New Indigenous Anthology 'PASS THE SAGE' Shares Stories of Healing and Resilience

Collection from Algonquin author Tessa Belanger gathers powerful voices to illuminate trauma, loss, and cultural reclamation.

Published on Feb. 10, 2026

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PASS THE SAGE: Stories from the Fire, Teachings from the Smoke is a stirring new anthology from Algonquin author Tessa Belanger that gathers powerful Indigenous voices into one luminous collection. Rooted in ceremony, shaped by community, and told with unflinching honesty, the book blends memoir, poetry, and reflection to illuminate what many endure and how they heal.

Why it matters

Across the country, people are searching for trauma-informed ways to talk about grief, intergenerational trauma, identity, and healing. PASS THE SAGE meets this moment with more than 50 contributors, offering a collective voice instead of a single perspective and showing that healing is emotional, visual, and strongly connected to culture.

The details

The stories in PASS THE SAGE move through trauma, loss, addiction, identity, resilience, and cultural reclamation. The book features true accounts of survival and transformation, with Mothers fighting to keep their children, youth reclaiming language and ceremony, families facing the long shadow of residential schools, and Elders handing down teachings that steady the next generations.

  • PASS THE SAGE: Stories from the Fire, Teachings from the Smoke is available now.

The players

Tessa Belanger

An Algonquin mother, storyteller, jingle dress dancer, and healing activist from the Kitigan Zibi reserve. She founded Pass the Sage to amplify Indigenous voices and create spaces for cultural and emotional healing through storytelling, art, and ceremony.

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What they’re saying

“Our stories carry medicine. When we pass the sage, we're not just clearing a space, we're making room for truth, for tears, for laughter, and for community to breathe again.”

— Tessa Belanger, Author

What’s next

Through Belanger's creative writing circles and community workshops, storytelling becomes a practice of care. Youth and adults are invited to write in any form that feels natural, poetry, journaling, letters, or reflections, honouring that expression is a ceremony too.

The takeaway

PASS THE SAGE provides a powerful platform for Indigenous voices to share their stories of trauma, resilience, and cultural reclamation. By centering community, ceremony, and healing, the anthology offers a much-needed resource for those seeking to understand and engage with the lived experiences of Indigenous peoples.