Fireweed

by Tunchai Redvers

Fireweed is a collection of poetry that explores the rawness, trauma, and realities of adolescence compounded with the experience of being a young, Indigenous, and two-spirit intergenerational residential school survivor. Rooted in the symbolism and growth of fireweed, a flower native to the northwest of Canada, this collection takes readers through the hurt, healing, love, and spreading that encompassed the first 23 years of the author's attempt to find truth, safety and connection. Grounded in the simplicity of words and the illustration of the north, this book is a powerful window into the process of finding oneself while reclaiming culture and identity.

Genres: Poetry, Indigenous, Queer

189 pages, Paperback

Published August 31, 2019

Reviews

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful collection of poems from a Two-Spirit Indigenous author that covers intergenerational trauma, healing, resilience, self-acceptance and navigating life as queer and biracial.

I loved the style of the poems, they are short and easily digestible. Highly recommended for fans of poets like Rupi Kaur.

Some of my favorites included:

all i needed to hear was
it's okay to be gay
for me to grow up
not thinking otherwise

------------------------------------

I grew up
Not knowing what it
Meant to be
Indian
Except that it was
Something nobody
Wanted to be

Invisibility
---------------------------------------

Healing is heavy
When you carry
The weight
Of three previous generations

-------------------------------------

I love you

Was the hardest thing I've ever
Had to say to
Myself

---------------------------------------

i am indigenous magic
i am two spirit

[Kaila JM · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fireweed is a beautiful and interesting collection of poetry reflecting life growing up in the NWT (I also grew up in the NWT!). It's simple poetry that carries a lot within them. I'm a writer and have never been much of a poetry fan, but there were shining gems in here that unlocked a desire in myself to write my own poetry of my own self, upbringing, home, and life that offered another level of self-reflection. At times, I did find prose was too simple for my tastes so my true rating is about 3.5/5 stars.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tunchai's poetry is crisp, elegant, personal and to the point. It reaches into spaces of pain and healing and transforms them into places of newness, hope and resilience. It richly captures the writer's mental, physical, emotional and spiritual landscape of growing up as an Indigenous woman in northern Canada, an important and timely perspective. I highly recommend this book to readers young and old.

[Lela Draganic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tunchai takes you on a raw and personal journey of healing and coming out. She shows you how colonialism and intergenerational trauma caused her pain, but you'll finish this book and know and feel that it can and does get better. Some parts hit too close to home, but following her through her healing and growing self-acceptance reminded me how far I've come and to be grateful for it.

[Jules Koostachin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tunchai writes from a place of truth, pride and wisdom. Tunchai takes the reader on a journey through some painful memories, but she also speaks to the resiliency of her Indigenous identity and spirit. We, as the reader are invited to witness significant life moments though her carefully selected words.

[Aura Kunolukwasla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is medicine for my life. I’m so grateful for these words as they bring so much healing. I have too many favourite excerpts I cannot pick just one! Tunchai brings you through a very powerful journey. Get ready!!

[Justine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this

[L]

"You are the good
In a day gone wrong"
- 'reminders'

"I'm sorry
I couldn't give you
What you saw in me
He took everything
I thought I was
And it wasn't up to you
To try and get it back"

[Melinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a beautiful reflection on the poet's trauma and their gender, sexuality, and Indigenous identity. Each poem was either long enough to really get into, or short and impactful. The collection is also structured to reflect the growth of fireweed, which bring beauty to a scorched (or otherwise disturbed) landscape, mirroring Redvers' own story. This collection almost felt like an autobiography in verse.

5/5 stars