Francine Cunningham (born 1984) is an Indigenous writer, artist, and educator. She is
Cree
The Cree ( cr, néhinaw, script=Latn, , etc.; french: link=no, Cri) are a Indigenous peoples of the Americas, North American Indigenous people. They live primarily in Canada, where they form one of the country's largest First Nations in Canada ...
and
Métis
The Métis ( ; Canadian ) are Indigenous peoples who inhabit Canada's three Prairie Provinces, as well as parts of British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, and the Northern United States. They have a shared history and culture which derives ...
.
Her debut novel, ''On/Me'', was nominated for the BC and Yukon Book Prize for The Jim Deva Prize for Writing that Provokes. as well as
Indigenous Voices Award
The Indigenous Voices Awards are a Canadian literary award program, created in 2017 to honour indigenous literatures in Canada.
Personal life
Cunningham is originally from
Calgary
Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, makin ...
Cunningham graduated from Keyano College with a diploma in Visual and Performing Arts with conservatory style training in acting. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre and
Master of Fine Arts
A Master of Fine Arts (MFA or M.F.A.)
is a terminal degree in fine arts, including visual arts, creative writing, graphic design, photography, filmmaking, dance, theatre, other performing arts and in some cases, theatre management or arts admini ...
in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia.
In 2014, She participated in the Indigenous Writing Studio at the Banff Arts Center and placed second in the Our Story: Aboriginal Arts and Stories contest.
At present, she runs creative writing and art workshops as a guest in First Nation's reserves across Canada.
Her collection ''God Isn't Here Today'' won the 2023 ReLit Award for short fiction."2023 ReLit Awards winners announced" '' Quill & Quire'', October 2, 2023.
Publications
Anthology contributor
* ''Boobs: Women Explore What It Means to Have Breasts,'' published March 15, 2016 by Caitlin Press Inc.
* "To plant life (all)" in ''Watch Your Head,'' published 2020 by Coach House Books
* "Still, Small Voice" in ''The Best Canadian Essays 2017'', published by
TightRope Books
Tightrope Books is a Canadian independent book publisher based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Founded in 2005 by Halli Villegas, Tightrope Books publishes mainly poetry and fiction, as well as non-fiction and anthologies. As a "writer-centric pr ...
* "A conversation with a massage therapist" in '' #NotYourPrincess'': ''Voices of Native American Women'', published 2017 by Annick Press
* "How to teach hard topics: The Native Youth Program and Indian Residential Schools as a case study" in ''Transforming Our Practices: Indigenous Art, Pedagogies, and Philosophies'', published in 2017 by
The National Art Education Association
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in En ...
* '' Room Magazine'': Indigenous Brilliance (2021)
* '' Room Magazine'': Growing Room (2021)
* "I miss the smell of cooking," '' Koffler Digital:'' A Matter of Taste exhibition (2021)
* "Coven, A Spell to Bring My Mom Back From The Dead," ''
Poetry is Dead
Poetry (derived from the Greek '' poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings ...
The Maynard
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in En ...
'' (2016)
* "For Your Darkness, Storyteller'',"
Echolocation Magazine
Echolocation is the use of sound as a form of navigation.
Navigation using sound
* Acoustic location, the general use of sound to locate objects.
** Animal echolocation, non-human animals emitting sound waves and listening to the echo in order to ...
'' (2015)
* "A selection of four poems," ''
Hamilton Arts and Letters Hamilton may refer to:
People
* Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname
** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland
** Lord Hamilton ...
'' (2015)
* "The Road," ''
The Ubyssey
''The Ubyssey'' is the University of British Columbia's official, independent student-run paper and is published bi-weekly on Tuesday. Founded on October 18, 1918,
''The Ubyssey'' is an independent publication funded by a $7.09 annual fee, from ...
'' (2010)
Short creative nonfiction
* "Half-Breed," ''
The New Quarterly
''The New Quarterly'' is a literary magazine based in Waterloo, Ontario that publishes short fiction, poetry, and creative non-fiction from emerging and established Canadian writers.
History and profile
''The New Quarterly'' was established in ...
* "God Isn't Here Today," '' Humber Literary Review'' (Spring/Summer 2021)
* "Asleep Till You're Awake," '' The Malahat Review'' (2020)
* "Starting A Religion," '' Grain Magazine'' (2018)
** Short Grain Contest: 1st Place Winner
* "Complex 2675: Issue One," '' Joyland Magazine'' (2017)
* "Last," '' In Shades Magazine'' (2017)
* "Secrets like Lead," ''
Litro Magazine
Rompetrol is a crude oil development, producer, and refiner based in Romania. It also markets and distributes refined petroleum products through its chain of gasoline and diesel fuel stations. Established as a state-owned company in 1974, it ...
'' (2016)
* "Nanosim#694" (Twitter fiction)
* "The Places In-Between," '' The Quilliad Magazine'' (2015)
* "Pornorama," '' The Puritan'' (2015)
* "Slips," Active Fiction Project, a chose your own adventure story on the streets of Vancouver (2015)
Other
* THAT'S AWSM Teen Reality TV show airing on APTN (Television) (2018)
* "The Berg," '' Telus StoryHive'' (Web-Series)(2017)
** Winner 10K Web-Series Edition
* Royal BC Museum, Seeing the Museum Through an Indigenous Lens: Spring Issue, '' Curious Magazine'' (Guest Editor)(2017)
* International Innovation Pedagogy in a Digital World. Research summary from Citizens of Tomorrow team. (Article) (2016)
* "Birdie," '' Prism Literary Magazine'' (Book Review)(2016)
* "Faerie," '' Prism Literary Magazine'' (Book Review)(2016)
* "Author Note," '' The Town Crier'' (Non-Fiction) (2016)
* Nineteen Questions, Interview With Author Lee Maracle. (Interview) (2014)
* "Who I (really) am: An exploration of Urban Aboriginal Identity through short film," '' The Canadian Art Teacher Journal'' (2014)
* ''Mixed Tribes'' zine with some Aboriginal youth at The Museum of Anthropology (2013)
* ''A Piece of Me'' with The Native Youth Program at The Museum of Anthropology (2011)