Raised By Cedar Smoke & Prayers

These poems are pieces of my life. Some were born from grief that refused to stay silent. Others came from moments of healing, laughter, hope, and rediscovering who I was. They are not arranged by theme or chapter because life has never unfolded that way. Joy and sorrow walk beside each other. Healing is rarely linear. Neither is this book. I am a proud Lummi woman, raised by my grandparents on the shores of my homelands, where cedar, saltwater, songs, and stories shaped the person I continue to become. My traditional name, Whe’Cho’Litsa, reminds me that I carry more than my own footsteps—I carry those of the generations who came before me and the responsibility to leave something meaningful for those who come after. Every poem within these pages carries a part of my heart. Some honor the loved ones I have lost. Some celebrate the people who helped me stand when I could barely carry myself. Others are written for every Indigenous child searching for belonging, every person learning to love themselves, and every soul who has wondered if tomorrow would ever feel lighter. I do not write because I have all the answers. I write because words became the place where my grief could breathe, where my ancestors could whisper, and where hope could find me again. If you find yourself somewhere in these pages, I hope you know you are not walking alone. I hope these poems remind you that healing can grow from the deepest wounds, that our stories deserve to be told, and that even after the hardest winters, the cedar still stands. This collection is more than poetry. It is my thank you to my family, my ancestors, my community, and every person who believed in me before I believed in myself.