Description
If the hurt and grief we carry is a woven blanket, it is time to weave ourselves anew.
In the Nle kepmxcin language, spilax m are remembered stories, often shared over tea in the quiet hours between Elders. Rooted within the British Columbia landscape, and with an almost tactile representation of being on the land and water, Spilax m explores resilience, reconnection, and narrative memory through stories.
Captivating and deeply moving, this story basket of memories tells one Indigenous woman's journey of overcoming adversity and colonial trauma to find strength through creative works and traditional perspectives of healing, transformation, and resurgence.
In this exceptional memoir, bestselling author Nicola I. Campbell deftly weaves together rich poetry and vivid prose to illustrate what it means to be an intergenerational survivor of Indian Residential Schools.
About the Author
Nicola I. Campbell is the author of Shi-shi-etko, Shin-chi's Canoe, Grandpa's Girls, and A Day with Yayah. Nle kepmx, Syilx, and Metis, from British Columbia, her stories weave cultural and land-based teachings that focus on respect, endurance, healing, and reciprocity. Nicola's books have been among the finalists for numerous children's literary awards. Shin-chi's Canoe won the 2009 TD Canadian Children's Literature Award and was a 2008 Governor General's Award for Illustration finalist.
Reviews
This is a terrific tale, peppered with some lovely poetry and deep philosophical convictions: raise your arms in strength and humility. The Nations of British Columbia practise this every day. We commit to strength and humility. We are humble before Star Nations and strong for one another. Nicola Campbell gets this. She is descended from two distinct Indigenous peoples: those that hold their arms and those that serve one another. Nicola braids these two cultures together and bequeaths the result to all of us and to the world. Loaded with history, rich in story, and lovely in its poetics.
-- Si'Yam, Lee Maracle, authorHighly Recommended!
-- Debbie Reese * American Indians in Children's Literature (AICL) *A powerful memoir.
* Prairie Books Now (PBN) *Among CBC Books Best Books of 2021 Canadian Nonfiction
* CBC Books *Among Ms. Magazine's Reads for the Rest of Us list
* Ms. Magazine *Spilexm is a putting away of pain, a letting go of sorrow, a poignant unburdening, and a return to self and community. With it, Campbell establishes herself as a visionary with the capacity to gather what is broken and weave it into a new story.
* Quill & Quire *Among The White Ravens' 2022 A Selection of International Children's and Youth Literature
* The White Raven *Awards
Short-listed for Mary Scorer Award for Best Book by a Manitoba Publisher 2022 (Canada) and Manuela Dias Book Design and Illustration Awards, Book Design 2022 (Canada). Nominated for Jim Deva Prize for Writing that Provokes 2022 (Canada).
Book Information
ISBN 9781553799351
Author Nicola I. Campbell
Format Hardback
Page Count 336
Imprint HighWater Press
Publisher Portage & Main Press
Weight(grams) 663g
Dimensions(mm) 216mm * 165mm * 24mm
