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  • $16.95

    ISBN: 9781772012422 | Paperback

    112 pages | Pub. Date: 20200101
    5.5 W × 8.5 H × .75 D inches
    Backlist | Drama | Bisac: DRA013000
    Rights: WORLD

    Or find Kamloopa in your local bookstore

Kamloopa
An Indigenous Matriarch Story
By Kim Senklip Harvey

TIME: All.
SPACE: The Multiverse.
Come along for the ride to Kamloopa, the largest Powwow on the West Coast. This high-energy Indigenous matriarchal story follows two urban Indigenous sisters and a lawless Trickster who face our world head-on as they come to terms with what it means to honour who they are and where they come from. But how to go about discovering yourself when Christopher Columbus allegedly already did that? Bear witness to the courage of these women as they turn to their Ancestors for help in reclaiming their power in this ultimate transformation story.

In developing matriarchal relationships and shared Indigenous values, Kamloopa explores the fearless love and passion of two Indigenous women reconnecting with their homelands, Ancestors, and stories. Kim Senklip Harvey’s play is a boundary-blurring adventure that will remind you to always dance like the Ancestors are watching.

Kamloopa: An Indigenous Matriarch Story is the work of Governor General’s Award winner Kim Senklip Harvey, a proud Indigenous woman from the Syilx, Tsilhqot’in, Ktunaxa, and Dakelh First Nations, listed for the Gina Wilkinson Prize for her work as an emerging director and widely considered to be one of this land’s most original voices among the next generation of Indigenous artists. The book is co-authored with the Fire Company: Cris Derksen, Yolanda Bonnell, Daniela Masellis, Lindsay Lachance, Jessica Schacht, Michelle Chabassol, Samantha Brown, Emily Soussana, Madison Henry, Kaitlyn Yott, and Samantha McCue, and it includes a foreword by Lindsay Lachance, the Artistic Associate of Indigenous Theatre at the National Arts Centre, and a special zine / study guide by Miki Wolf.

The peer assessment committee of 2020 Governor General’s Literary Awards including Catherine Banks, Andrew Moodie, and Kenneth T. Williams have noted the following about Kamloopa: An Indigenous Matriarch Story: “The brilliance, the irreverence, the fire of Kamloop sweeps us into the world of three Indigenous women on a mind-bending quest. The audience is seduced by the love, humour and depth of these matriarchs as they embrace and celebrate who they are in the world and with each other. A play that will encourage you to re-evaluate your relationship with Canada.”

Cast of three Indigenous women.

Winner of 2020 Governor General’s Literary Award for Drama

Kamloopa is a hilarious and courageous transformation story. Kim Senklip Harvey makes a generous invitation for all of us to bear witness to the joy, resilience, and brilliance of Indigenous women.”
—Christine Quintana

Kamloopa brought me an empowerment of self and a reclaiming of knowledge. It brought me sisterhood and ties that have shaped the way I create and approach life. As an Indigenous woman I felt seen, heard, and valid, something we should all experience. Miigwech.”
—Samantha Brown

“A thoughtful, funny, and compelling exploration of the complexities of Indigenous community making and knowledge reclamation.”
BC Studies

“Provocative, hilarious, and shit-disturbing, Kamloopa is at once political, uncompromising, and generous. It centres stories and experiences and BODIES that are almost never given this level of agency, importance, and general badass hilarity. At its centre, Kamloopa claims dissent, humour, and experiences that settler Canadian audiences aren’t familiar with … Brilliant.”
—Marcus Youssef

“Harvey’s play is set simultaneously in the messy apartment of two sisters, and in “the multiverse.” It’s set in the here and now, and it’s set across, and outside of time. In other words, it’s both incredibly specific, and much broader than the constructs of any given book.”
—the Tyee

“This story about three women who are actively trying to decolonize themselves (whether they realize it or not) resonated deeply … Uplifting the voices of Indigenous women, Two-Spirit, and non-binary folks is incredibly important to our resistance and our communities. Kamloopa is one of those stories providing that platform.”
—Yolanda Bonnell

“The brilliance, the irreverence, the fire of Kamloop sweeps us into the world of three Indigenous women on a mind-bending quest. The audience is seduced by the love, humour and depth of these matriarchs as they embrace and celebrate who they are in the world and with each other. A play that will encourage you to re-evaluate your relationship with Canada.”
—The peer assessment committee of 2020 Governor General’s Literary Awards

By Kim Senklip Harvey

Kim Senklip Harvey is a proud Syilx, Tsilhqot’in, Ktunaxa, and Dakelh Nations womxn and is a Fire Creator (director / playwright / actor / community member) and Indigenous Cultural Evolutionist.

Read more about Kim Senklip Harvey


news | 2023-05-16
“Kamloopa” Reviewed in The British Columbia Review

…you to Amanda Wandler for writing this review of Kamloopa , the Governor General’s Award winning play by … Kim Senklip Harvey . Kamloopa is a high-energy Indigenous matriarchal story … From the review: “Although Kim Senklip Harvey’s Kamloopa portrays a journey (a spiritual journey, a … and shared experience. Each time I picked up Kamloopa, I found myself laughing and crying.” Read the …


news | 2022-06-17
Indigenous History Month

…by Jordan Abel 7. Iron Peggy by Marie Clements 8. Kamloopa by Kim Senklip Harvey 9. Pots and Other Living …


news | 2021-06-21
National Indigenous Peoples Day

…Residential School (2012) by Bev Sellars . 2. Kamloopa: An Indigenous Matriarch Story (2020) by Kim …


news | 2021-06-01
2020 Governor General’s Literary Award Winner for Drama

…excited to announce that Kim Senklip Harvey’s Kamloopa: An Indigenous Matriarch Story is the winner of … to Kim and the Fire Company! Pick up your copy of Kamloopa: An Indigenous Matriarch Story today! Kamloopa: … T. Williams have noted the following about Kamloopa: An Indigenous Matriarch Story: “The brilliance, … to Kim’s interview about her award-winning play Kamloopa: An Indigenous Matriarch Story on CBC Radio One …


news | 2021-05-13
Governor General’s Literary Awards Finalists

…one finalist in Drama for Kim Senklip Harvey’s Kamloopa , and another in Poetry for Oana Avasilichioaei’s …


news | 2020-04-02
Livestreamed reading of Kim Senklip Harvey's Kamloopa now available

…Yott, and Emily Soussana – did a live reading of Kamloopa: An Indigenous Matriarch Story , in partnership …


news | 2020-02-14
Kim Senklip Harvey on the enriching work of translating the n̓səl̓xcin̓ parts of Kamloopa

…Kim Senklip Harvey’s play, Kamloopa: An Indigenous Matriarch Story , is a high-energy …


news | 2019-12-09
Kamloopa Is Here!

Kamloopa: An Indigenous Matriarch Story , by Kim Senklip … in-house at Talon! Come along for the ride to Kamloopa, the largest Powwow on the West Coast. This … in this ultimate transformation story. In 2018, Kamloopa had a three-city world premiere and was nominated … in the awards history to win Best Production. Kamloopa was the 2019 recipient of the Sydney J Risk prize … the SATAward for outstanding Projection Design. Kamloopa’s wonderful cover art was created by artist …


news | 2019-06-20
Celebrating National Indigenous Peoples Day

…Beings as well as Kim Senklip Harvey’s Kamloopa: An Indigenous Matriarch Story. In Spring 2020, …