Troy Sebastian has made the 2018 CBC Short Story Prize longlist for tax niʔ pik̓ak — a long time ago.

Troy Sebastian, |nupqu ʔak·ǂam̓, is a Ktunaxa writer living in Lekwungen territory. His writing has appeared in the Malahat Review, The New Quarterly, Quill & Quire and Ktuqckakyam. He is a recipient of the 2017 Hnatyshyn REVEAL Indigenous Arts Award and graduate of the Indigenous Writers Program at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.

Listen to owls and grandmothers.

"Confederation is a wave that must resisted, must be broken. I hear the tremor of another tide pulling me towards Yawuʔnik̓, towards Naⱡmuqȼin. We lick the blood from the knife and dance accordingly. Inspiration is a trifle in such space."

tax niʔpik̓ak — a long time ago, Ka titi was in her kitchen when Uncle Pat came in and said

"Did you see what the suyupi did now? They built a statue to David Thompson. They say he is a great man. Many people gathered at the hilltop and there were speeches and kapi. I like kapi so I went there and that's what they said."

Uncle Pat was known for a few things, his old beat up red and black Ford truck and his love of kapi.

"If you keep drinking that it will make you think like a crazy suyupi," said Ka titi.

It was true, Uncle Pat had become more and more like the suyupi with every cup of kapi. He used to dream with Kⱡawⱡa and Kupi but ever since he enjoyed too much kapi they dreamt on their own.

The winner of the 2018 CBC Short Story Prize will receive $6,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts, will have their story published on CBC Books and will have the opportunity to attend a 10-day writing residency at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. Four finalists will each receive $1,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts and have their story published on CBC Books.