Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm is an

Anishinaabe The Anishinaabeg (adjectival: Anishinaabe) are a group of culturally related Indigenous peoples present in the Great Lakes region of Canada and the United States. They include the Ojibwe (including Saulteaux and Oji-Cree), Odawa, Potawatomi, ...

writer of mixed ancestry from the Chippewas of Nawash First Nation in Canada. She lives and works at Neyaashiinigmiing, Cape Croker Reserve on the Saugeen Peninsula in southwestern

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

, and in

Ottawa, Ontario Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

Biography

A cultural worker with an activist bent, Kateri has initiated many important projects on behalf of

Indigenous Indigenous may refer to: *Indigenous peoples *Indigenous (ecology), presence in a region as the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention *Indigenous (band), an American blues-rock band *Indigenous (horse), a Hong Kong racehorse ...

writers of

Turtle Island (North America) Turtle Island is a name for Earth or North America, used by some Indigenous peoples, as well as by some Indigenous rights activists. The name is based on a common North American Indigenous creation story and is in some cultures synonymous with "N ...

and active collaborations with artists and publishers in

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

and

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. A spoken word artist and literary performer as well as poet, writer, editor, and communications consultant, Ms. Akiwenzie-Damm works both behind the scenes and before live audiences. In 1993, she established

Kegedonce Press Kegedonce Press is an Indigenous publishing house in Neyaashiinigmiing Reserve No. 27 (Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation, Cape Croker), Ontario, Canada, owned by Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm. Started in 1993, it is one of only a handful of dedicat ...

, one of very few literary publishing houses devoted to indigenous writers. It continues to produce anthologies and single-author books of distinction. Acclaimed Canadian authors Basil H. Johnston (Ojibway),

Marilyn Dumont Marilyn Dumont (born 1955) is a Canadian poet and educator of Cree/ Métis descent. Born in northeastern Alberta, she is a descendant of Gabriel Dumont.

(Métis), and

Gregory Scofield Gregory Scofield (born July 20, 1966 in Maple Ridge, British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geograp ...

(

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 ...

) are among those who have published books through Kegedonce Press. She is both founder and managing editor of the press. Akiwenzie-Damm has edited two anthologies: ''skins: Contemporary indigenous writing'' (2000, with Josie Douglas), and ''Without Reservation: Indigenous Erotica'' (2003). These offer works drawn from a variety of Indigenous cultures and artistic traditions from Canada, the United States, Hawaii, Australia, and New Zealand. Each anthology is co-published with another Indigenous press from the southern hemisphere. She also came up with the concept, initiated, and advocated internationally for support for ''Honouring Words: International Indigenous Authors Celebration Tour.'' This was an international event involving indigenous authors from Canada, US, Australia and New Zealand. The first, and most successful, of the three international tours was also organized by Akiwenzie-Damm.

Bibliography

* 1993 - 2003: ''My Heart is a Stray Bullet.'' Kegedonce Press, Cape Croker ON * 2000: ''Skins: Contemporary Indigenous Writing''. (Editor) with Josie Douglas; Kegedonce Press, Cape Croker Reserve, ON. Co-published with Aboriginal Australian publisher, Jukurrpa Books * 2003: ''Without Reservation: Indigenous Erotica''. Kegedonce Press, Cape Croker Reserve, ON. Co-published with Hula Publishers, Wellington, New Zealand * 2006: with

Warren Cariou Warren Cariou is a Canadian writer and associate professor of English at the University of Manitoba. Biography Cariou received a B.A. (Hons) from the University of Saskatchewan and an MA and PhD from the University of Toronto (1998). In 199 ...

, W'Daub Awae,

Daniel Heath Justice Daniel Heath Justice is an American-born Canadian academic and citizen of the Cherokee Nation. He is professor of First Nations and Indigenous Studies and English at the University of British Columbia. He started his studies at University of Nor ...

, Lesley Belleau: ''Speaking True: A

Anthology.'' Kegedonce * 2015: ''The Stone Collection'', HighWater Press, MB. . * 2019: 'Nimkii' in "This Place: 150 Years Retold"

CDs

* 2003: ''Standing Ground'' with The Nishin Spoken Word Project, Nishin Productions, Cape Croker Reserve, ON. ''A Constellation of Bones'', in collaboration with various artists.

References

External links

Official Website

At the Internet Public Library

{{DEFAULTSORT:Akiwenzie-Damm, Kateri Year of birth missing (living people) Living people 20th-century Canadian poets Canadian storytellers Women storytellers Writers from Ontario Canadian women poets Ojibwe people Communications consultants Place of birth missing (living people) Canadian spoken word poets 21st-century Canadian poets 20th-century Canadian women writers 21st-century Canadian women writers First Nations poets First Nations women writers 20th-century First Nations writers 21st-century First Nations writers Canadian consultants Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation Poets Laureate of places in Canada

Biography

Bibliography

CDs

See also

References

External links