Indigenous Brilliance
Indigenous Brilliance is a collective based on the tradition, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh people.
Stories hold the incredible power to heal wounds, connect people, and bridge generations. We believe that this is an incredibly important time to be centring Indigenous stories and to be shining the spotlight on the brilliance that exists in our communities.
We hope that the Indigenous Brilliance series will reflect this belief. The series grew out of the shared desire of Massy Books owner Patricia Massy and Room Magazine editorial board members Jónína Kirton and Jessica Johns to raise the voices of Indigenous women, Two Spirit and queer writers. This series is the result of different communities coming together with a shared vision of Indigenous resurgence: a resurgence that exists through the act of making space for ourselves and each other, through community building, and through the radical act of living and loving. We want to celebrate Indigenous stories, the different ways we think, share, and perform. Made up of Patricia Massy, Jónína Kirton, Jessica Johns, jaye simpson, Emily Dundas Oke and Karmella Benedito De Barros, our collective organizes a quarterly reading series, community workshops, social media engagement and podcast series. We hope our actions will allow us to come together to stand behind the voices we uplift while we’re standing with each other.
Image credit: Amanda Hugon, Spirit Within, 2018
The Indigenous Brilliance Collective:
Patricia Massy is of Cree and English descent and a member of the As’in’i’wa’chi Ni’yaw Nation (Kelly Lake Cree Nation) // Co-founder and co-curator
Jessica Johns is a nehiyaw aunty and member of Sucker Creek First Nation in Treaty 8 territory in Northern Alberta // Co-curator
jaye simpson is an Oji-Cree Trans Femme Two Spirit warrior & writer whose roots hail from the Sapotaweyak & Skownan Cree Nation, Treaty 2 & 4 Territory in Manitoba // Podcast Co-curator
Emily Dundas Oke is a grateful Cree, Métis, Scottish, and English visitor on the unceded and ancestral territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations // Co-curator and organizer
Karmella Cen Benedito De Barros is an inner-city Indigiqueer with Treaty 6 Mistawasis Nêhiyaw and Afro-Brazilian ancestry. They are a plant loving, community oriented support worker, artist and organizer born and raised in diaspora, as a guest on stolen & unceded Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh and Musqueam territories. Karmella currently works as the Indigenous Brilliance Community Engagement leader with Room Magazine and the Art Ecosystem. // Co-curator and Podcast Publisher
Many thanks to Jónína Kirton for co-hosting the first two events, and for first collaborating with Patricia Massy to make this series a reality. This series wouldn’t exist today without her love, dedication, and work. Jónína is a Métis/Icelandic poet, author & facilitator who was born in Treaty 1 and is a descendant of French, Scottish and English fur-traders, her Indigenous ancestry includes Swampy Cree, Ojibwe, Assiniboine, Nakota and Sekani.
Image credit: Silvey Sampson, Indigenous Brilliance Cover Art, 2020
Past Events
Vancouver Art Gallery: Art Connects Spring Reading with Indigenous Brilliance Shuvinai Ashoona
April 17th, 2020 through Art Connects Selina Boan Tyler Pennock Kaitlyn Purcell Emily Dundas Oke
Hosted by Melissa Karmen Lee and Stephanie Bokenfohr
Indigenous Brilliance Podcast Episode 1: Creation Story
February 27th, 2020
The Indigenous Brilliance Podcast is an important project of the larger Indigenous Brilliance Collective, and features innovative and exciting episodes, highlighting the multi-disciplinary voices of Indigenous women, Two-Spirit, and Indigiqueer artists as we discuss cultural resurgence in Indigenous arts. Hosted by creatives jaye simpson and Karmella Benedito De Barros, the Indigenous Brilliance Podcast carves out space for the celebration and witnessing of this beautifully visionary community.
May 24th, 2019 at Massy Books
Cassandra Blanchard Evan Ducharme Mackenzie Ground Savannah Erasmus
Hosted by jaye simpson, Emily Dundas Oke and Massy Arts
August 22nd, 2019 at Massy Books
Tristin Greyeyes Beric Manywounds Bo Dyp, Michelle Porter
Hosted by jaye simpson
Open link on new tab on the Mount Pleasant Community Art Screen
Curated by Jessica Johns.
Room magazine and Indigenous Brilliance are proud to showcase the brilliant work of ten Indigenous women, Two Spirit, and Indigiqueer artists in open link in new tab.