mahikan ka onot by Duncan Mercredi

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From the publisher:

mahikan ka onot collects the finest work of accomplished Indigenous poet Duncan Mercredi, from his first book in 1991 to recent unpublished poems. These are poems of life on the land as well as life in the city, vibrant with the rhythms of traditional Cree and Métis storytelling but also with the clamour and the music of the streets.

This book brings the work of Duncan Mercredi (Cree/Métis) back into the public eye, providing a new generation of readers with the opportunity to experience his unique artistry. Mercredi brings to these poems the sensibility of a Cree speaker and a renowned oral storyteller, revealing a deep attachment to the land and a nuanced understanding of the complexities of contemporary Indigenous life. In startlingly direct, plainspoken language, the poet explores themes of cultural resurgence and steadfast connections among the generations, even amid the unfolding tragedies wrought by colonialism.

Some of these poems are memories of traditional life on the land, especially in the time before Manitoba Hydro radically altered Mercredi’s home community of Grand Rapids, Manitoba. Others focus on the urban Indigenous experience, based upon Mercredi’s longstanding and intimate knowledge of Winnipeg. Like mahikan, the wolf, Mercredi’s characters are often outsiders in certain contexts, but the poems reveal other perspectives that allow us to understand their loyalty and their love of community.

The volume includes an afterword by Duncan Mercredi and an introduction by Métis scholar Warren Cariou, both of which provide resources for deeper study of the poems.

About the author:

Duncan Mercredi

was born in Misipawistik (Grand Rapids) Manitoba to a Métis father and Cree mother. He resided there until the age of sixteen until he left to attend high school in Cranberry Portage. After graduating, he entered the blue-collar working world. Mercredi is now retired and living in Winnipeg.

Warren Cariou

was born in Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan into a family of Métis and European heritage. He has published works of fiction, criticism, and memoir about Indigenous cultures and environmental issues in Canada. He directs the Centre for Creative Writing and Oral Culture at the University of Manitoba. Mercredi has been named Winnipeg’s Poet Laureate for 2020-21.

(Credits: Publisher’s description has been retrieved from BiblioShare. Photo of front and back cover by Dahlia Katz.)