30/09/2025
In honour of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, I am posting a poem by Mercedez Tate. It was published in the novel written by Rick Revelle, "The ElkWhistle Warrior Society", pub by Crossfield Publishing in 2023.
Mercedez is remembered for her energy and artistry, and passed away well before her time. She is survived by her 2 year old daughter.
HAVE YOU SEEN MY SISTER?
Mercedez Tate — AsinīyIskwew
You there, have you seen my sister?
Her skin is like she’d been steeped in Red Rose tea
Her long black hair is usually bound by braids,
She’s about 5'4"-5'6" just a little taller than me
She looks like a painting within a painting
Her body is abundant with artistry
Her cheekbones sit high above the rest of her chiseled face,
You’d know her if you saw her
Have you seen my sister?
No one will help me look,
She goes by nitisaniskwew, and nikawiy to her son
How do I tell my nephew we couldn’t find his mom?
Excuse me officer, did you not hear what I said?
My sister has been missing, I can’t help but think she’s —
One morning she was here, that night she was no longer
If you could hear her sing, her song would now be somber
Have you seen my sister? She’s a human much like you
Her hair is not blonde and her eyes are not blue
But her homecoming is well overdue
Mercedez Tate (2021) is an 18-year-old Plains Cree woman from
Poundmaker Cree Nation, Saskatchewan, on Treaty 6 territory.
Her Cree name, AsinīyIskwew, means “Rock Woman.”
The rights to republish this book were acquired by Dundurn Press in 2025; they will continue the print and ebook versions.
