Heritage Day: Rita Joe
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February 20, 2023 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
This Heritage Day honours the legacy of Elder Rita (Bernard) Joe, a member of the We’koqma’q Mi’kmaq Community and published author. Rita Joe was instrumental in paving the way for other Mi’kmaq authors.
Join us on the AGNS YouTube Channel on February 10th to listen to performances inspired by Elder Rita Joe by four Mi’kmaw poets (Tiffany Morris, Danica Roache, Raymond Sewell, Rebecca Thomas). Indigenous students from schools in Kjipuktuk (Halifax, NS) came to celebrate with the poets at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia and we’re excited to share this experience with you all virtually!
Swing by the AGNS on February 20th to watch it in our Windsor Foundation Lecture Theatre from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm with free admission!
This event is a collaboration with The Writer’s Federation and the Province of Nova Scotia.
About the Artists
Tiffany Morris is a Mi’kmaw/settler writer of speculative fiction and poetry from Kjipuktuk (Halifax), Nova Scotia. She is the author of the horror poetry collection Elegies of Rotting Stars (Nictitating Books, 2022). Her work has appeared in Uncanny Magazine, Nightmare Magazine, and Apex Magazine, among others. She has an MA in English with a focus on Indigenous Futurisms. She is a member of the Speculative Fiction Poetry Association and the Horror Writers Association, and her work has been nominated for Elgin, Rhysling, and Aurora Awards.
Danica Francis Roache is a mixed-ancestry mother of four, born and raised in Kjipuktuk. The daughter of Mi’kmaw journalist and educator, Trina Roache, Danica’s Mi’kmaw family is spread out across Kjipuktuk, Glooscap and other communities in what we now call Nova Scotia. A past participant of the Alistair Macleod Mentorship Program, Danica is working on her first novel, The First Five Years.
Raymond Sewell is an l’nu poet, singer-songwriter, and English professor from Pabineau, First Nation, New-Brunswick. Since a young age Raymond has been writing and producing creative works. Raymond currently lives in Bedford, Nova Scotia and is inspired by the ocean.
Rebecca Thomas is an award winning Mi’kmaw poet and activist who does not want to be a poet or activist. She just happens to be good enough at poetry and persuasion to get people to listen but her ultimate goal is to make Canada a better place for her Indigenous community because so many people tend to forget they were here first. She has accidentally found herself as the former Poet Laureate of Halifax. She has performed with the Halluci Nation and has spoken and lectured at conferences and coffee houses from coast to coast. She writes kids books about growing up the child of a residential school survivor. Her first book I’m Finding My Talk has been shortlisted for the First Nations Community Reads Award. Her most recent collection of poetry called “I place you into the fire” was listed as one of CBC’s top 20 books of 2020. Her book “Swift Fox All Along” was a finalist for the 2020 Governor General’s Award for children’s literature. She has an upcoming children’s book called “The Chair” set for a 2024 publishing date. She pays her bills by helping students who are overwhelmed with life and studies as a Student Services Advisor at the Nova Scotia Community College.