, Ashley Caranto (2019). ""(big)/little" moments of world-building revolution: a review of Smokii Sumac's you are enough: love poems for the end of the world". Transmotion. 5 (1): 336–339. Archived from the original on 17 July 2023. Retrieved 30 September 2019. CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ↑ "How a scholarly association is helping Indigenous writers to thrive". University Affairs. Archived from the original on 17 July 2023. Retrieved 2019-04-16.
- ↑ Patricia. "SMOKII SUMAC". kegedonce.com. Archived from the original on 17 July 2023. Retrieved 2019-04-16.
External links[edit | edit source]
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