Indigenous slam poetry event aims to empower northern youth – Saskatoon StarPhoenix

The Saskatoon Indigenous Poets Society is using the challenges of COVID-19 as an opportunity to share the art form online with youth beyond Treaty 6.

The Indigenous poetry community has been growing in the past few years. The society’s founder, Kevin Wesaquate, said he’s discovering just how passionate the poets are.

“I thought it would die out because it is a very public and a very outspoken type of art that requires a space,” he said. Instead, the pandemic has revealed the “resilience” of the community he spent years developing.

In late March, the group had to cancel its first youth stage event. When Wesaquate announced he would hold another youth event to be streamed online, TakingITGlobal and Connected North reached out to form a partnership for the event and have it streamed to youth in the northern territories.

The youth slam poetry event will be held on Thursday evening, featuring youth poet The Noble Savage, a stage name for Austin Ahenakew. It’s the first time a youth reader will headline a show, marking a new milestone for the organization.

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