Helen Knott In My Own Moccasins

A Memoir of Resilience

The Regina Collection

Helen Knott, a highly accomplished Indigenous woman, seems to have it all. But in her memoir, she offers a different perspective. In My Own Moccasins is an unflinching account of addiction, intergenerational trauma, and the wounds brought on by sexual violence. It is also the story of sisterhood, th. Helen Knott, a highly accomplished Indigenous woman, seems to have it all. But in her memoir, she offers a different perspective. In My Own Moccasins is an unflinching account of addiction, intergenerational trauma, and the wounds brought on by sexual violence. In My Own Moccasins: A childhood and early adulthood marked by sexual abuse and rape led Dane Zaa and Cree woman Helen Knott into deep addiction. Despite her descent, she also managed to travel to Switzerland at the behest of the Nobel Women’s Initiative as one of.

Published by: University of Regina Press

Helen Knott, a highly accomplished Indigenous woman, seems to have it all. But in her memoir, she offers a different perspective. In My Own Moccasins is an unflinching account of addiction, intergenerational trauma, and the wounds brought on by sexual violence. It is also the story of sisterhood, the power of ceremony, the love of family,.
Helen Knott: In My Own Moccasins Join us for an author reading and discussion from Helen Knott about her memoir, In My Own Moccasins: A Memoir of Resilience, an unflinching memoir of addiction, intergenerational trauma, and courage.

Imprint: University of Regina Press

304 Pages, 4.72 x 7.48 x 0.50 in

Helen Knott In My Own Moccasins A Memoir Of Resilience

Long-listed for the 2020 RBC Taylor Prize
A memoir of addiction, intergenerational trauma, and the lasting wounds of sexual violence
Helen Knott, a highly accomplished Indigenous woman, seems to have it all. But in her memoir, she offers a different perspective. In My Own Moccasins is an unflinching account of addiction, intergenerational trauma, and the wounds brought on by sexual violence. It is also the story of sisterhood, the power of ceremony, the love of family, and the possibility of redemption.
With gripping moments of withdrawal, times of spiritual awareness, and historical insights going back to the signing of Treaty 8 by her great-great grandfather, Chief Bigfoot, her journey exposes the legacy of colonialism, while reclaiming her spirit.

'Heartfelt, heartbreaking, triumphant and raw, In My Own Moccasins is a must-read for anyone who's ever felt lost in their life… Actually, it's a must-read for anyone who appreciates stories of struggle, redemption and healing. Knott’s writing is confident, clear, powerful and inspiring.' ~Jowita Bydlowska, author, Guy: A Novel and Drunk Mom

'Proclaims healing a revolutionary act.' ~Booklist

'A beautiful rendering of how recovery for our peoples is inevitably about reconnecting with Indigenous identities, lands, cultural and healing practices.' ~Kim Anderson, author, Reconstructing Native Womenhood

'Helen Knott speaks truth to the experience of Indigenous women living through the violence of colonized spaces and she does so with grace, beauty and a ferocity that makes me feel so proud.' ~Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, author, This Accident of Being Lost

'Helen writes beautifully and painfully, about her own life and the lives of many of our sisters. A strong, gentle voice removing the colonial blanket and exposing truth.' ~Maria Campbell, author, Halfbreed

'An incredible debut that documents how trauma and addiction can be turned into healing and love. I am in awe of Helen Knott and her courage. I am a fan for life. Wow.' ~Richard Van Camp, author, The Lesser Blessed

'Powerful, filled with emotion.' ~Carol Daniels, author, Bearskin Diary and Hiraeth

'In My Own Moccasins never flinches. The story goes dark, and then darker. We live in an era where Indigenous women routinely go missing, our youth are killed and disposed of like trash, and the road to justice doesn’t seem to run through the rez. Knott’s journey is familiar, filled with the fallout of residential school, racial injustice, alcoholism, drugs, and despair. But she skillfully draws us along and opens up her life, her family, and her communities to show us a way forward. It’s the best kind of memoir: clear-eyed, generous, and glorious…. Bear witness to the emergence of one of the most powerful voices of her generation.' ~Eden Robinson, author, on of a Trickster and Monkey Beach (from the foreword)

'An incredibly forceful and moving book, the embodiment of what it means to reconcile, both with oneself and with others.' ~Quill & Quire

Within the opening pages of “In My Own Moccasins: A Memoir of Resilience,”Helen Knott, an Indigenous poet and activist, makes it clear that her offering is not to educate or inform people about issues of violence against Indigenous women or colonialism.

“I want this book for women who have similar stories, who’ve been through sexual violence and have had a hard time healing,” Knott says. “I know that there are so many women who live with those stories up until their old age and never tell anybody. And I know that too because people have reached out to me, thinking that they were the only ones.”

Released in 2019 and winner of the Saskatchewan Indigenous Peoples’ Publishing Award 2020, Knott’s author debut is an unflinching recount of her experiences and struggles with sexual violence and addiction. She starts in a physical and mental state of withdrawal, battling the choice to keep fighting for her life or disappear and succumb to the violence. With the help of Indigenous women in her life and the cultural traditions they carry, she unfolds her a journey back to herself and a pathway toward healing.

“Being in a state where I didn’t see those good parts anymore, I could go down this road kind of written out like a path of this colonial violence or I could choose to fight and live,” Knott recalls. “And I made that choice.”

Listen: Helen Knott performs her poem “Breathe.”

Knott’s activism works deeply to show the connections between violence against Indigenous women and the violence being done to the environment of her home in British Columbia. Watch her video below.

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