mahikan ka onot collects the finest work of accomplished Indigenous
poet Duncan Mercredi, from his first book in 1991 to recent unpublished
poems. These are poems of life on the land as well as life in the city,
vibrant with the rhythms of traditional Cree and Métis storytelling but
also with the clamour and the music of the streets.
This book brings the work of Duncan Mercredi (Cree/Métis) back into the
public eye, providing a new generation of readers with the opportunity
to experience his unique artistry. Mercredi brings to these poems the
sensibility of a Cree speaker and a renowned oral storyteller, revealing
a deep attachment to the land and a nuanced understanding of the
complexities of contemporary Indigenous life. In startlingly direct,
plainspoken language, the poet explores themes of cultural resurgence
and steadfast connections among the generations, even amid the unfolding
tragedies wrought by colonialism.
Some of these poems are memories of traditional life on the land,
especially in the time before Manitoba Hydro radically altered
Mercredi's home community of Grand Rapids, Manitoba. Others focus on the
urban Indigenous experience, based upon Mercredi's longstanding and
intimate knowledge of Winnipeg. Like mahikan, the wolf, Mercredi's
characters are often outsiders in certain contexts, but the poems reveal
other perspectives that allow us to understand their loyalty and their
love of community.
The volume includes an afterword by Duncan Mercredi and an introduction
by Métis scholar Warren Cariou, both of which provide resources for
deeper study of the poems.
