Indigenous Studies alumnus Hannah Big Canoe shares her creative talents through award-winning poetry

Hannah Big Canoe (BA, 2024) grew up in the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation community with her family, who are Ojibwe, Anishinaabe, and French-Canadian. With her life-long love of reading and writing, Big Canoe decided to pursue her bachelor’s degree in English. However, the colonial literature she was often required to read throughout her education failed to spark the aspiring author’s passion for the subject.

“A friend told me about the community at Simon Fraser University (SFU) and the courses she was taking that incorporated Indigenous perspectives,” recalls Big Canoe of her decision to seek out a culturally relevant educational environment. “That was something I had not learned about in high school — or even at university, up until that time. That drew me to transfer to SFU for new experiences.”

An advisor at SFU’s Indigenous Student Centre (ISC) helped Big Canoe to find a path towards graduation that empowered her to learn about her identity, while developing her creative talents. “I was able to create a university experience that I care about,” says Big Canoe of declaring dual minors in Indigenous Studies and Creative Writing. “The advisor showed me that I had already completed many of the requirements for an Indigenous Studies minor, just by taking elective courses I enjoyed.”

Alongside becoming exposed to the work of local Indigenous poets as a creative writing minor, Big Canoe’s Indigenous Studies courses focused on film and literature solidified her desire to share her voice. “June Scudeler’s course on Indigenous horror was one of my favourites,” she remembers. “I would love to write a book about Indigenous characters and incorporate fantasy and cultural elements into the story.”

While still an undergraduate student, Big Canoe has already received accolades for her poetry, including the Roy Miki Award in Creative Writing from SFU English in 2022. In 2024, Big Canoe gained further recognition as an up-and-coming literary talent to watch by winning an Indigenous Voices Award (IVA) for her poetry.

Before becoming an IVA winner herself, Big Canoe gained work experience related to her literary aspirations by assisting Deanna Reder and Sophie McCall, as the SFU professors established the annual celebration of Indigenous writers. “I especially loved reading everyone’s submissions,” says Big Canoe of her contributions behind the scenes of the IVAs. “I was inspired all over again!”

After graduation, Big Canoe plans to return to her home of Georgina Island to seek a role at a local organization supporting sustainability and environmental issues. “It is important to have people who understand the community on a ground level, who can find solutions that work,” she says of the positive impact she hopes to make close to home using her knowledge of Indigenous Studies.

With her creative gifts, Big Canoe is looking forward to working on her writing in her spare time. “My goal is to become established as a writer and to have my work published,” Big Canoe reflects on continuing to pursue her dream career, sharing her lived experiences through her work as a multi-genre writer.