Chris La Tray
Born1967 (age 55–56)
OccupationWriter
Website
chrislatray.com

Chris La Tray (born April 4, 1967) is a writer who lives in Missoula, Montana. He is a member of the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana and also identifies as Métis.[1][2] His first full-length book, One-Sentence Journal: Short Poems and Essays From the World At Large won the 2018 Montana Book Award and a 2019 High Plains Book Award. He published Descended From a Travel-worn Satchel, a book of haiku and haibun poetry, in 2021. His next book, Becoming Little Shell is to be published in Summer 2023.[3] La Tray was named Montana’s poet laureate for 2023-2024.[4]

La Tray grew up in Frenchtown, Montana. His grandparents identified as Chippewa but his father denied the family's Native American ancestry.[5] He was raised with a knowledge of his Métis background,[2] but first became aware that his heritage was also Little Shell in his early 40s, a common experience for people of Little Shell heritage.[5] His Métis great-great-grandfather worked an interpreter for the US Army, as he knew multiple languages, including French, English, Cree, Chippewa (Ojibwe), Dakota, and Crow (Apsalooke).[2]

La Tray keeps a bi-weekly Substack newsletter called, "An Irritable Métis."

Prior to publishing full-length books, La Tray published numerous freelance nonfiction and short fiction pieces as well as photography,[6] and was a regular contributing writer for the Missoula Independent.[7]

References

  1. ↑ "Chris La Tray". Chris La Tray. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 La Tray, Chris (21 December 2021). "I was raised beside 'Squaw Peak' – it's time to change America's offensive place names". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  3. ↑ "An Evening with Métis Storyteller, Chris La Tray". dearbutte.com. Archived from the original on 27 January 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  4. ↑ "Chris La Tray Named 2023-2024 Montana Poet Laureate". news.mt.gov. Retrieved 2023-10-22.
  5. 1 2 "A big moment finally comes for the Little Shell: Federal recognition of their tribe". Washington Post. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  6. ↑ "Chris LaTray - "If You Don't Ask, You Can't Hear Yes" (or) "Wolf Watching with John Vaillant"". Tell Us Something. September 12, 2015. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  7. ↑ "Missoula Independent | Representative sample of multiple other credits". www.newspapers.com. 2010. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
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