The ʔasqanaki Podcast by Smokii Sumac honours connections between Indigenous storytellers through the Ktunaxa concept of ʔasqanaki: to tell two versions of the same story.

Tune in to hear Smokii and his guests share stories of how their work came to be, what inspires them to create, and which pieces of their work resonated so deeply with Smokii's experiences that he decided to create a whole show about it!

In this episode Smokii is joined by Cree/Trinadian author, educator and poet, Tasha Spillett. Tasha shares her book I Sang You Down from the Stars. Smokii and Tasha also discuss Indigenous births, babies, bundle keeping and motherhood.

Tasha Spillett

Tasha Spillett, PhD (she/her/hers) is a New York Times bestselling author who draws her strength from her Indigenous (Cree) and Trinidadian bloodlines. She is also a celebrated educator, scholar and public speaker. Tasha is most heart-tied to contributing to community-led work that centers the liberation of Indigenous women and women of color and creating a world that affirms the joy and well-being of children.

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As an educator, Tasha infuses her teaching pedagogy with her extensive cultural knowledge to support Indigenous students, and strives to build equitable relationships between all communities. Tasha acknowledges her unique opportunity as an Afro-Indigenous woman and responsibility to create learning environments that are culturally responsive, and foster belonging for Indigenous students, students of colour, and their families.

Tasha is also the author of the multi-award winning three volume graphic novel series, Surviving the City (HighWater Press), the New York Times bestselling picture book, I Sang You Down from the Stars (Little Brown Books and Owl Kids), and her most recent picture book, Beautiful You, Beautiful Me (Owl Kids).

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Tasha weaves her cultural identity in both her scholarly work and relational responsibility to contribute to a body of research that echoes Indigenous women’s demands for justice for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit people. Her work is both a continuation of the resistance against the assault of colonialism that she has inherited and a celebration of the beauty and brilliance that flows forward from those who have come before.

Content: birth, babies, bundle-keeping, adoption, Indigenous futurism, the 60s Scoop, foster care, mother-child relationships, grief, loss, kinship, umbilical cords, parenting, agency, Afro-Indigenous identity, Cultural Appropriation, homecoming, the Indigenous Voices Awards, therapy, ceremony, Indigenous aunties, cultural teachings, challenging tradition and the gender binary, two spirit teachings, liberation, love and power.

Thank you to Dr. Tasha Spillett and to Sierra Noble at Winnipeg's No Fun Club.

Thank you to our team, Sound Designer, Audio Engineer and Editor Greyson Gritt of Minotan Music Inc. and Producer Krystal Strong of Osum Artist Management.

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