What do you think?
Kamloopa: An Indigenous Matriarch Story
TIME: All.
SPACE: The Multiverse.
Come along for the ride to Kamloopa, the largest Powwow on the West Coast. This high-energy Indigenous matriarchal story follows two urban Indigenous sisters and a lawless Trickster who face our world head-on as they come to terms with what it means to honour who they are and where they come from. But how to go about discovering yourself when Christopher Columbus allegedly already did that? Bear witness to the courage of these women as they turn to their Ancestors for help in reclaiming their power in this ultimate transformation story.
In developing matriarchal relationships and shared Indigenous values, Kamloopa explores the fearless love and passion of two Indigenous women reconnecting with their homelands, Ancestors, and stories. Kim Senklip Harvey’s play is a boundary-blurring adventure that will remind you to always dance like the Ancestors are watching.
SPACE: The Multiverse.
Come along for the ride to Kamloopa, the largest Powwow on the West Coast. This high-energy Indigenous matriarchal story follows two urban Indigenous sisters and a lawless Trickster who face our world head-on as they come to terms with what it means to honour who they are and where they come from. But how to go about discovering yourself when Christopher Columbus allegedly already did that? Bear witness to the courage of these women as they turn to their Ancestors for help in reclaiming their power in this ultimate transformation story.
In developing matriarchal relationships and shared Indigenous values, Kamloopa explores the fearless love and passion of two Indigenous women reconnecting with their homelands, Ancestors, and stories. Kim Senklip Harvey’s play is a boundary-blurring adventure that will remind you to always dance like the Ancestors are watching.
112 pages, Paperback
Published February 18, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
September 23, 2023
I don’t get it. I don’t get the point. I’ll admit that some of this is probably a cultural difference, but even splitting myself away from that as much as possible, I hated the characters. I found all of them to be annoying and I didn’t like them. The story goes so fast and the author clearly wants to say a lot, I just think that stage is possibly the worst format for it possible. It ended before you even get to really give a shit about these characters and I don’t understand why I should want to give a fuck about any of them, especially Mikaya and IFN1. They are both incredibly annoying throughout the entire story, and even the relation between Mikaya and Kilawna made me want to roll my eyes into the back of my skull. They’re so cliche dead beat sister and hard working sister, their dialogue isn’t anything that new and the comedy didn’t work for me at all. I was surprised to find this was written in 2018, it reads very out of touch with how actual 20 somethings talk.
November 10, 2023
They’re making us analyze this in school. Personally English is my top subject and I genuinely enjoy writing about the pieces we read but I can’t bring myself to give A FUCK about this. This piece is making me go through the biggest burnout of my life and it pisses me off because I need good grades for my future. First of all the characters were so annoying and cliche. I could not resonate with any of them, so how am I supposed to write about my personal connections to them?? “How did this piece change your life?” normally I would have something to say but NOTHING in this impacted me. In fact, my life changed for the worse. I’m not a fan of reading plays but this was SO BAD. AND DONT EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THE HUMOUR. I understand it was meant to be funny but not ONCE did I laugh. It was trying way too hard to be quirky and deep at the same time. And the relationship between the characters?? It was so cliche and forced. Why did IFN1 just pop out of nowhere and why am I supposed to give a guck about her? Why am I supposed to give a fuck about the sisters when they’re so fucking annoying to the point that it physically pains me to read about?? AND ALSO WHERE WAS THE FUCKING PLOT? HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO WRITE AN ESSAY WHEN EVEN MY TEACHER DOESNT KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON?
February 18, 2020
This was interesting read. I am sure I am missing references here, and such, but that is fine. I am not the intended audience, and I really enjoyed what I got. It was a beautifully funny story, about two sisters and their indigenous identity. I'd love to see this in a play, and I am sure the story would benefit from that, but meanwhile I really enjoyed reading the play.
January 21, 2021
would LOVE to see a production of this!
June 18, 2021
This is so extremely good! I can't wait to see it on stage some day!
November 12, 2021
A fun story, written as a play. I would love to see it on the stage. Some clever word play and interesting characters.
January 8, 2021
(4.5 stars, rounded up to 5)
* read for my drama and dialogue class*
I thought that some of the dialogue was more textbooky than talky. Which was both good and bad.
But the ending. Oh, the ending. Absolutely stunning. That’s where the majority of this score is given.
* read for my drama and dialogue class*
I thought that some of the dialogue was more textbooky than talky. Which was both good and bad.
But the ending. Oh, the ending. Absolutely stunning. That’s where the majority of this score is given.
March 15, 2020
Beautiful. Would love to see it performed.
Read
January 27, 2026I've never seen a more millennial humor and characters in my entire existence
January 19, 2024
Tries to be really meta but falls flat and becomes confusing
Pulls ideas like shape shifting and animals but does not fully expand on it therefore nothing succeeds at being meaningful or impactful
The humour is not it
The characters don’t develop or do anything because the play is so short
The plot is non existent what even is the point of this book the climax is in the last ten pages nothing really happens during this book
The play is too short to have so much meaning and a very spread out plot nothing is explained
Pulls ideas like shape shifting and animals but does not fully expand on it therefore nothing succeeds at being meaningful or impactful
The humour is not it
The characters don’t develop or do anything because the play is so short
The plot is non existent what even is the point of this book the climax is in the last ten pages nothing really happens during this book
The play is too short to have so much meaning and a very spread out plot nothing is explained
September 27, 2022
Though I’d been excited to see the play since it won the GG back in 2020, I didn’t get the chance to see Kamloopa at Soulpepper theatre in Toronto this summer :( So I was determined to read it as soon as I could! The play is intense and fun and important - but reading it is tough! I love the plot, the humour, and the overlapping voices (the use of multivoice in a multiverse!) but all of this and the use of n̓syilxčn̓ (syilx) throughout makes for a difficult read. I would love to hear an audio version of the play (please make one) but am hoping to see it live first!
June 9, 2021
Read this play for a book club that I joined through work. I really enjoyed it and I’m glad that I came across an opportunity to further expand my awareness of indigenous culture.
I think I enjoyed it because the ‘brand’ of ever present humor was super relatable for my age demographic but underneath that I was definitely doing some heavy reflecting and gained a greater understanding.
I’m very glad I got the chance to read this play and I would love to see Kamloopa performed!
I think I enjoyed it because the ‘brand’ of ever present humor was super relatable for my age demographic but underneath that I was definitely doing some heavy reflecting and gained a greater understanding.
I’m very glad I got the chance to read this play and I would love to see Kamloopa performed!
October 6, 2020
Kim rocks and this read rocks. Need to see this performed!
September 17, 2021
1.5 stars
read it for school
read it for school
Read
June 7, 2021Phenomenal reading! I would love to see the stage production of this, I think that would be the ultimate way to experience this powerful, heartwarming, and hilarious story. I loved so many elements of the storytelling and highly recommend if you're interested in reading drama.
Below is a quote from the playwright on settlers reading, viewing, and critiquing this work. I encourage all settlers, especially white settlers, to read and take this frame of thinking to heart.
"I would make another offer, that as a Settler, you take time, significant time, to listen and listen and listen and experience and experience and experience before you speak, and that maybe you use your Settler power that currently is wielded against us to actually hold space for Indigenous Peoples to engage and be given voice, instead of you taking more space.
If you feel the need to speak or be given voice before, above, or louder than Indigenous people about the ceremony, then you are actively continuing to use your Settler power to silence, take space, and harm Indigenous Peoples, and I think you've missed the invitation, the offer, the opportunity here.
Settlers have oppressively positioned themselves in this theatrical context to have some presumed kind of academic or 'artistic' authority over Indigenous Peoples. Historically and contemporarily that might be permissible protocol in Canadian Theatre —but this is not that. This is Indigenous artistic ceremony, so I suggest that you take an inventory again of why you think you have been given authority, permission, or entitlement to speak, critique, or position yourselves over Indigenous Matriarch creating Indigenous artistic ceremony.
We are not looking for comparative analysis with Canadian Theatre and we're not seeking comparative experiential analysis with Canadian Theatre that has told Indigenous stories. We are inviting you to come and bear witness and participate in Indigenous artistic ceremony, to learn what that means, and not aggressively asserts Settler power over us. At the top of the Kamloopa ceremony, we will share with you how to bear witness, and we hope you can embody the values of respect, humility, courage, wisdom, trust, love, and honesty as we journey through this together in our coexistence." — Kim Senklip Harvey
Below is a quote from the playwright on settlers reading, viewing, and critiquing this work. I encourage all settlers, especially white settlers, to read and take this frame of thinking to heart.
"I would make another offer, that as a Settler, you take time, significant time, to listen and listen and listen and experience and experience and experience before you speak, and that maybe you use your Settler power that currently is wielded against us to actually hold space for Indigenous Peoples to engage and be given voice, instead of you taking more space.
If you feel the need to speak or be given voice before, above, or louder than Indigenous people about the ceremony, then you are actively continuing to use your Settler power to silence, take space, and harm Indigenous Peoples, and I think you've missed the invitation, the offer, the opportunity here.
Settlers have oppressively positioned themselves in this theatrical context to have some presumed kind of academic or 'artistic' authority over Indigenous Peoples. Historically and contemporarily that might be permissible protocol in Canadian Theatre —but this is not that. This is Indigenous artistic ceremony, so I suggest that you take an inventory again of why you think you have been given authority, permission, or entitlement to speak, critique, or position yourselves over Indigenous Matriarch creating Indigenous artistic ceremony.
We are not looking for comparative analysis with Canadian Theatre and we're not seeking comparative experiential analysis with Canadian Theatre that has told Indigenous stories. We are inviting you to come and bear witness and participate in Indigenous artistic ceremony, to learn what that means, and not aggressively asserts Settler power over us. At the top of the Kamloopa ceremony, we will share with you how to bear witness, and we hope you can embody the values of respect, humility, courage, wisdom, trust, love, and honesty as we journey through this together in our coexistence." — Kim Senklip Harvey
January 27, 2026
i hate to say this, i really, really hate to say this, but this was so millennial that it almost physically pained me to read it.
i wonder if it's a problem of the formatting—i'm sure this is much better to experience as a production than it is to read it as a script—but i found this to be super rushed and shallow. the characters aren't likeable which obviously isn't a prerequisite for me to enjoy a book but unlikeable characters need to be complex and interesting in order to make up for that and i didn't feel like these characters were complex enough to make up for their unlikeableness. they just felt so shallow, especially ifn1, who just comes out of nowhere and doesn't really have any consistent, complex personality?? i just couldn't find it in me to care about this play which is the worst feeling ever when i'm reading a book. i hate reading a book and waiting for it to be over which is kinda how i felt reading this.
i think i understand the author's intentions and i don't think this is a super awful play. i think there are definitely good aspects of it like the ending, which i thought worked well, and a couple of the scenes between mikaya and kilawna, but i think the worst part to me is that this whole play just isn't as fleshed out as it should be and that's where i have to dock it points. it's almost good, but just isn't developed enough for me to truly enjoy it.
and the humour is obvs super millennial. not necessarily a bad thing, but it doesn't work for me because a lot of the jokes end up either falling flat or just feeling super cringe. but that's a me problem idk i'm sure other people might appreciate the humour, it just wasn't my style. i'm sure this is better if you actually see it performed, but as a script to read, it just wasn't my style.
i wonder if it's a problem of the formatting—i'm sure this is much better to experience as a production than it is to read it as a script—but i found this to be super rushed and shallow. the characters aren't likeable which obviously isn't a prerequisite for me to enjoy a book but unlikeable characters need to be complex and interesting in order to make up for that and i didn't feel like these characters were complex enough to make up for their unlikeableness. they just felt so shallow, especially ifn1, who just comes out of nowhere and doesn't really have any consistent, complex personality?? i just couldn't find it in me to care about this play which is the worst feeling ever when i'm reading a book. i hate reading a book and waiting for it to be over which is kinda how i felt reading this.
i think i understand the author's intentions and i don't think this is a super awful play. i think there are definitely good aspects of it like the ending, which i thought worked well, and a couple of the scenes between mikaya and kilawna, but i think the worst part to me is that this whole play just isn't as fleshed out as it should be and that's where i have to dock it points. it's almost good, but just isn't developed enough for me to truly enjoy it.
and the humour is obvs super millennial. not necessarily a bad thing, but it doesn't work for me because a lot of the jokes end up either falling flat or just feeling super cringe. but that's a me problem idk i'm sure other people might appreciate the humour, it just wasn't my style. i'm sure this is better if you actually see it performed, but as a script to read, it just wasn't my style.
March 11, 2025
I love this play
I have read a lot of indigenous plays in university for my theatre teachable, I am not indigenous but this story got me thinking about the importance of matriarchs and mothers in general, and what that means in my family.
I will probably be a matriarch in my family due to being the eldest cousin and daughter and first granddaughter, so I need to think of what I need to do to fill that role, and learn more about where my family comes from.
I have read a lot of indigenous plays in university for my theatre teachable, I am not indigenous but this story got me thinking about the importance of matriarchs and mothers in general, and what that means in my family.
I will probably be a matriarch in my family due to being the eldest cousin and daughter and first granddaughter, so I need to think of what I need to do to fill that role, and learn more about where my family comes from.
June 6, 2021
This was a really interesting drama. I really enjoyed the characters and their journey. I would love to see it performed!
July 5, 2021
Reading and learning.
October 13, 2021
I would love to see this production!
October 14, 2021
I'm very curious to see how English 10s respond to this play. It felt cheeky and subversive to me, but I also struggled to see some of the themes (though she refers to a slightly different concept).
May 24, 2022
Very interesting. I would love to hear this as an audiobook.
February 12, 2026
This book is a super quick read, it’s actually written as a play. Read it for class and it’s about ancestral connection. Super funny, and towards the end especially it’s thought provoking.
April 5, 2026
Painfully millennial. Reads like a middle schooler's warrior cats fanfiction. Very difficult to get through.
January 16, 2026
Why would I ever care about a play with zero plot, boring characters who try to hard to be quirky, and has no ending? This shit sucks.
December 18, 2022
This is a great play that generously invites its audience to bear witness to the resilience, joy, and transformative journeys of Indigenous women. Two urban Indigenous sisters meet a trickster and together they explore how they can reconnect with their ancestors and selves in a heartfelt and humourous story.
I love how the author chooses to not confine themselves to Canadian or Western ideals of theatre and chooses instead to be authentic to their experiences and emotions. Although I wish this was something I was watching in person, there was an energy to the stage directions as well. This felt so relevant to the past, present, and future.
The end of the book also has a study/discussion guide. Plays like this should be part of Canadian education, not just the "classics."
Reading from Indigenous authors who live on the land that I am a settler on is incredibly important for me. I highly recommend reading some Indigenous plays! The two I've read so far, this and Bug (Yolanda Bonnell is in this one too), have been impactful.
I love how the author chooses to not confine themselves to Canadian or Western ideals of theatre and chooses instead to be authentic to their experiences and emotions. Although I wish this was something I was watching in person, there was an energy to the stage directions as well. This felt so relevant to the past, present, and future.
The end of the book also has a study/discussion guide. Plays like this should be part of Canadian education, not just the "classics."
Reading from Indigenous authors who live on the land that I am a settler on is incredibly important for me. I highly recommend reading some Indigenous plays! The two I've read so far, this and Bug (Yolanda Bonnell is in this one too), have been impactful.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews