The Trickster

by Francis Baptiste

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For the Syilx [see-ilks] people, much of their oral history is passed on through stories about Coyote the Trickster. In their endangered language, Nsyilxcən [ne-see-ilk-sin], the word for coyote is Snk’lip [sin-kleep]. The words “Snk’lip, the Trickster” serve as the main hook of Francis Baptiste’s new single, “The Trickster,” due out on January 30, 2024.

An Indigenous songwriter from the Osoyoos Indian Band, Baptiste continues to incorporate cultural knowledge sharing into his songwriting. His debut album, Sneqsilx [snek-see-ilk] (Family), featured several songs written in the endangered language of Nsyilxcən. On his forthcoming sophomore LP, titled “Snklip, the Trickster,” Baptiste writes about how a mischievous sense of humour can bring people closer together, and how that same humour can work as a coping mechanism for intergenerational trauma. The Syilx people have always used humour in their traditional storytelling, as exemplified by stories of Snk’lip.

“I think every Syilx person has a little Snk’lip in their soul,” Baptiste says. “We can be a very mischievous group. Our unique sense of humour pulls us together and helps get us through hard times. Now I’m passing that humour––and mischief––on to my son. It’s just as much part of our culture as the language itself.”

The opening words of The Trickster is a tongue-in-cheek play on the popular idiom “ignorance is bliss.” It’s a fitting starting point, considering Baptiste has strived to dispel ignorance about Indigenous communities through cultural knowledge sharing in his music. “Sharing these experiences,” Baptiste says, “is how people grow to understand each other and better connect.”

lyrics

You don't seem very blissful
considering how ignorant you are.
I might lie just a little too much.
But I'm smiling while you lose your mind.
Snk'lip, the Trickster,
I seek out trouble from troubled minds.
Snk'lip, the Trickster,
I seek out trouble, and trouble I find.
You tell me it's no joke
if I'm the only one laughing.
I might be inconsiderate
in my constant self-amusement.
Snk'lip, the Trickster,
I seek out trouble from troubled minds.
Snk'lip, the Trickster,
I seek out trouble, and trouble I find.

credits

released December 30, 2023

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Francis Baptiste Vancouver, British Columbia

Francis Baptiste is an Indigenous singer/songwriter. He is also a music journalist.

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