Song of Rita Joe: Autobiography of a Mi'kmaq Poet

by Rita Joe

Here is the enlightening story of an esteemed and eloquent Mi’kmaq woman whose message of “gentle persuasion” has enriched the life of a nation. Rita Joe is celebrated as a poet, an educator, and an ambassador. In 1989, she accepted the Order of Canada “on behalf of native people across the nation.” In this spirit she tells her story and, by her example, illustrates the experiences of an entire generation of aboriginal women in Canada. Song of Rita Joe is the story of Joe’s remarkable her education in an Indian residential school, her turbulent marriage, and the daily struggles within her family and community. It is the story of how Joe’s battles with racism, sexism, poverty, and personal demons became the catalyst for her first poems and allowed her to reclaim her aboriginal heritage. Today, her story as she moves into old age, Joe writes that her lifelong spiritual quest is ever deepening.

Genres: Indigenous, Nonfiction, Canada, Memoir, Biography Memoir, Autobiography, Biography

199 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Rita Joe was born and spent her childhood on a Mi'kmaq Reserve at Whycocomagh on Cape Breton Island. She lived with foster families after her mother's death when she was just 5 years old. Orphaned when she was 10, Rita Joe left the island at the age of 12 to go to the Shubenacadie Indian Residential School on mainland Nova Scotia. Rita Joe later returned to Cape Breton to live on the Eskasoni First Nations Reserve, where she and her husband raised 10 children, including 2 adopted sons.

Rita Joe recalled being told constantly, at the Residential School, "'You're no good.'" She began writing herself to challenge such negative messages, which she encountered again as an adult, in the books her own children were reading. In the prologue to her memoir, Rita Joe states, "My greatest wish is that there will be more writing from my people, and that our children will read it. I have said again and again that our history would be different if it had been expressed by us."

Rita Joe's first collection of poetry, titled Poems Of Rita Joe, was published in 1978. Song of Eskasoni: More Poems of Rita Joe appeared in 1989, followed by in 1991. Rita Joe's poetry is Lnu and Indians We Re Called included in the 1994 anthology Kelusultiek: Original Women's Voices of Atlantic Canada. Kelusultiek, which takes its title from a poem by Rita Joe and translates as "we speak," also includes the lyrics and music to 2 of her best known songs: "The Drumbeat Is the Heartbeat of the Nation" and "Oka Song." The latter was written in response to the 1990 land dispute and armed standoff at OKA. Poems from Rita Joe's now out-of-print first collection can also be found in We Are the Dreamers: Recent and Early Poetry (1999). Her poems cover a wide range of subjects, from the domestic to the spiritual. Her language is blunt but lyrical, and she captures both the anguish and elation of life. Rita Joe co-edited, with Lesley Choyce, and contributed to The Mi'kmaq Anthology (2003).

Rita Joe is the subject of a 1993 NFB documentary titled 'Song of Eskasoni'. Her memoir, Song of Rita Joe: Autobiography of a Mi'kmaq Poet was published in 1996. She relates both the terrible difficulties and the amazing accomplishments of her life in unassuming but compelling prose. Her autobiography also includes poetry, music, and photographs.

Rita Joe received many accolades and honours. She was a member of both the Order of Canada and the Queen's Privy Council for Canada. She received a National Aboriginal Achievement Award, and was awarded a number of honorary doctorates. Rita Joe is often referred to as the "poet laureate" of the Mi'kmaq

Reviews

[Jonathan Bécotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un livre d’une grande humanité.

[Jenny Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first encountered Rita Joe when she received an honourary doctorate at my undergraduate graduation in 1993. Her speech and poetry were incredibly moving. Her life story is the same. Thank you to the Halifax Public Library for making the electronic version of this book widely available - it is a must read, particularly for those of us who grew up in her land.

[Leanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this text, although it does have some sensitive parts and should be left to a mature reader that is capable of handling the black and white truths of abuse- literal and metaphorical.

[Sherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for WOL Maine Humanities Let’s Talk about It Native American Authors. For Feb 2021 discussion.

This is the autobiography of Mi’kmaq poet Rita Joe.
She was born on March 15, 1932 in Whucocomagh, Cape Breton, Canada, the sixth of seven children, partially orphaned when her mother died with the seventh child when she was five. After a brief stay with her father, oldest brother and older sister with her grandparents, two other brothers were already at the residential school. Thereafter from the time she was five until she was twelve she moved through a constantly shifting series of foster homes in nearby Mi’kmaq communities, surviving and trying g to be a hard working perfect child for her sometimes abusive foster families. She lived for one year with her father before he died. Her sister Annabel became pregnant at 15 and wasn’t allowed to marry the father, another native, but of a different religion. Rita was sent to live with her alcohol drinking half brother for two years before she contacted the Indian Agent in Shubenacadie and asked to be sent to the Indian Residenrial School where she stayed under the strict care of the nuns until she was 16. Three pregnancies quickly followed as she left the school worked in a private hospital and then moved to Boston USA to be near her brother. There she met her future husband Frank Joe, an ambitious young man, who after they married was weighed down by his burgeoning family and made her give up one of her children and moved her in with his hard working mother back in a reservation in Canada, while he worked elsewhere and drank and messed with other women.

Rita’s primary aim was to achieve an independent home for herself and her children. As Frank became abusive she hid it and then started talking about it and getting the Native community to put pressure on him as she had more children and miscarriages.
She began writing and publishing until she went too far one day, confronting Frank’s other woman and ended up in Jail.
He changed his ways, worked, went to college as she took care of their 8 kids and grandkids and continued to write and publish. And be called upon to speak of her defense of the Mi’Kmaq ways, culture, language, beliefs, focusing on the positive but also standing up more strongly for her Native, Aboriginal people.

Powerful autobiography.

[Gemington · Rating 4 out of 5]

TW: trauma, abuse, alcoholism, colonialism, residential schools

I listened to Catherine Martin read and speak and sing the words, poems, and songs of this book. It was lovely. Rita Joe is celebrated as the figure we are celebrating for NS Heritage Month this year and the collection was freely available via the library.

Rita Joe regularly reminds us that the history we received is not always true. Her interpretation of events, people and culture from closely engaging and reinterpreting Western historical accounts is fascinating. Her thoughts on the Beothuk and Glooscap really caused me to think more critically about all of the falsity we take for granted as truth that is based on bias, misinterpretation and misunderstanding. So much of what we know is coloured by cultural relativism, colonialism and more. Rita Joe reminds me that it is everyone’s job to think critically about ourselves and others in the stories we tell and believe.

I appreciated Rita Joe’s frankness and pride in her people. She spoke of hardship and optimism and reflected deeply on her changing approach to sharing. I loved her reflections on spirituality and meaning. I learned a lot about what it means to share and love from reading this book. I have so much more to learn about Mi’kmaw culture and she reminds me that the onus is on me to do the work.

[Jocelyn Covert · Rating 3 out of 5]

This year's honouree for Nova Scotia's Heritage Day was Elder Rita Joe of the We’koqma’q Mi’kmaq Community, "regarded as the Poet Laureate of the Mi’kmaq people."

This book was available without limit on Libby through Halifax Public Libraries. I confess, I had never read anything by Elder Rita before so I was glad to have this opportunity. I think the section of her book that really came alive for me was the last: "My Song - The Spirit Path". I loved learning about the sweat lodge experience and her examination of Christian religion and Native spirituality.

"The White Feather" by Rita Joe
At Sydney City Hospital, I went to visit a friend.
When I was about to leave, she asked me a favour:
"Alasutma (Pray for me)," she said.
I did the best I could - the prayer to St. Ann.
It is the only one I can recite in Micmac.
All the others were quiet.
The next day I had a visitor, my friend's daughter Lottie.
"I had a dream about you," she said.
You handed me a white feather."
"Your mother will be better," I said,
With an immediate realization of the message.
"We'la'lin," I whispered,
"Thank you, my Creator, for the use of my culture
In relaying a message to a loved one."
We'la'lin!

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a story this woman had to tell. In spite of all of her hardships she maintains a positive attitude. "Some people would say that this world was bad," speaking about her experience in Indian Residential Schools. "I now people who came from this world and have gone on to productive lives, and I know some who have not, their scars too deep. My message is gentle: If one wishes to be healed, one must dwell on the positive." Very inspiring autobiography of an inspiring First Nations woman.

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luminous, insightful, and plain spoken. A talent of a very particular kind.

CN: domestic abuse, residential school abuse, of all kinds including physical and sexual; alcoholism; racism and sexism

[Janice MacDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story combined with the poetry and song.

[Cynthia F Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since i have good Mi'kmaq friends in New Brunswick, and a husband who is a poet, i purchased this book, primarily for him, but (as is my habit) quickly read it before gifting it. ;-) (any one else guilty of this??)

I was sad to discover that the author had passed away, for it would've been wonderful to have met her. At least I have a friend who did know her, and was able to tell me more about what Rita was like. Books like these are good antidotes to the 'new age' writers, whose books are often more 'popular' but are only 'imagining' the lives of First Nations women.

Do yourself a favor, and get your wisdom firsthand from tribal people who are mislabeled as 'natives' or 'Indians' or ever 'Native Americans'. I used to use that last term myself, and still see it being used to categorize both the individuals and the writings, when if you'd ask the individuals themselves what they want to be called, they tell you, 'First Nations' people, in Canada at least.

I'm grateful that Rita Joe left us a good account of her life. More of us ought to follow her example, no matter what 'label' we're given.

[Luther · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joe's writing varied use of styles make this book a delight to follow. She touches on difficult subjects, but is never bound by anything.