The Single Onion celebrates Indigenous poetry with a special event curated by Alycia Two Bears, and featuring poets Alanna Bluebird, Alyjah Ermine, and Daniel Poitras.
WHEN: Thursday, March 19th, 7pm
WHERE: Shelf Life Books, 1302 4 St SW
Streaming: https://www.youtube.com/@SingleOnionPoetry
About the Poets:
Alycia Two Bears is a member of Mistawasis Nêhiyawak First Nation. A proud mixed blooded iskwew, they call Mohkinstsis home. She is a Two Spirit story teller, single mama to five amazing humans and a midwife in the making, who coaxes babies down from the stars with poetry, medicines and songs. Alycia has published in New Tribe Magazine, Red Rising Magazine, MBC Magazine, and Wilding and Sprout: Pregnancy Loss, Abortion and PostPartum Poetry Anthology. She has hosted poetry workshops through Red Rising Magazine, Sparrow Artspace, Writers Guild of Alberta and the Buffalo Spirit Program. Her first collection, Two Spirit: Stories, Sex and the Ceremony Behind it all was-self-published and is available online. Her second collection of poetry, The Feast, is available through Wild Skies Publishing.
Alanna Bluebird is a Tsuut’ina & Siksika Nation multimedia specialist with over a decade of experience in photography, film, and live performance. They are a director and producer of Cutknife Creek, a Tsuut’ina-language animated short selected by over 26 international festivals. Alanna worked on the Netflix television series The Abandons, contributing traditional quillwork for costumes and props and supporting set dressing within the Set Decoration department. A published children’s book author and spoken word artist, their work centers Indigenous resilience, healing, and cultural storytelling across mediums.
Alyjah Ermine (he/they), CEO & founder of Pîsimoyâpiy Storytelling Inc. is a visionary when consulting, speaking, or performing spoken word and stand up comedy. He is an Indigiqueer, Trans, & Two-Spirit human from Cree, Métis & mixed-European ancestry. They are a member of Sturgeon Lake First Nation, SK, Treaty 6 Territory and currently live in Moh'kins'tsis, Treaty 7 Territory. Alyjah brings their passion for stories to the forefront—creating transformative dialogues, sparking meaningful ideas, and leading the way in ethical and impactful storytelling practices whether speaking or performing on stage, consulting with organizations and Indigenous communities, or guiding cultural initiatives. Alyjah’s work is grounded in their profound belief in the power of stories to heal, unite, provoke, and inspire.
Daniel Poitras is a half-breed poet from the Paul First Nation. Writing vicious Native poetry while residing in Beaver Hills House. He has been published in the Home and Away anthology (House of Blue Skies, 2009), The Malahat Review, Grain Magazine, Poets ReImagine Canada, a Primer for a Land beyond Acknowledgments anthology, and featured in the Poetry Pause with the League of Canadian Poets. A featured reader in the Olive Reading series and included in the Edmonton Poetry Festival’s Poetry Moves on Transit program. Contributor to the Polyglot Magazine: issues niteh and Aniskoverbaration. Participant of “Human Library,” in the LitFest 2024. And curator of the Dapper Dan’s Indian & Outlaw Extravaganza show featured in the Roxy Theatre for the Edmonton Poetry Festival 2025.
The Single Onion takes place the third Thursday of the month, nine times a year. Our event schedule can always be found at www.singleonion.com
We gratefully acknowledge the support of The Canada Council for the Arts, the League of Canadian Poets, the Calgary Arts Development, Inside Out Theatre, the Writers’ Guild of Alberta, and Shelf Life Books.
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