Avis Blackbird's debut poetry collection, "Lightning in Our Roots," is structured around the five traditional Secwepemc seasonal rounds, which guide the community's lifestyle in accordance with nature. The collection initiates with the pre-reflection and reflection phases during fall, which Blackbird combines into one seasonal round. Spanning themes from the arrival of settlers and the repercussions of colonization, to silent acts of rebellion and resilience, the poems portray a journey toward reclaiming history, land, and identity.
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As a Secwepemc, Sto:lo, and mixed European heritage writer, Blackbird emphasizes the importance of recognizing historical intergenerational trauma in her work. She states, "As an Indigenous writer, I think it's really important... that the history and the intergenerational trauma that affects us all be a piece of our work. But I also feel it's really important that doesn't define us." The collection ends on a hopeful note with the strength of spring and summer, illustrating the unity of tribes. In her poem, "Powwows Made Me Love Yellow," she writes about the vibrancy of powwows as a celebration of adaptation and tradition.
Blackbird's goal for the collection was to navigate through the stages of Indigenous history, starting with acknowledgment and hope for growth by the time spring arrives. She notes that summer represents a time of abundance, when communities come together. This message is especially meaningful for her as she works with youth, highlighting the lack of representation of positive Indigenous role models in education. She believes that the thriving Indigenous communities are not shared enough in the broader narrative.
"Lightning in Our Roots" comprises poems Blackbird has crafted over two to three years, during which she engaged with her Indigenous identity and collaborated with knowledge keepers and Elders. Just before she began writing, she received her Indian status card while her family was also seeking recognition. "Having the government recognition of you as an Indian is a very bizarre thing. It's bittersweet," she explains. Blackbird expresses admiration for her mother's cousins who facilitated the registration process for three generations, showing how one person's efforts can have a lasting impact on their family’s identity journey.
Blackbird reflects on the complexity of status, noting it feels unnecessary given that, "as far as all of our family felt, (status) didn't make us Indigenous." Writing was part of her personal journey in processing these changes. In her poem "Unwritten," she conveys a powerful metaphor about returning to one's roots, stating, "A crow does not become something else when it leaves the tree/A crow is always a crow/The young will return."
In addition to poetry, Blackbird is an accomplished artist and photographer. She finds inspiration in the world around her, often translating her experiences into both writing and visual art. "Creativity and embracing art has been so freeing for me," she remarks.
"Lightning in Our Roots," published by Brick Books, is set to be released on October 27. It can be ordered through Brick Books' website.