We’re closing out this season of All My Relations with something new and something we’re deeply proud of: the launch of our Author Talk series — the first step in the All My Relations + NDN Girls Book Club.

In this debut Author Talk, Matika and Temryss sit down with poet and memoirist Sasha LaPointe (Upper Skagit, Nooksack), whose work explores trauma, healing, punk rock, and the power of ancestral memory. Together, they dive into Sasha’s acclaimed books Red Paint and Thunder Song, weaving in stories of lineage, belonging, and the courage it takes to write the things we’re told not to say.

This tender conversation is an intimate exploration of Sasha’s life as an author, where we deep dive into storytelling as a form of Indigenous resistance and remembrance, and the challenges of writing through trauma with clarity and care. Sasha reflects on what it means to be a prolific Indigenous woman author and, reveals the hidden histories beneath the tulip fields of the Skagit Valley, and shares how the stories of her ancestors—and sea maidens—still live in her writing and spirit.

This episode is not only the season finale—this episode is big medicine, and it’s also an invitation. We hope you’ll read along with us, join our hybrid book discussions, and help us build a community that supports Indigenous authors. Sign up for the All My Relations Book Club at allmyrelationspodcast.com/book-club to get invites, books, background materials, and access to our live events.

Resources:
– Support Sasha’s books: Red Paint, Rose Quartz, and Thunder Song
– Join the Book Club: allmyrelationspodcast.com/book-club
– Support us on Patreon to watch the full video version of this Author Talk
– Learn more about NDN Girls Book Club and the good work they’re doing to support Native authors and youth

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Follow us on Instagram @amrpodcast, or support our work on Patreon. Show notes are published on our website, Allmyrelationspodcast.com. Matika's book Project 562: Changing the Way We See Native America is available now! T'igwicid and Hyshqe for being on this journey with us.

Writing Big Medicine: Author Talk with Sasha LaPointe