Dakota Girl

My everyday name is Olivia. My traditional Dakota name is Šinákamina Ská Wiŋ, or White Shawl Shell Woman. I am a mother, a life giver, a caretaker, a wife, a daughter, and a sister. I am a member of the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation from my maternal lineage, and a proud resident of this beautiful place I call home.
A stylistic rendering of a Dakota woman in a red dress.

Image via: Niece Honey Thomas

Šinákamina Ská Wiŋ | Contributor

02.04.25
| Vol. 56, No. 5 | Poetry

Dakota Girl

Although the blood that courses through my veins originates from
the flat lands of the prairies
the homelands of my maternal Dakota ancestors
the stolen lands of my paternal French ancestors
I was created, born, and raised in Coast Salish territory.
Some of my ancestors likely never saw the ocean
and some may say these are not my lands, and that I am a guest here.

I may be a guest here, but the cedar trees feel like home
I may be a guest here, but I know the plants that are edible in this area
the animals that roam this territory
what to expect with the seasons
and the scents that come with them.
The layout of the landscape, the trees, the mountains
are etched into my mind, my memory.
The land that surrounds me is as familiar to me
as the faces of my own children.
I may be a guest here
but the rainforest is my companion, and brings me comfort.
The ancestry of these lands may not be in the blood that courses through my veins
but the ocean holds me just the same
as I play, snorkel, dive, and admire the treasures beneath the surface.

I think I am a guest here, and yet animals such as the orca visit me in my dreams.
I feel a sense of belonging as my dream-self swims with them, and pets them.
We are friends, and they recognize me.

I know I am a guest here
but the thought of salmon, halibut, cod, and oysters
causes my mouth to salivate.
My prairies genetics are my very nature
yet the lands of the Coast Salish people have nurtured me
since I left the womb of my Dakota mother.

about the author

Šinákamina Ská Wiŋ

Olivia Thomas, Šinákamina Ská Wiŋ (White Shawl Shell Woman) is a fourth-year student at Vancouver Island University. She is majoring in Indigenous/Xwulmuxw Studies and minoring in Creative Writing while simultaneously working on two manuscriptsOlivia is a member of the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation and is passionate about Indigenous rights and self-determination. Her writing journey has included not only creative writing, where she feels most at home, but also in her career as an experienced Gladue Report Writer for the BC First Nations Justice Council. Olivia writes specialized pre-sentence type reports for the Courts for Indigenous people who are facing criminal charges. Olivia’s history binds her to the experiences of other Indigenous individuals across Canada. Her acute awareness of the systemic discrimination faced by Indigenous peoples fuels her unwavering commitment to restorative justice and addressing the overrepresentation of Indigenous individuals in the criminal justice system. In her free time, Olivia can be found with her family enjoying the Coast Salish world she is lucky enough to call home.

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