LAC LA BICHE - Britney Supernault, an Alberta Indigenous author and climate activist, was at the Stuart MacPherson Library in Lac La Biche on Feb. 18 talking about her debut novel, ‘Hey, June.’
Supernault, who goes by the pen name Cree Nomad, hails from East Prairie Métis Settlement, which is located in Big Lakes County, east of Grande Prairie and south of High Prairie.
During her stop in Lac La Biche, Supernault, who currently lives in Edmonton and writes about experiences as a two-spirit person growing up in Alberta, shared the story around the creation of ‘Hey, June’ and the journey of becoming an author.
With ‘Hey, June,’ Supernault explained that she focused on exploring grief, loss, love, and friendship through a Métis-Cree lens.
“My debut novel Hey, June follows the story of a 17-year-old-girl who wakes up alone on a hill and figures out that she is stuck between the spirit world and the world of the living,” Supernault told Lakeland This Week. “As people from her life visit her and share truths about her and her life, she realizes that the decision to stay or go is not as easy as she thought.”
Since the release of ‘Hey, June,’ on Feb. 24, 2024, Supernault has done signings and author visits at libraries and other venues in the province to promote her debut novel.
“I’ve had probably a dozen now in the last year,” she said.
In addition to becoming a published author, Supernault is also a dedicated climate activist. Some of the work they do involves writing and public speaking about her knowledge and experience as a Métis Cree person and how Indigenous people’s inherent stewardship of land is key to mitigating climate change.
“I’ve been working in the industry for a couple of years now and I was initially radicalized into climate action after my community suffered a devastating wildfire in early May 2023,” Supernault said.
Supernault is also a dedicated traveller, and has visited several destinations, including Italy, England, Greece, and Hawaii.
These journeys have provided inspiration for Cree Nomad’s writing and also created an opportunity to share and promote her Indigenous heritage with others, while learning about different cultures. These experiences have included teaching people how to make Bannock in England and Cree language words in Hawaii.
“There’s just like a fun cultural exchange that happens,” she said.
The author explained that her next book is a fantasy adventure centering on Métis-Cree stories and teachings, which is very different from ‘Hey, June.’
Storytelling, Supernault continued, is very natural to them as an Indigenous person.
“Our morals, values, and history have, historically and today, been largely shared through stories. As an author I feel I am merely expressing and extending this practice with a large audience,” the author stated.
