I Lost My Talk By Thomas King

The mistreatment of Indigenous people in Canada is a leading factor in the loss of their identity; a tragic consequence of colonialism and systemic injustice. “Totem” by Thomas King, an American-born novelist and member of the Order of Canada, conveys the message of the mistreatment of Indigenous peoples by the government with the use of various literary elements. King voices his opinions about the government’s terrible and shallow decisions they make and solutions they come up with. Comparatively, “I lost my talk” by Rita Joe, a Mi'kmaw poet and member of the Order of Canada, also speaks of the tragedies that the Indigenous peoples have faced, but through a more personal lens where she talks about her experiences as a former student of Shubenacadie Indian Residential School. Although "Totem" and "I lost my talk" differ in their usage of tone and imagery, they both

The tones of "Totem" and "I lost my talk" are like yin and yangーopposite in nature. King utilizes satire and irony to convey his message about the true history of Canada, effectively relaying the absurd and deranged approaches the Canadian government takes regarding the Indigenous peoples. Specifically, once the initial totem pole is removed, a question of “where do you want us to take [the totem pole]” (King) arises, to which a conclusion of “[Finding] some temporary place, I suppose” (King) is made. The shocking response of moving the totem pole to a temporary place alludes to the government's answer to the Indigenous peoples; relocating them from their homeland to reserves. It is ironic and satirical that the museum staff treat the totem pole, a symbol of Indigenous culture and spirituality, as a mere object that can easily be moved around whenever they please. Additionally, there is irony in that the totem pole is being “temporarily” relocated as if it is a minor inconvenience that will later be dealt with, even though the relocation of the