welík’t

A multilingual collection by emerging Indigenous poet Kalli Van Stone combines Salish languages with English and revitalizes ancestral traditions.

Interdisciplinary artist Kalli Van Stone embraces syilx and Secwepemc language in these sparse yet potent poems. welík’t—which means “sparkle” in the secwepemctsín language—captures the story, song and dance which help heal the ongoing intergenerational impacts of colonialism and the residential school, day school and current education systems.

The structure of Interior Salish music and its healing powers are alive in many of Van Stone’s poems. The collection itself is framed in three sections for each language—nsyilxcn, secwepemctsín and English—and translations accompany each piece.

With the poet’s artwork interspersed throughout the pages, welík’t is a rich celebration of creativity and coalescence.

“welík’t is a text that shimmers; it is the glint of sunlight on a river, and it is the river, and it is the stones beneath the river. Kalli Van Stone’s writing is holistic, incisive and real. Her debut collection carries both ancestral wisdom and futurity like an act of fiercely decolonial love that invites readers into the sacred role of witnessing. This book is a nuanced and irresistible prayer that will leave you feeling grounded and enriched.”

“Van Stone’s use of her own languages is so silent that it shines. Her poetry speaks to a part of history to be remembered and honoured, and allows us to hear the historic trembling of solid lines.”