Fall Reading / Indigenous Brilliance: Transformations

On Thursday, November 17 at 6pm, join Massy Arts Society, Massy Books and Indigenous Brilliance for a fall reading under the theme: Transformations. Indigenous Brilliance is a collective spotlighting Indigenous stories and the brilliance that exists in our communities. Tranformations features Billy-Ray Belcourt (Driftpile Cree Nation), Molly Cross-Blanchard (White & Metis) and jaye simpson (Sapotaweyak Cree Nation).

There will be a host nation opening and reading by χʷəy̓χʷiq̓tən Audrey Siegl (Musqueam Nation), as well as words from Founder & Executive Director of Vancouver Black Library Foundation, Maya Preshyon.

Venue & Accessibility

The event will be hosted virtually and at Massy Arts Society, at 23 East Pender Street in Chinatown, Vancouver.

Registration is free, open to all and required for entrance. Masks are mandatory. The gallery is wheelchair accessible and a gender-neutral washroom is on-site. ASL Interpretation is available by request at least two weeks in advance

Covid Protocols: Attendees must wear a mask (N95 masks are encouraged and recommended as they offer the best protection). We ask if you are showing symptoms, that you stay home. Thank you kindly.

Host Nation Opener

χʷəy̓χʷiq̓tən / Audrey Siegl works with teachings and medicines passed on to her from her Musqueam family and ancestors. Lots of this medicine comes from the healing work she was blessed to witness and was shared with her by the Old Timers who raised her. The connections that they made, the ways they loved, cared & made a place for her in this world are why and how she does what she does.

She has worked extensively with teachings and medicines across Turtle Island and is rooted in West Coast and Musqueam medicines. She is proud and honoured to carry on the work of her grandparents and ancestors.

With Readers

Billy-Ray Belcourt is a writer and academic from the Driftpile Cree Nation. He is an Assistant Professor in the School of Creative Writing at the University of British Columbia. He is the author of four books: This Wound is a World, NDN Coping Mechanisms: Notes from the Field, A History of My Brief Body, and A Minor Chorus.

Molly Cross-Blanchard is a white and Métis poet, writer, and editor born on Treaty 3 (Fort Frances, ON), raised on Treaty 6 (Prince Albert, SK), and currently living on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh peoples, cka Vancouver, where she’s working on a novel and teaching creative writing at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, where she is also the inaugural Indigenous Writer in Residence. Her debut collection of poetry is Exhibitionist, published with Coach House Books in 2021.

jaye simpson (she/they) is an Oji-Cree Saulteaux Indigiqueer from the Sapotaweyak Cree Nation. simpson is a writer, advocate and activist sharing their knowledge and lived experiences in hope of creating utopia. she is published in several magazines including Poetry Is Dead, This Magazine, PRISM international, SAD Magazine: Green, GUTS Magazine, SubTerrain, Grain and Room. They are in four anthologies: Hustling Verse (2019), Love After the End (2020), The Care We Dream Of (2021), and Queer Little Nightmares (2022). Their first poetry collection, it was never going to be okay (Nightwood Ed.) was shortlisted for the 2021 ReLit Award and a 2021 Dayne Ogilvie Prize Finalist while also winning the 2021 Indigenous Voices Award for Published Poetry in English. she is a displaced Indigenous person resisting, ruminating and residing on xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), səl̓ilwətaɁɬ (Tsleil-waututh), and sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) First Nations territories, colonially known as Vancouver.

Hosted by

Savannah Erasmus is a "Fashion" comedian and producer based in Vancouver, BC. She was raised in Kikino Metis Settlement and Cold Lake First Nation, in Treaty 6 Territory. Her Indigenous perspective and "fashion focused" lens creates a fresh and unique stand up persona that audiences adore. She also co-hosts and co-produces Camp Comedy and Millennial Line and performed in JFL Vancouver comedy festival.

With Guest Speaker

Maya Preshyon (she/they) is a 21-year-old undergraduate prospective Social Work and Indigenous Studies student at UBC and community/arts organizer. She was born on Vancouver Island on the traditional territories of the Wei Wai Kum Nation and now resides in so-called “vancouver” on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, and Sel̓íl̓witulh people. She is the founder and Executive Director of the newly opened Vancouver Black Library Foundation. As a Black person who has struggled to find their place in predominantly white spaces, Maya was motivated to cultivate a safe space, resource centre, and workspace for the often overlooked and underserved Black community locally. VBL, centred in the historic Hogan’s Alley area, is a space for BIPOC and by BIPOC.

Donating to Massy Arts Society

Have you noticed our by donation ticket option? Massy Arts Society is primarily funded by Massy Books, an Indigenous woman-owned and operated bookstore on the unceded territories of XwMuthkwium (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. To date we haven't received any operating funds from any grants and are now providing the option for folks to contribute to keeping our events accessible and doors open. All proceeds from your donation will go towards operation costs of our community hub while we focus on supporting the practices of Indigenous and over-excluded artists. Consider donating when you register for your next event.