Indigenous Voices Awards

The Indigenous Voices Awards are a Canadian literary award program, created in 2017 to honour indigenous literatures in Canada.[1]

The awards grew out of a 2017 controversy, when a group of Canadian writers were criticized for campaigning on Twitter in favour of a prize supporting cultural appropriation.[2] In response, Toronto lawyer Robin Parker launched a crowdfunding campaign to create a new prize for First Nations, Métis and Inuit writers in Canada. The crowdfunding campaign was set with a goal of $10,000, but ultimately attracted over $140,000 in donations.[1]

The awards honour both published and unpublished work by indigenous writers. The first winners were announced in May 2018.[3]

Winners

2018
  • English Prose: Aviaq Johnston, Those Who Run in the Sky
  • English Poetry: Billy-Ray Belcourt, This Wound Is a World
  • French Prose: J. D. Kurtness, De Vengeance
  • Alternative Format: Mich Cota, Musical Selections and Mika Lafond, Nipê Wânîn
  • Unpublished English Poetry: Smokii Sumac, #haikuaday and other poems
  • Unpublished French Poetry: Marie-Andrée Gill, Uashteu
  • Unpublished Prose: Elaine McArthur, Queen Bee

2019
  • English Prose: Tanya Tagaq, Split Tooth[4]
  • English Poetry: Smokii Sumac, You are Enough: Love Poems for the End of the World[4]
  • French Prose: Josephine Bacon, Uiesh, Quelque Part and Pierrot Ross-Tremblay, Nipimanitu – L’esprit de l’eau[4]
  • Alternative Format: Tasha Spillett and Natasha Donovan, Surviving the City[4]
  • Unpublished Poetry: Elaine McArthur, Brush of a Bustle[4]
  • Unpublished Prose: Francine Cunningham, Teenage Asylums[4]

2020
  • English Prose: Jesse Thistle, From the Ashes[5]
  • English Poetry: Michelle Sylliboy, Kiskajeyi—I am Ready and Arielle Twist, Disintegrate / Dissociate[5]
  • French Prose: Naomi Fontaine, Shuni — Ce que tu dois savoir, Julie[5]
  • French Poetry: Maya Cousineau-Mollen, Bréviaire du matricule 082 and Marie-Andrée Gill, Chauffer le dehors[5]
  • Indigenous Language: Rene Meshake, Injichaag: My Soul in Story and Cole Pauls, Dakwäkãda Warriors[5]
  • Unpublished Prose in English: Cody Caetano, "Half-Bads in White Regalia"[5]
  • Unpublished Poetry in English: Keely Shirt, "Two Little Foxes", "Buttertown Beach", "I Will Never Be Happier"[5]
  • Alternative Format: Elaine McArthur, Elizabeth Dances Pow-wow[5]

References
  1. "New literary prize for Indigenous writers to offer $25K in awards". CBC News, October 19, 2017.
  2. "Crowdfunded Indigenous Voices Awards formally launches, with focus on emerging talent". Quill & Quire, October 30, 2017.
  3. "Billy-Ray Belcourt, Aviaq Johnston among winners of 2018 Indigenous Voices Awards". CBC Books, May 31, 2018.
  4. "Tanya Tagaq and seven other writers take home prizes at Indigenous Voices Awards". CityNews, June 5, 2019.
  5. "Winners Announced for 2020 Indigenous Voices Awards". Open Book, June 22, 2020.


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