Summer Tyance (or Anogkwe), an Anishinaabekwe artist who grew up in Thunder Bay, engages in all kinds of art forms. Beadwork, painting, traditional hand drumming, podcasting, improv and fancy shawl dancing are all in the repertoire of the queer Two-Spirit artist…and law student. One project they’re currently working on is a turtle rattle, to be used in community healing ceremonies, part of a course she’s created as part of her studies at the University of Victoria, exploring the connections between Indigenous law and the arts.
“What I love about Indigenous law is that it’s so inherently interwoven with art, like with our dancing at powwows,” Tyance tells Pink Ticket Travel. “We’ve talked about Coast Salish law, Anishinaabe law, Cree law, and we haven’t found a shortage of connections to art.”
Pink Ticket Travel talked to Tyance about the similarities and differences between where she grew up—Kiashke Zaaging Anishinaabek, located in Northwestern Ontario—and where she’s living now, in Victoria, British Columbia, the territory of the Lekwungen-speaking peoples of the Songhees and Xwsepsum nations and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples.
What has it been like growing up in Kiashke Zaaging Anishinaabek, then moving to the West Coast?
It was definitely on a whim. One of my really good friends growing up is also queer. There were not a lot of openly queer people where I grew up in Thunder Bay. I stay connected with him, and he encouraged me to check out going to school in British Columbia. I did my undergraduate degree in political science and Indigenous studies. The program I’m in now in Victoria was created in 2018—it’s the only place in Canada to do a dual degree in Canadian law and Indigenous law. I lived in Vancouver for about six years, then moved to Victoria for the last two years.
Compared to Thunder Bay, there’s always something to do here. Especially in Vancouver. I’m really big into music and the music scene here is awesome. Even when I was 18 and couldn’t go to clubs, there were underground music scenes that were all-ages. The food is also awesome. Vancouver is so multicultural and diverse that I love to joke that my spice tolerance has gotten way better. It’s easier here to dress how I want to dress. When I travel back to Thunder Bay, I kind of have to dress down a little bit to not, I don’t know, scare away people.
You’ve done traditional hand drumming and dancing in Ontario and on the West Coast. How is it different?
I can’t speak for all nations, but I think out west it’s more that men do the drumming, and in Ontario that’s similar for the big drum. But that’s starting to change and shift to be more open to gender diverse and Two-Spirit people. I’ve always resisted [the gendered roles] because some of the traditions have been imposed or impacted by colonialism. The drum has always been a safe space for me and the drum has never judged me. I’ve always felt comfortable practising traditional hand drumming, and I’ve found people who I can do that with in a safe space. I’m actually a part of a drum group called Strawberry Spirit Singers. They’re just such an awesome group of Indigenous women from across Turtle island, across so-called Canada. They’ve always made me feel included, if, for example, I want to wear a ribbon skirt or if I don’t want to wear a ribbon skirt. I know there can be kind of an imposition in some drum circles about what to wear or what to say or how to act. And I’ve never felt that with the folks that I drum with.
What was it like moving from Vancouver to Victoria, which is the capital but also a much smaller city, with a population of fewer than 100,000 people?
I do, for my own sake of acknowledging the territories of Esquimalt and Songhees nations, love that it’s super embodied with these rich Indigenous cultures. It’s also a lot smaller than Vancouver, which made me hesitant at first, but now I appreciate it. Coming from a small town, going to a big city, then coming back to a small town. It’s quieter, more humble. But there are still a lot of cute coffee shops, restaurants and bookstores. The historic downtown is cute and there is some really nice architecture.
Victoria is surrounded by the ocean, so there are a lot of nice beaches. Willows Beach has the best views, where you can see across the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the mountain lines. You see a lot of seals and seal life. Mount Douglas is a cute spot for hiking with really nice viewpoints.
You mentioned restaurants. Where do you recommend eating out in Victoria?
I really like Ferris’ Upstairs Seafood + Oyster Bar (536 A Yates St., Victoria). Their happy hour is really good for drinks and food, and of course, the oysters are great. It’s probably two or three dollar signs, price-wise. Is that what the people say? It has a patio, which is nice in the summer, and there’s a second patio in the back that has garden patio vibes. It’s really aesthetic.
Finn’s (1208 Wharf St., Victoria) is more of a high-end restaurant, with a lot of good seafood. They have a bison carpaccio that’s awesome.
When I’m in Vancouver, I love the Indigenous-owned restaurant Salmon n’ Bannock (1128 W. Broadway #7, Vancouver). They have amazing food and they try to use Indigenous ingredients and practices, whether that’s local or from other Indigenous nations across Canada. One of the last things I had there was bison bone marrow. That was my first time trying bone marrow and it was phenomenal. They have a lot of Indigenous art inside. It’s kind of a date-night spot, higher end but definitely worth it.
How about going out for a drink?
Wind Cries Mary (45 Bastion Square, Victoria) has really good cocktails. It’s where I’d go for a nice drink with friends. In terms of going out, the last place I went to was Lucky Bar (517 Yates St., Victoria). They have 2000s nights on Mondays. I know it’s on a Monday, but sometimes, somehow, that’s the best bump.
For something queer, there’s The Vicious Poodle (726 Johnson St., Victoria). I’ve been to a few of their U-Haul Sapphic Nights that are on the last Saturday of every month.
Victoria is a great place to explore the rest of Vancouver Island.
I’ve checked out a couple camping spots in the summer. Secret Beach Campground and Kayak Launch (Toquart Bay Rd., Ucluelet) was one of my favourite camping spots. It’s about 30 minutes from Ucluelet or an hour away from Tofino. I do really love Tofino. Very granola, very surf town. I’ve gone surfing there and it was awesome.
What do you like to check out when you go back to Thunder Bay?
There’s a big Finnish population in Thunder Bay, and Kangas Sauna Restaurant (379 Oliver Rd., Thunder Bay) has some of the best Finnish pancakes. They’re homemade with strawberries and homemade whipped cream. They also have saunas—real wood-fire saunas—you can rent out. There’s also Bonobo’s Foods (493 Oliver Rd., Thunder Bay) for people who are vegan or vegetarian. I’m not vegan or vegetarian, but that’s how I know it’s really good because their food is really good. They have a particular salad that I really love that has strawberries, mangoes and coconut on it.
What’s been your favourite holiday?
In February, I went to Cancún, Mexico, which has its pros and cons. I stayed at a resort called Krystal Cancún (Blvd. Kukulcan Km 8.5-Km. 9, Lotes 9 y 9A, Punta Cancun, Zona Hotelera, Cancún). It was fabulous—the staff, the service, right on the beachfront. It’s an all-inclusive resort so you’ve got your buffet, but there are also four other restaurants that are part of the all-inclusive. We went out to Congo Bar (Blvd. Kukulcan Km 9.5, Punta Cancun, Zona Hotelera, Cancún), which was a good deal for an open bar. Not Coco Bongo, which is their sister club. Monkey Business Cancún (Blvd. Kukulcan km 9, Punta Cancun, Zona Hotelera, Cancún) had a really good DJ who was getting people engaged. These weren’t queer places, but there were definitely queer people around. I didn’t face any kind of discrimination or anything like that. That’s just my own experience.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
