'True Canadians: Forgotten Nevermore' book on display. Photo from Metis Nation of Alberta
The Audible Indigenous Writers’ Circle is running right now with 24 Indigenous writers from around the country being taught by eight mentors about writing and on how to be more in touch with their culture.
The six-month program began during the summer and is set to go until winter.
Two of the writers, Calypso Haine and Meghan Eaker, are both from Edmonton and are learning how to better their writing and poetry by their mentors, January Rogers and Joshua Whitehead, respectively.
Calypso Haine is a 2S, queer, transsexual Cree artist who is currently studying English at the University of Alberta and previously studied social work at Keyano College in Fort McMurray. Meghan Eaker is a queer, non-binary, mixed nehiyaw and white amiskwaciywaskahikan based poet, registered nurse, and member of the Woodland Cree First Nation in Treaty 8 territory.
In an interview with Windspeaker Radio Network, Haine went in depth about the program.
“We have workshops, we have one-on-one time with our mentors, we get to build a community of authors, it’s a great experience for Indigenous writers.”
Both Eaker and Haine have unique stories on how they discovered their talent, and how they ended up in the Audible Indigenous Writers’ Circle.
“I was living in Montreal for a long time and then I just felt pulled back home to Edmonton. On my flight back to Edmonton, I actually started writing my first poem. That was in 2020, and then ever since, I just started getting more and more into poetry,” Eaker said.
A portrait shot of Meghan Eaker. Photo submitted.
“I heard about the writers’ circle through an ad on Instagram. I was like ‘that is so cool, I’m going to keep that in the back of my mind.’ I went to dinner with Meghan, and we ended up actually talking about it. I was like ‘I think I should try applying for it!’. That was like a little boost for me to go ahead and actually try this thing that really scared me,” Haine said.
Both Haine and Eaker have a history of non-Indigenous people mentoring their work, and they appreciate their time with the Audible Indigenous Writers’ Circle.
“All of the people I had learned from came from a white perspective, and a colonial perspective. It’s been a fulfilling journey for me to be able to learn from people who are like me. It does feel like this is the perfect place for me to be, like I was meant to be here. My spirit is so happy and fulfilled right now,” Haine said.
A portrait shot of Calypso Haine. Photo submitted.
“A lot of the other writing opportunities I’ve had in the past have been with non-Indigenous writers and mentors. This has been really beautiful to actually be able to learn from other Indigenous writers. I feel so grateful to be a part of the conversation and part of this community,” Eaker said.
Listen to the full interview with Calypso Haine and Meghan Eaker below:
Do you have a story idea? Email me: ryan@windspeakermedia.com
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