More Precious Than a Coyote

Abstract

“More Precious Than a Coyote” examines the meaning of togetherness and acceptance of one’s identity in the life of a young Cree woman named Nica, who struggles to accept the ancestral powers passed down to her from her kokum. Nica’s powers manifest at an early age – dreams of animals and fruit. Her dreams are a power that she sees as alienating. Additionally, her own mother’s denial and abandonment of their Cree heritage and their ancestral powers push Nica inward while Kokum’s love and acceptance pulls Nica towards recognizing the preciousness of the power she holds and of where she comes from. As the narrative moves between the past and the present, Nica’s struggle continues from the time her powers manifest to the present time when her dreams are visited by a coyote. Interweaved within the intergenerational drama between Nica’s family is her complicated relationship with her ex-boyfriend, Darren. As Nica attempts to live a half-life of mundane routines – all in the hopes of quelling and detaching from her dreams – Darren’s sudden reappearance on her doorstep forces her to make a choice. Just like her mother and her kokum before her.

Presented in absentia on April 27, 2020 at "Student Research Day" at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta. (Conference cancelled)

Faculty Mentor: Chris Hutchinson

Department: English