procession by katherena vermette | The Miramichi Reader

“Grown of parts / older than the whole / twined together like braid / worn but new”

A deceptively simple stanza, yet the more you read into, the more it reveals a truth one might overlook. You’re a part of something massive; even if that role may be small—it still holds its weight. This familiar feeling of vulnerability, introspection, and the overwhelming intimidation of finding one’s purpose is artfully woven together by Canadian author katherena vermette, a Michif (Red River Métis) writer from Treaty 1 territory in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Having returned to the literary scene with her third poetry collection, procession, vermette welcomes readers into the intricacy of genealogy, of honouring one’s ancestors and future kin while navigating one’s identity—both spiritually and through art.

Format plays an important role in procession. With an introduction and an outro, the collection is sectioned off into four parts, each having their own interlude. We’re given, in a sense, a playbill or pamphlet that reveals the steady progression of vermette’s life and her understanding of where she fits in the world, in her family, and in herself. Though not told chronologically, we see snippets of the different factors that shaped and continue to shape the person vermette currently is. Like its namesake, we are guests to a ceremony that celebrates the ancestors watching over the present, and the present making way for the future. Every line, every poem is situated with careful deliberation; and I love the way she welcomes our spirit (“Anniin”) with hers to create this camaraderie between us, rather than leaving us as outsiders looking in. Pushing this idea further, vermette skillfully drives this point home through the artistic choice in foregoing capitalization and the rigidity of punctuation marks. Something seemingly insignificant, a blink-and-you-miss-it stylistic choice that mimics the themes of continuity and family. There are no breaks, only this connection, though invisible, that keeps everything moving along.

Every line, every poem is situated with careful deliberation … There are no breaks, only this connection, though invisible, that keeps everything moving along.

As readers, we’re invited to think about the weight of lineage in vermette’s poetry collection and “grimoire”, one of my personal favourites, sets that stage up beautifully. A magic book of spells and invocations. Its purpose is to call upon the past knowledge of elders and previous generations to aid us—the present—in creating something new for the future. We call upon our past generations for guidance, to adapt their lessons to our lives now. It’s magical and awe-inspiring to know family transcends time, death itself and lives through and beyond us. Now yes, that sounds like a basic observation. But when there’s pressure to live up to those family traditions and all that entails, it gets harder to acknowledge how you’re still doing your part. Especially when it doesn’t feel you’re attuned to your roots or that you’ve deviated from the “norm”. vermette’s words are reassuring as much as they are powerful in evoking the connection between something once thought distant, say great-great grandmothers, to a possibility of one’s great-great grandchildren. vermette reminds us to be who we are, that the blood of our family runs through our veins, and the way to honour that is through living. Our experiences add onto that rich history that never truly ends, but passes along. Our ancestors live through us, watch over and share their knowledge with us.

vermette is blunt, almost cheeky, in some of her poems as she contemplates her own identity and with “your body is a sovereign nation”, that message of only and all really flourishes. She reminds us that our body is our own, yet it holds so much meaning and history—a place where all points connect. No matter what you may think, you are connected to your ancestry. It lives on and will continue through you. You are, in a sense, the point where all things meet. vermette sees us for who we are. She roots us to the present; and with beautiful metaphors and imagery, brings back that reclamation of ourselves and our identity.

Finding meaning is never easy. procession celebrates the freedom in knowing that you currently play a vital role in this grand equation. You’re free to be and the freedom in figuring that out—knowing you have family guiding you, and a future after you. Her careful choice of metaphors and captivating eloquence evokes this hope to have time to enjoy the life you have, knowing that there’s still a future. You leave your own lasting mark. You are the lived experience; the stories of old that live in you through memories and shared stories. Your recollection of them already helps in shaping the future—you hold on to your family. You’re a part of something grand; but you’re not just the sum. You hold your own weight, your existence is yours. And it’s theirs, and it’s the unknown future after you.

And I think that’s enough.

katherena vermette (she/her) is a Red River Métis (Michif) writer from Treaty 1 territory. Her father’s roots run deep in this land, dating back over two centuries, and her mother’s side is Mennonite.

vermette received the Governor General’s Literary Award for Poetry for her first book, North End Love Songs, and wide acclaim for her second collection of poems, river woman. The Break, a novel, won many awards including the Amazon.ca First Novel Award, and was a bestseller in Canada. She holds an MFA from the University of British Columbia.

Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, katherena lives with her family in a cranky old house within skipping distance of the temperamental Red River.

Publisher: House of Anansi Press (September 30, 2025)
Paperback 5.5″ x 8.5″ | 112 pages
ISBN: 9781487013523

Alicia Beggs-Holder

With a BA in English from Toronto Metropolitan University, Alicia Beggs-Holder has experience editing and reviewing various literary works. Possessed with boundless curiosity, she’s an avid pursuer of anything interesting. From folklore to insects, she’s a “spooky” enthusiast with a passion for all literature and writing short stories or dabbling in traditional art.