Spilexm

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In this extraordinary memoir, best-selling author Nicola I. Campbell deftly weaves rich poetry and vivid prose into a story basket of memories orating what it means to be an intergenerational survivor of Indian Residential Schools. If the hurt and grief we carry is a woven blanket, it is time to weave ourselves anew. We can't quit. Instead, we must untangle ourselves from the negative forces that have impacted our existence as Indigenous people. Similar to the "moccasin telegraph," Spíləxm are the remembered stories, also "events or news" in the Nłeʔkepmx language. These stories were often shared over tea, in the quiet hours between Elders. Rooted within the British Columbia landscape, and with an almost tactile representation of being on the land and water, Spíləxm explores resilience, reconnection, and narrative memory through stories. Captivating and deeply moving, this exceptional memoir tells of one Indigenous woman's journey of overcoming adversity and colonial trauma to find strength and resilience through creative works and traditional perspectives of healing, transformation, and resurgence.