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 manuscripts. Olivia 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.