Honouringourpastandcreatingourfuture–JónínaKirton,Métispoet/author
LeonaShawemailaddress:[email protected]
JónínaKirtonisaprairieborn,proudMNBCcitizenandisaMétis/Icelandicpoet,authorand
facilitatorwhocurrentlyresidesintheLowerMainland.ShegraduatedfromSimonFraser
University’sWriter’sStudioin2007andattendedtheEmergingAboriginalWriter’sResidency
attheBanffCentrein2008.ShehasbeeninvolvedwiththeAboriginalWritersCollective–
WestCoast,andshecoordinatedthefirstNationalIndigenousWritersConferencein
Vancouver2013.In2015KirtonjoinedtheeditorialboardofRoomMagazine.
Jónína’sworkhasbeenfeaturedinnumerousanthologiesandliteraryjournals,including
Ricepaper’sAsian&Aboriginalissue,V6A:WritingfromVancouver’sDowntownEastside,
OtherTongues:MixedRaceWomenSpeakOut,PaganEdge,FirstNationsDrum,Toronto
Quarterly,andQuillsCanadianPoetryMagazine.Shewonfirstprizeandtwohonourable
mentionsinthe2013RoyalCityLiteraryArtsSociety’sWriteOn!Contestandwasafinalistin
the2013BurnabyWriters’SocietyWritingContest.AwardedaCanadaCouncilgrantin2009
tocompletepageasbone–inkasblood.Mostrecentlysheaccepteda2016Mayor’sArts
AwardinVancouver.
Wehadthechancetoaskthisinspiringartistabitaboutherselfandhearalittleofherstory:
Couldyoutellmealittlebitaboutyourselfandart?Whatisitthatyoudo?
Iamalatebloomerwhenitcomestocreativeexpression.InthepasttenyearsIhave
dabbledinmixedmedia,colouredhundredsofmandalasandcreatedmanyvisionboards.I
havejustbeguntolearnMétisbeadworkandattemptedmyfirstpairofmoccasins(which
remainunfinished).
Butmyfirstloveiswriting.Iamapoet,onethatcametowritinglateinlife.IthinkIhave
alwayshadtheheartofapoet/artistbutIwasraisedinaprairiehockeyfamilywhereboys
ruledandanyartisticleaningswerenotunderstoodorsupported.OnceIlefthomeIgot
busywithacareerinbanking,laterintheairlineindustryandeventuallyinthenon‐profit
sector.IdidenjoymytimeinthesefieldsandamsoverygratefulthatInowhavethetime
todevotetomywritinglife.
Couldyoutellmehowyoubecameinterestedinpoetryandyourcreativeside?
Iamearthmotherandbusinesswomaninonebody,leftbrain,rightbrainbalancedbutthe
creativesidewasshutdownearlyinlifesodidnotmakeanysignificantappearancesuntil
tenyearsagowhenIhadsomehealthchallenges.Ihadtoleaveafull‐timejobandfinda
newwaytobeintheworld.AspartofmyhealingItookapart‐timejobatBanyenBooks
andSound.Itooktimetocontemplatemylifeandwhatwasnext.Aspartofthis
contemplationIbegancolouringmandalas.Iwouldspendasmanyastenhoursonone
mandala.Aboutsixmonthsintothisaneonpinkpamphletarrivedinthemail.Icanstillsee
ittothisday.ItwasfortheSimonFraserUniversity’sWriter’sStudio.AsIreadthe
offerings,alittlevoiceinmyheadsaidapply,youwillbeaccepted.Ihadnevertakena
writingclassinmylifeandhadonlywritteninmyjournals,soitwasquitetheleapbutI
trustthatvoicesoappliedthinkingthatIwouldbeputintheNon‐FictionstreamasIhad
hopedtowriteamemoir.Muchtomysurprise,theyfeltIbelongedinthepoetrysection.At
thattimeIdidnotseemyselfasapoet.Iobjectedbutwasassuredthatovertimetheyare
usuallyproventobecorrect.Wow,weretheyright.Ifeeldeeplyandmadlyinlovewith
poetry.
Whatinspiresyoutocreateyourpoetry/art?
Mystorypushesonme.Ihavenochoicebuttoputpentopaper.AlthoughIfindthatoftenI
amexploringthemesthatarechallengingitisfreeingtofollowthesethreads.InpartI
writeformymotherthatdiednearlythirtyyearsago.Iamtellingourstory.Ialsowritefor
ourancestors.AgainIamtellingourstory.
Whendidyoustartwriting?
Ibegantotakewritingseriouslyin2006whenIappliedtoTheWriter’sStudio.Untilthen
mywritinghadnotbeenforpublicconsumption.Itwassimplyjournalingthatoccasionally
producedsappylovepoems.WhenIappliedtothestudioIhadnowritingsamplesto
submitasIhadshreddedallmyjournalsaspartofapurgeorclearingofoldenergies.
GiventhisIhadtowritetwentypages.Iwroteafictionstory,anon‐fictionpieceandten
pagesofverybadpoetry.Asmentionedearliermuchtomysurprisetheyputmeinthe
poetrystream.TheycouldseepotentialandIamsogratefulforthis.
Doyoufeelyourculturalhistoryinfluencesyourwriting?
Absolutely,infactmybook,pageasbone~inkasblood,hasbeenincludedintheBCBooks
forSchoolsandtheAboriginalBooksforSchools2015‐16Catalogs.Inthecatalogtheystate
“HervoiceisclearlyMétis.”TheyhaverecommendeditforGrades11‐12,BCFirstNations
12,CreativeWriting,EnglishLanguageArts,SocialStudies,andasaTeacherReference.A
gooddealofmywritinghasdealtwithidentityandhealing.ForsomanyyearsIdidnot
knowwhereIbelonged.ClaimingMétisstatus,reclaimingceremonyandourwaysthrough
activitieslikebeadwork,thesethingsallinformmywriting.
Doyouhavefavouritepieceswriting/poetry/art?
Yes!Ihavemany‘favourites’.Mymostcherishedmandalaissaturatedinrichburgundies
andfilledwithwhatIrefertoasthe‘DivineFeminine’.Itspeakstomestill.Ialsohavea
mixedmediapaintingthathastheword“Dream”inwoodenletters.Itinspiresmeto
dream.
OneofmyfavouritepoemswaswrittenforaneventcalledMashedPoetics.Titled,aholy
hunger,itisanexplorationofthedayswhenItriedtodatemywayintotheIndigenous
world.ItisonYouTubeandIstilllistentoitonceinawhile.Ishouldmentionthatitisquite
tellingandnotPG.Iliketobeboldandtobreakbarriers.
Doyouhavearolemodelorwhohasinfluencedyoutotakethispathandfollowyourpassion?
Ihavebeenblessedwithanumberofgreatwritingmentors;someMétis,somenot.My
firstpoetrymentorwasBetsyWarland,theDirectorandfounderoftheSimonFraser
University’sWriter’sStudiowhereIfirstbegantoexplorewriting.Wehavebecomedear
friends.Yougettoknowsomeonewellwhenyouarewritingautobiographically.Shehas
offeredsomuchgentleguidanceovertheyears.
IngridRosehasalsobeenahugeinfluence.ItwasshethatintroducedmetoContinuum
whichsheusesinherwritingworkshops.IhavetakenmanyofIngrid’sworkshopsand
classes.Sheencouragedmetoreachdeeper,toseekandtrustthetruthsthatliejustbelow
theskin.
AftergraduatingfromTWSIhadthegoodfortuneofattendingtheBanffCentreEmerging
AboriginalWriter’sResidencyin2009.ThereImetpeoplelikeLouiseHalfeandRichard
VanCamp.EventuallyIjoinedtheAboriginalWritersCollective–WestcoastwhereIgotto
knowJoanneArnottanotherMétispoet.Shetoohasbecomeadearfriend.Shehasalso
beenagenerousmentortomeintheIndigenouswritingworld.HavingIndigenousauthors
asmentorshasbeeninvaluable.
InterestinglyenoughmyentryintotheIndigenousworldhasbeenquitelinkedtomy
writinglife.WhenIbeganwritingIwasstillunsureofmyplaceintheIndigenousworld
andhadnotattendedanyMétiseventsdespitehavingMétisstatusformanyyears.AsIfind
mywayasawriterIamalsofindingwhereIbelongwithintheIndigenouscommunity.
Howdoyoufindinspiration?
Ifindmyinspirationeverywhere.TVshows,books,talks,readingsandconversationswith
otherwritersorpeopleinvolvedinhealingwork.Icarryaweemoleskinandatinypen
withmeatalltimesasIoften‘hear’greatwordsorlines.Ifrequentlyhavetopullover
whendrivingassomethingwillcometome.Sometimesitisinspiredbysomethingassmall
asthenameofastreetorsomethingIheardontheradio.
Myfirstbook,pageasbone~inkasblood,islooselyautobiographicalandwaslargely
inspiredbymyancestrysearches(hencethetitle.)LikemanyMétisIwasnotraisedwith
mycultureandmyfamilyinsistedwewere“French”,somesaidwewere“Scottish.”The
moreIlearnedthetruthaboutmyfamilythemorefascinatedIbecamewithmyancestors
andthehistoryoftheMétispeople.IalsofoundincredibleinformationremyIcelandic
ancestorswhoareequallyfascinating.Ihaveafewbooksinmebutwillneedtodosome
travelifIamtotellthestoriesofmyancestorswell.
Couldyoutellmeabitaboutyourpoetrybook?
JoanneArnottdescribed,pageasboneinkasblood,as“restorative,intimatepoetry,
drawingdownancestralideasintothecurrentmoment’sbreath.”Loosely
autobiographical,italsolooksatdeath,desireanddivination.Allthisexaminedwithinthe
contextofthetwoculturesthatliveinmyblood;bothofwhichhaveastrongconnectionto
theearth,tospirits,trees,thelittlepeopleetc.Withinthebooktherearevisitationsfrom
thedead.IlosttwobrothersintheirteensandmymotherwhenIwasthirtysoneedlessto
sayIhadanearlyindoctrinationingrief.
Therearemanyquestionsexplored…Weremy‘gifts’,suchasintuitionorthewayghosts
reachedouttome,relatedtomyancestry?Werewecursed?Whyallthatdeath?Thereisa
recordofanIcelandicancestorthatwaskilledby“sorcery”–perhapsthisstillhauntsus.At
firstIwasafraidtorevealsomeofthesethingsbutmywritingmentor,BetsyWarland,
encouragedmetoletgoandtrustthenarrative.Ialsohadtotrustmybodyanddidalotof
workwithahealingmethodcalled,Continuum.TakingdeepdiveswithinmybodyIfound
memoriesandbeganthejourneyofthequiettellingoftruthsmymindhadlockedawaybut
mybodyremembered.Iwantedtoaddmyvoicetothecallforthekindoffiercehonesty
referredtobyMurielRukeyserwhensheasked,“Whatwouldhappenifonewomantold
thetruthaboutherlife?Theworldwouldsplitopen.”Thisbookismyattempttotellmy
truthwithgentlenessandpatience,splittingtheworldopenonelineatatime.
Besideswriting,doyoupracticeanyotherart/culture?
Yes!Iamlearningtodobeadworkandhavestartedmyfirstpairofmoccasins.Afewyears
backImademyowndrumwhichIusefrequentlywhenfacilitating.Ijustattendedmyfirst
sweatandreceivedanamefromtheElderthatfacilitatedthesweat.
Asmentionedearlier,Ihavedabbledinmixedmediaandreallyenjoyedthis.Iamquite
proudofafewofthepiecesIcreatedwhiletakingclassesbutlackthespaceordisciplineto
dothisoutsideofclasseswhichIcannolongerafford.WeremybudgettochangeIwas
happilyreturntoit.
Doyouhaveanymoreupcomingwritings/books/poetry?
Mynextbook,AnHonestWomen,iscomingoutinthespringof2017.Itisnotquitefinished
whichmeansthatthethemeisstillevolving.Atthispointitisacollectionofpoetryand
lyricproseaboutlove,sexandmarriagefromtheperspectiveofaMétiswomanbornin
1955.Iamexploringthemessuchasthingsmymothertaughtmeaboutcatchingagood
husband.Thetitleisaplayonthatoldexpression,“He’llmakeanhonestwomanoutof
you.”ItwillincludepiecesthatreflectourdifferencesasmymotherwaswhiteandIof
courseamMétis.Itwillalsoexploreculturalnormsregardingbeautyandhowwomen
shouldbehavewhichreallydidnotrepresentsomeonewhowasbrownandatom‐boylike
me.ThesemessagesleftmefeelinglikeIcouldnevermeasureuptomymotherandher
sisters,ideasregardinghowawomanshouldbe.
NextyearIshouldhaveanessaycomingoutinananthologyonwomen’sspirituality.In
thispieceIexplorethedifferentspiritualpathschosenbymyIcelandicgrandmotherand
mother.Allthreeofuschoseverydifferentwaystoconnecttoapowergreaterthan
ourselves.Idon’tnormallywriteessayssowaspleasedwhentheeditorsaiditwasa
“gorgeousessay.”
IamworkingonafewotherthingsIcannotspeakaboutyet…moretocome.
Thankyousomuchfortakingthetimetoshareabitofyourstorywithus,Jónína.Welook
forwardtofollowingalongonyourjourneyandareexcitedtoseewhatisnext.