The community of Eskasoni First Nation cheered and celebrated this week as their “gentle warrior” Rita Joe was named Nova Scotia’s Heritage Day honouree.
A special event held Feb. 16 was filled with live performances and presentations, as family and friends delivered a heartfelt tribute to the life and legacy of Joe, who was an author, speaker and mother. She passed away in 2007.
“We considered her like she was the ambassador of the Mi’kmaq. But it was nice to see her (as an) ambassador for Nova Scotia. That she’s not just ours, but we will share her with Nova Scotia too,” said her daughter Ann Joe.
Rita Joe reached millions through her timeless poetry and dedicated her craft to sharing the experiences of the Mi’kmaq to the world. She published her first collection of poetry in 1978 and went on to earn many honours, including recognition as the poet laureate of the Mi’kmaq.
She was born in 1932 in We’koqma’q First Nation, Unama’ki (Cape Breton Island) and spent several years in foster care, before attending the Indian Residential School in Shubenacadie. She moved to Eskasoni First Nation as an adult, and much of her writing celebrated her people and highlighted the experiences she had at the residential school.
One of her best known pieces is I Lost My Talk, which was about the residential school system and the loss of the Mi’kmaw language.
“She was world-renowned for her poetry. She showed young Mi’Kmaw youth that a Mi’Kmaw speaker could soar to amazing heights,” said Jaime Battiste, MP for Sydney-Victoria.
Chief Leroy Denny of Eskasoni called Joe “a national hero. Her work is amazing, iconic and she’s a national hero to me.”
Joe’s family believes the poet would be grateful to be represented on this holiday, because it would show the impact of her work and its ability to inspire generations.
“She would be happy. She would say, ‘My shadow celebrates. You have found me,”‘ said Ann Joe.
— With a file from Rebecca Lau
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