| Chris La Tray | |
| Occupation: | Writer |
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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 August 2024.[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. He was raised with a knowledge of his Métis background, 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).
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]