Corps de l’article
* This piece is dedicated to all the beautiful, strong Anishinabegkwewag who were separated from their children and in many cases permanently forced to give up their rights to parent their children and to the vision that they will someday get hold, kiss and dance with their grandbabies and great-grandbabies.
Nin kokum
You stand there so beautiful
embracing life as a commitment to future
Your vision seen through my eyes
Nin kokum
You stand there so innocent
yet familiar with the agony to follow
The theft of life felt radiates through my bones
Nin kokum
You stand there so strong
grounded in our gifts
Your spirit is my belief
Nin kokum
You stand there so resilient
ancestral wounds are your relational intelligence
Your blood carries code
And your tears interpret
Nin kokum
You stand there prepared
You can see behind and beyond
the veil of violence
the rope the wraps
rapes
rob
my/your
future/past
Nin kokum
I know you can see me
I exist only as a promise
your extension
your prayer
sustained through ceremony
fed by faith
We have always lost lives and lived loss
Nin kokum
I stand here now
carrying our future/past
loving
reclaiming our stolen
tearing at the tight threads of lying order
un binding
un learning
un becoming
Nin kokum
because of your life
because you stood
so beautiful
so strong
Nin kokum
Now is our time to dance
Parties annexes
Biographical note
Celeste Pedri-Spade is Anishinabekwe and a member of Lac Des Mille Lacs First Nation. She is a mother, wife, regalia maker, professor, dancer, writer, and visual artist. She is holds a Ph.D. in Visual Anthropology and a tenure-track position at Laurentian University. Celeste is an intergenerational survivor of systemic colonial violence (including Indian Residential Schools and racist child welfare policies). In her art and academic work she focuses reclaiming her family history and carrying forward her people’s long legacy of fighting colonialism in creative, caring and respectful ways.