kipocihkan: Poems New and Selected

The first anthology of urban Aboriginal songs by Gregory Scofield is a retrospective of the award-winning poet’s pivotal work to date. The word kipocihkan is Cree slang for someone who is mute or unable to speak, and charted in this book is Scofield’s journey out of that silence to become one of the most powerful voices of our time.

I make offerings to my Grandmothers and Grandfathers when I write. I ask them to come and sit with me, to give me courage and strength. I ask them to help me be honest, reflective of the ceremony that I am about to begin. I ask them to guide me, to help me touch people. I ask to make good medicine, even out of something bad. When people read my work it’s not just the book that they read, it’s the medicine behind the words. That’s where the power comes from. That’s where the healing comes from.
–Scofield in January Magazine