Surviving the City

Tasha Spillet's graphic novel debut tells a story of kinship, resilience, cultural resurgenceand the anguish of a missing loved one. Miikwan and Dez are best friends. Miikwan is Anishinaabe; Dez is Inninew. Together, the teens navigate the challenges of growing up Indigenous in an urban landscape they're so close, they even completed their Berry Fast together.

However, when Dez's grandmother becomes too sick, Dez is told she can't stay with her anymore. With the threat of a group home looming, Dez can't bring herself to go home and disappears. Miikwan is devastated, and the wound of her missing mother resurfaces. Will Dez's community find her before it's too late? Will Miikwan be able to cope if they don't? (From Portage & Main Press)

Surviving the Citywon the$2,000 Indigenous Voices Award for works in an alternative format.

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Tasha Spillett-Sumner is an educator, poet and scholar of Nehiyaw and Trinidadian descent.She is also the author of the graphic novelSurviving the City,whichwon the$2,000 Indigenous Voices Award for works in an alternative format in 2019.

Donovan is a Mtis illustrator originally from Vancouver. She has illustrated several graphic novels, including theSurviving the Cityseries by Tasha Spillet,and Brett Huson's animal series, which includesThe Sockeye Mother,The Grizzly MotherandThe Eagle Mother. She also illustrated the cover forThe Ghost Collectorby Allison Mills, and her work appears in the anthologyThis Place: 150 Years Retold.

From the book

Interviews

New Fire5:59How do you combine romance, tradition, and ceremony?

As a proud, ceremonial Cree woman, Tasha Spillett follows traditional teachings while looking for love. (July 21 / 2015)

Unreserved7:20Tasha Spillett discuss Indigenous learning on the land instead of a classroom

How would like to attend a university course beside a beautiful lake instead of in a classroom? Rather than reading about the land you would learn by being on the land. That's the premise behind Land Based Education.