I am Chantal Kyplain, also known by my nêhiyaw (Cree) name Kaskitêwi-Pihêsiw Iskwêw (Black Thunderbird Woman). I am a Cree and Métis mother, poet, storyteller, self-published author, full-spectrum doula, and Board Secretary of the Matriarch Council of the 2 Spirits in Motion Society. I work full-time as an Executive Assistant in the non-profit sector, supporting initiatives that uplift Indigenous voices. Four years sober and walking the Red Road, my lived experience shapes the honesty and depth of my work.

Originally from Île-à-la-Crosse (Sakitawak — “where the rivers meet”), I now live and work in Saskatoon on Treaty 6 territory. My work is rooted in wahkôhtowin and matriarchal teachings, grounded in the belief that writing is medicine. Through MetaphorGirl, I transform survival into story, honour Indigenous womanhood, and explore motherhood, grief, and becoming.

In 2024, I self-published Fragments of Her, which sold internationally within two weeks of release. My poetry has been featured in APTN’s National Indigenous Peoples History Month anthology, and I have shared my work at the National Métis 2Spirit Gathering, The Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, Art Bar Saskatoon, and through youth panels, workshops, and community gatherings.

My work is culturally grounded, trauma-informed, and community-centered. I speak and facilitate on addiction, recovery, grief, intimate partner violence, homelessness, and motherhood — creating spaces where healing, resilience, and Indigenous identity can coexist and be celebrated.