Āhcahk - A Reflection On The Works Of Kent Monkman Poem by Silas Rosalie Dumont

Like the Fall from Eden
And the Fall from Heaven
Kisē-Manitow/Giiche Manito
casts down
Queer love
joy not shame
we can feel now
the canvas is gypsum
paint yourself on stone
and your modern absurd
becomes primal
Mishipzheu is the Triceratops
Animkii the Pterodactyl
Leviathan
Behemoth
Mythos made real

Words
mīmīkwīsiwak
most sacred ones

ācimowina
stories with knowledge

mistahi-paskwāwi-mostowak
mammoth

āhcahk
spirit

kohkominākīsīs
Grandmother Spider

Grandmother Spider
Surrounds herself with
Her daughters
Male Female Twospirit
All of us her daughters

We Have Always Been Here

Androgyny
informed by masculine and feminine
truthfully
informs masculine and feminine

We Have Always Been Here

the land gives ācimowina
we are ācimowina
we are the land
continuum

We Have Always Been Here

Words

awāsiskak
Children

Children are spirits of light
TAKEN
our light was too dark
Kills Us
KILLS US KILLS US KILLS US

Children helped us hide them
Kids too Queer
too red
for the RedWhiteRedWhiteRedWhite
HatCoatGunHatCoatGun

7

7 Generations

7

Western Perfection

Stealing

Our Perfection

Stolen

Too Red too Queer
For the RedWhiteRedWhiteRedWhite
HatCoatGunHatCoatGun

Sit at the tobacco
Rock at the tobacco
BackForthBackForthBackForth
ELECTROCUTE
Break from āhcahk flowing through

Words

Nīpīy
Water

Piyēsiwak
Animkiiag
Thunderbird

papāmihāw asiniy
the flying stone

at the stolen flying stone

Empty shoes
Lost children
8
Language
Knowledge
Family
Medicine
Ceremony
Tradition
Joy
Hope

Crushed

Job's Kids | Our Kids

Loss
not the same

Frost Moon 1885
(Untypable - Syllabics) 1885
watch them hang

8
Kapapmahchakwew
wandering spirit free
Papamaskeesik
round the sky free
Kitahwaken
miserable man free
Manichoos
bad arrow free
Nahpase
iron body strong
Apischikoos
little bear strong
Itka
crooked leg strong
Wayawahakeh
man without blood strong
turn to the west
to the door
sing a νόστος
a going away
a coming home
freefreefreefreestrongstrongstrongstrong

Proud

8
Mocassins
artists once known
Nehiyāw?
Ancestors? Is that you?
Taken.
Nehiyâw.
Alberta.
No shoes
Too Red
Too Queer

Ribbon Skirt Drum Woman in Rococo
The red way

Rainbow flag purple nails Jesus
The queer way

Jingle dress hard stare doctor
The red way

Jingle dress mukluks social worker mind doctor
The red way

Drum jade stone artist
The red way

Beaded belt feather tattoo warrior land defender
The red way

Jingle dress drum Jesus
the red way

Tipi beaded earring teacher
The red way

Ribbon dress high heels artist
The red way

Fist in air ribbon skirt midwife
The red way

Avaiators ribbon coat scientist
The red way

We Have Always Been Here

Rock in the lounge
BackForthBackForthBackForthand
Marble Stairs
Totem Pole
Atrium
Settler
Crystal Eagle
Their Home

They Have Always Been There
We Have Always Been Here

Forever
All
One
All
None

Stop
Stop
Stop
Stop
Stop
Stop
Stop
Stop