PMC Indigenous Literature Award 2023

Three kohkums, a man named Crow, two best friends, and a drug dealer . . . twelve-year-old Hunter may be getting out of Red Rock sooner than he hoped.

For Hunter Frank, the summer of ’79 begins with his mother returning home only to collect the last two months’ welfare cheques, leaving her three “fucking half-breeds” to fend for themselves. When his older sister escapes their northern BC town and his brother goes to fight forest fires, Hunter is on his own, with occasional care coming from a trio of elders—his kohkums—and companionship from his two best friends.

It’s been a good summer for the young entrepreneur, but the cash in the purple Crown Royal bag hidden in his mattress still isn’t enough to fund his escape from his monstrous mother and the town of Red Rock. As the Labour Day weekend arrives, so does a new friend with old wisdom and a business opportunity that might be just a boy at the crossroads needs. My Indian Summer is the story of a journey to understanding that some villains are also victims, and that while reconciliation may not be possible, survival is.

Joseph Kakwinokanasum's profile page

• Winner, PMC Indigenous Literature Award
• Winner, First Nation Communities READ - Young Adult/Adult Fiction
• Joint winner, The Writers' Trust of Canada Rising Star

Of Cree and Austrian descent, Joseph Kakwinokanasum grew up in the Peace region of northern BC, one of seven children raised by a single mother. A graduate of SFU's Writers Studio, his short story “Ray Says” was a finalist for CBC’s 2020 Nonfiction Prize. In 2022, he was selected by Darrel J. McLeod as one of the Writers Trust of Canada’s “Rising Stars.” He now lives and writes in BC’s Lower Mainland.

Loosely based on his own childhood, My Indian Summer is his first novel.

"Alternating in tone between bitter and humorous My Indian Summer is a multifaceted coming-of-age story . . . Family doesn’t always mean blood, and blood doesn’t always mean family – 12-year-old Hunter, who is desperate to follow his older sister out of the tiny British Columbia town of Red Rock and escape his abusive mother and elder brother, knows that better than most. By the end of Labour Day weekend, 1979, he’ll also learn that you can understand someone without forgiving them." Quill & Quire

"He breathes life into his characters at their first mention and draws you into the gossamer web of his vibrant storytelling, from which there is no escape other than to read a story through to its end." Darrel J. McLeod

"The first time I heard Joseph Kakwinokanasum read, I knew I was hearing the voice of a born storyteller . . . This is a story of intergenerational pain, brought on by details of the history we keep learning about – history that’s left such a terrible legacy. It’s a story that’s believable as being based in personal experience, as the author is from James Smith Cree Reserve, a place that was recently too prominent in Canadian news. But even more importantly, the novel is a story of resilience, and one that’s bound to linger in mind." Heidi Greco, The Miramichi Reader.

"With chapters that share titles with huge seventies radio hits by the likes of ABBA, Kenny Rogers, Nick Gilder, and Captain & Tennille, My Indian Summer appears to point readers in the direction of a wholly feel-good feast of nostalgia . . . In Kakwinokanasum’s story, though, there’s misery in copious amounts at home and danger on the streets; and the future is anything but bright. We may wish for the possibility of a pure, summery nostalgia for Hunter, the author’s immensely likeable and dogged protagonist. In the Sooke, BC resident’s tale unadulterated bliss isn’t altogether realistic." Brett Josef Grubisic, The BC Review.