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Rita Joe: A Highly Esteemed Mi Kmaq Poet

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Rita Joe was a highly esteemed Mi'kmaq poet and a prominent figure in Canadian literature. She was born on March 15, 1932, in Whycocomagh, Nova Scotia, and passed away on March 20, 2007, in Sydney, Nova Scotia. Recognized as the poet laureate of the Mi'kmaq people, Joe's poetry speaks of Indigenous identity and the lasting impact of residential schools in Canada. Her works shed light on the struggles, resilience, and rich cultural heritage of Indigenous communities. Joe’s significant contributions were honoured with several awards and honours, including the Order of Canada and the National Aboriginal Achievement Award. Rita Joe is remembered for how her poems expose truths about residential schools and growing up Indigenous in Canada, while …show more content…

Metaphors enable Joe to communicate layers of meaning and create a deeper emotional impact. In the poem, Rita Joe refers to her words as a “scrambled ballad.” This phrase carries multiple layers of meaning. The term “ballad” traditionally refers to a narrative poem or song that tells a story. By using the word “ballad,” Joe speaks of the importance of storytelling and oral tradition in Indigenous cultures. It signifies that her “lost talk,” language was forcibly silenced and distorted. The word “scrambled” suggests that Joe’s words have been jumbled or mixed up. It implies that her language and expression have been muddled, altered, and suppressed. The act of scrambling her talk was a deliberate attempt to erase her identity and force her into the cultural norms imposed upon her. The term “scrambled ballad” can also be interpreted as a reflection of the confusion Joe experienced as a result of losing her identity. The residential school and cultural oppression have turned her voice into a “scrambled ballad,” no longer able to express herself in her own culture. The similies “I speak like you, I think like you, I create like you” showcase the suppression by the colonizers. By using similes, Joe emphasizes the loss of her voice and the assimilation that occurred in the residential school system. The simile suggests that Joe has adopted the language, thought patterns, and creative expressions of the colonizers, implying a loss of her unique speech, thought and imagination. The simile highlights the unequal power dynamic and the impact it has had on Rita Joe’s sense of self. By using metaphor and simile, Joe conveys the assimilation and conformity imposed upon Indigenous children in the residential school system, emphasizing the effects of cultural suppression and the longing to reclaim one's authentic voice and

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