Tsehkehnache Poetry

About the Book

Tsehkehnache Poetry is based on my experiences in life, the heartaches and negative impact of alcohol in my life. The love of my life, my husband Tony, is the inspiration behind the love poems for he was the one who taught me all about affection and trust. To me, spirituality is the most important aspect in life, and the second most important is family. My husband and children and grandchildren are the happiness of sunshine in my life right now.

About the Author

My name is Jean Chalifoux. I come from the Sekani First Nations people in northern British Columbia.

Sekani is pronounced Tsay Keh Nay meaning "people of the mountain top". Our people have lived in the rocky mountain trench and surrounding areas since time immemorial. Tsehkehnache means "Mountain Dreamer" in the Sekani language. I decided to name the book "Tsehkehnache Poetry" to encourage the young people of Tsay Keh that they can make their dreams a reality if they are willing.

I started writing poetry 27 years ago and until recently I've never thought about publishing my work. Friends and family have told me time and again to publish, but I felt that it was the wrong thing to do until I realized that there were people who really enjoyed reading my work.

My work is based on life in general and the inspirations of the outdoors I see beauty in all forms of life. I truly wish that this book will be a blessing to all the people who read it.