Poetry Reading with Tinker Schuman (Migizikwe) and John Bates

  •  March 20, 2022
     1:00 pm - 2:15 pm

Date: Sunday, March 20 (the Spring Equinox)

Time: 1-2:15pm

Free to attend

Local authors Tinker Schuman (Migizikwe) and John Bates will read from a selection of their prose and poetry centered around the seasonal turnings in nature and in our lives.

Tinker Schuman is a free verse published poet, storyteller, and spiritual helper. She is a member of the Ojibwe Nation of Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin. Her Native name is Migizikwe, or Eagle Woman. As a poet, her work is established in Native American heritage, but is related and relevant to all walks of life, the pathways of travel on Mother Earth. She is the author of a trilogy entitled Reflections, with the first volume titled Reborn in the Sun. She is also the co-author of The Healing Blanket and a poetry CD All My Relatives: Gakina Nin De Was Maa. Her many accolades include being presented with the “Elder of the Year Award” by the Wisconsin Indian Education Association.

John Bates is the author of ten books and a contributor to seven others, all of which focus on the natural history of the Northwoods. His poetry has been published in the Oxford Magazine, Wisconsin Academy Review, Albatross, and The Northern Review, and in five science-art exhibits. John’s book of poetry, Cold to the Bone, came out in 2017. His most recent non-fiction book is Wisconsin’s Wild Lakes: A Guide to the Last Undeveloped, Natural Lakes.

Praise for the authors’ most recent works:

Tinker Schuman:

“In this book of poetry and prose, Migizikwe’s spirit soars like the eagle for which she is named. She writes simple truths in a lovely, authentic voice, sharing Anishinaabe vision and world views. ‘– Patricia Loew, Ph.D., Professor, Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern, and Director of the Center for Native American & Indigenous Research

“Migizikwe weaves the basket of life with her words in Ba Bii Dwe We Win Sounds of Living. Evoking all the senses, we laugh with her as she makes snow angels in the middle of a frozen lake under a full Grandmother Moon on a Northern Wisconsin night. We settle into the coziness of her living room as she stokes the woodstove and sends prayers to all directions with her pipe. We smell the medicines, walk in soft moccasins, and feel the love she has for the Spirit, for all living beings, and especially her beloved family. – Tina Kuckkahn, J.D. (Lac du Flambeau Ojibwe), Director of Grantmaking at NDN Collective

Ba Bii Dwe We: Sounds Of Living moves most gracefully between form and poetic subject to arrive at moments of clarity and vision. The poet does not back away from the difficult questions of her lived experience; she does so with courage and persistence. If you take the hand of this beloved poet, she will lead you through these dream songs to a sacred place. Here is an ancient voice to inspire us, to gift us, to uplift us when we need it most.” – Denise Sweet, WI Poet Laureate 2004-08, UW Faculty Emerita, First Nations Organizer

John Bates:

“This book [Wild Lakes] is not just a catalogue of Wisconsin’s finest wet, wild places – it is all of that – but it’s also a stirring meditation on the reasons these places are so important to us. As Bates reminds us, time on the water ‘saves’ us, and now more than ever, we can be grateful for his gift in helping us understand why.” – Fred Clark, Executive Director, Wisconsin’s Green Fire

Wisconsin’s Wild Lakes invites both casual and serious nature lovers to acquaint themselves with the wildlife, beauty, and magic of undeveloped lakes so that they can begin to understand why these waters are so important to protect. Along the way, Bates shares insights and anecdotes that can only come from a person with a lifelong passion for Wisconsin’s wild and unique places.” – Eric Olson, Extension Lakes, UW Stevens Point

“A three-fold success. Creates a guide to some of Wisconsin’s most unique natural resources while also chronicling significant milestones in Northern Wisconsin conservation history and serving up a primer on lake ecology. An eloquent celebration of and call for conservation.” – Carroll Schaal, WDNR Lakes and Rivers Section Chief

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