Rita Joe's Poem I Lost My Talk

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The poem “I Lost My Talk” by Rita Joe was written by a Mi'kmaq woman who was forced into a residential school by the name of Shubenacadie Indian Residential School as a young girl. While she was there she was changed and it lead to her having an inspiration to write poems and stories. Residential schools are known for the damage that the attendees suffered such as physical and mental abuse some schools also sexually assaulted their students. Due to Rita Joe’s work with poetry and writing she was given a membership position in the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada. Some of the other honours she received were a few honorary doctorates . This poem is about what was lost and taken from her. She uses this to express her feelings. She releases her …show more content…

At the residential school she was forced to learn English as opposed to her native language, which would have been Mi’Kamaw. She lost her potential she could have had in that culture. She was brainwashed and corrupted simply put. “You snatched it away: I speak like you, I think like you, I create like you. ” She feels as if her culture was stolen from her and it was. Her use of talk is opposite of the dictionary definition of it but in this context it shows the damage done to her. We use talk to express ourselves in our native tongues whether it is Russian, Ukrainian, Arabic, or whatever we have phrases and words we use about ourselves. Later in the poem Mrs.Joe wrote “Let me find my talk so I can teach you about me. ” She needs to find herself again. She was taught about white people and white culture now she has to find her culture and her identity. She needs to do that and is asking for help to do from whomever is willing to help her do so. She is reaching out whether its to something such as a go or a physical being like a cultural leader that much isn’t clear but she is reaching out to someone or something for the help she needs to find

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