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The Trickster Riots
In this debut illustrated poetry collection, Two Spirit Lakota storyteller Taté Walker steps into the role of a contemporary trickster to continue the purposefully disruptive legacy of a cultural icon: Iktómi, the Spider. The Trickster Riots weaves through the origins of a lost baby queer in love and spiritache to shapeshift into a momma spider exploring what it means to be a good relative, an obliterator of status quo, and a builder of community.
Ohíya Walker (Lakota/Ojibwe/Mvskoke) translates their mother's poems into beautifully quirky and emotionally-driven illustrations, perfectly paring with the provocative wordplay to channel Iktómi as they examine Indigeneity. Buckle up: The Trickster Riots journeys through fury and disaffection, libratic ceremony, and the lightning bolts of a struggling future ancestor.
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About the Author: Taté Walker (they/them) is a Lakota citizen of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe of South Dakota. They are an award-winning Two Spirit storyteller for various national news and magazine outlets, as well as a contributor for several anthologies.
About the Illustrator: Ohíya Walker (they/them) is a Lakota citizen of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and is also Red Lake Ojibwe and Mvskoke Creek. They are an award-winning 13-year-old trans/nonbinary painter and graphic artist combining contemporary and traditional imagery and mediums.
Ohíya Walker (Lakota/Ojibwe/Mvskoke) translates their mother's poems into beautifully quirky and emotionally-driven illustrations, perfectly paring with the provocative wordplay to channel Iktómi as they examine Indigeneity. Buckle up: The Trickster Riots journeys through fury and disaffection, libratic ceremony, and the lightning bolts of a struggling future ancestor.
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About the Author: Taté Walker (they/them) is a Lakota citizen of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe of South Dakota. They are an award-winning Two Spirit storyteller for various national news and magazine outlets, as well as a contributor for several anthologies.
About the Illustrator: Ohíya Walker (they/them) is a Lakota citizen of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and is also Red Lake Ojibwe and Mvskoke Creek. They are an award-winning 13-year-old trans/nonbinary painter and graphic artist combining contemporary and traditional imagery and mediums.
- GenresPoetryIndigenousQueer
146 pages, Paperback
Published June 1, 2022
2 people are currently reading
2741 people want to read
About the author
Taté Walker
5 books35 followersTaté Walker (they/them) is a Lakota citizen of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe of South Dakota. They are an award-winning Two Spirit storyteller for outlets like "The Nation," "Yellow Medicine Review," "Pipe Wrench," "Apartment Therapy," "Everyday Feminism," "Native Peoples" magazine, "Indian Country Today," and "ANMLY."
They are featured in several anthologies: "FIERCE: Essays by and about Dauntless Women," "South Dakota in Poems," and "W.W. Norton's Everyone's an Author." Taté is the author of an illustrated book of poetry, "The Trickster Riots" (Abalone Mountain Press, June 1, 2022).
They are featured in several anthologies: "FIERCE: Essays by and about Dauntless Women," "South Dakota in Poems," and "W.W. Norton's Everyone's an Author." Taté is the author of an illustrated book of poetry, "The Trickster Riots" (Abalone Mountain Press, June 1, 2022).
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
June 12, 2022
I don’t know how cool it is for authors to review their own work (it’s fabulous, obvi), so I will just say this: Come for the poems, but stay for the ridiculously great artwork by 13yo phenom Ohíya Walker. Every time I think I have a favorite illustration, another catches my eye for a whole different reason. Art is poetry, y’all! I hope readers enjoy the heck out of all this heartwork.
December 14, 2022
Taté Walker is a voice for the new world. These poems levitate.
June 10, 2022
Love this. Powerful words, powerful images.
September 17, 2024
I almost gave this copy to comedian Michelle Wolf, and I wasn't even done with it!
Tate Walker kicks ass. It is always a pleasure to hear Tate read her poetry on stage. Whenever you hear Tate at a microphone, you're in for a great time.
My wife and I are fortunate enough to know Tate. My wife was so impressed she has given away copies of The Trickster Riots (Abalone Mountain Press, 2022) to her family. The book is a remarkable collection of someone who doesn't hold back and tells it like it is.
When Tate speaks, people listen.
A few years ago, my sister-in-law came to our place for a visit. We had a few beers then we pulled out some books. My wife and I like to read poetry with friends and family. We gave my sister-in-law "I Like Tacos" to read. Although the poem is short -- dude, it is only two pages, seven stanzas and 263 words long, not long at all -- but it took forever for my sister-in-law to read it because she would read one line, stop, laugh uncontrollably, compose herself, then read a line, stop to laugh again, compose herself, read, stop, laugh, breath, read, laugh, read again. My sister-in-law's reading was by far the best I ever heard at our dining room table.
Tate Walker is a great performer and impressive comedian. But the laughs in The Trickster Riots do stop for reflection. Tate takes on the seemingly insurmountable enemies of Indigenous life. Tate stares deep into the heart pain, sadness, trauma, and 21st century Ingenious existential struggles. Check out "#Landback," "I Am Tired," and "Scissors of Colonialism" to experience the deepest thoughts of a thinking five-fingered Indigenous being.
In August '24, I was in the Salt Lake City airport on my way to the Elk River Writers Workshop in Montana. I was in line to board my flight when I saw Michelle Wolf walk by. Michelle kicks ass! The first thing I thought of was "I Gotta Give Her Tate's book!" But I never had the chance.
I hope Michelle will read Tate's poetry aloud one day sitting at our dining room table.
Tate Walker kicks ass. It is always a pleasure to hear Tate read her poetry on stage. Whenever you hear Tate at a microphone, you're in for a great time.
My wife and I are fortunate enough to know Tate. My wife was so impressed she has given away copies of The Trickster Riots (Abalone Mountain Press, 2022) to her family. The book is a remarkable collection of someone who doesn't hold back and tells it like it is.
When Tate speaks, people listen.
A few years ago, my sister-in-law came to our place for a visit. We had a few beers then we pulled out some books. My wife and I like to read poetry with friends and family. We gave my sister-in-law "I Like Tacos" to read. Although the poem is short -- dude, it is only two pages, seven stanzas and 263 words long, not long at all -- but it took forever for my sister-in-law to read it because she would read one line, stop, laugh uncontrollably, compose herself, then read a line, stop to laugh again, compose herself, read, stop, laugh, breath, read, laugh, read again. My sister-in-law's reading was by far the best I ever heard at our dining room table.
Tate Walker is a great performer and impressive comedian. But the laughs in The Trickster Riots do stop for reflection. Tate takes on the seemingly insurmountable enemies of Indigenous life. Tate stares deep into the heart pain, sadness, trauma, and 21st century Ingenious existential struggles. Check out "#Landback," "I Am Tired," and "Scissors of Colonialism" to experience the deepest thoughts of a thinking five-fingered Indigenous being.
In August '24, I was in the Salt Lake City airport on my way to the Elk River Writers Workshop in Montana. I was in line to board my flight when I saw Michelle Wolf walk by. Michelle kicks ass! The first thing I thought of was "I Gotta Give Her Tate's book!" But I never had the chance.
I hope Michelle will read Tate's poetry aloud one day sitting at our dining room table.
September 14, 2022
This poetry collection is packed with so much. Evocative poems on cultural appropriation, colonialism, mascots, Lakota culture, two spirit and queer identities, Missing and Murdered Indigenous relatives. Also some cheeky poems too that made me laugh! (I like tacos.) the poem on a treaty-honored world was so powerful, imagining what the world could be like. The collection includes beautiful drawings from a 13 year old (child of the poet)… love that it’s a family affair!
I love how some of the poems are longer or multi part, so they read Iike short stories. Definitely recommend this poetry collection!
I love how some of the poems are longer or multi part, so they read Iike short stories. Definitely recommend this poetry collection!
April 26, 2023
I read this on a whim after finding it to be shelved at my library, and I’m so glad I did. I didn’t stop reading until I was done. It dissects colonialism, queerness, capitalism, and mental illness with ruthlessness and tenderness all at once. I bought it as soon as I finished the library copy.
November 25, 2024
Absolutely loved this! Powerful. Humorous. The entire design and flow of The Trickster Riots will stick with you long after the first reading.
Sorry to have missed Taté's presentation at SDLA this year, but I'm so grateful to them for signing my copy! Looking forward to more from you!
Sorry to have missed Taté's presentation at SDLA this year, but I'm so grateful to them for signing my copy! Looking forward to more from you!
August 10, 2023
such a gorgeous-ragefilled-hopeful collection of poetry, that I would never have found without going to birchbark books in Minneapolis (god save indie bookstores)
June 4, 2022
I just got my book. I've read two poems so far, and so far they are my favorites. Thunder Thighs and Trickster Vibes and The Native Vote are so good. That line about IHS couldn't be more relatable. Hilarious!
January 21, 2023
Growing up near Pine Ridge, as a child I had read stories of Iktomi written by Zitkala-Sa, a Yankton Dakota writer and editor. What Taté Walker has done here is bring these stories to another generation, keeping oral traditions, jokes, ancestors and memories alive.
June 12, 2022
I love it! Beautiful illustrations, touching, empowering and heartfelt poems. Highly recommended!
December 4, 2024
3 1/4 stars
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews