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"urban NDNs in the DTES" by: jaye simpson

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"urban NDNs in the DTES" by: jaye simpson

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In this poem, jaye simpson comes to terms with the fact that poor living conditions of Indigenous peoples combined with the traumatic things that are inflicted upon them, are the result of the orchestrated genocide of Indigenous peoples by the Canadian government. The poem begins with simpson remembering their foster families telling them negative things about their mother who is presumed to be a drug user from line 3 "the track marks up her arm". There is an acknowledgement that as simpson themself grows to be older and visit the same streets where their mother used to frequent, that the drug use was only a coping mechanism that probably kept them alive more so than kill them "wasn't until I rewilded unto the very streets that i recognized that it kept her alive" (6-8).Without any support systems for an Indigenous woman like jaye's mother to access, her child is presumably taken into the foster care system, which is notably a traumatizing experience that isolates oneself from discovering their true identity, especially when the foster parents are feeding them negative images and ideas about why their mother is the way that she is "had a dozen foster parents tell me to run from my mother's truth" (1-2).
The violence perpetuated against Indigenous women is later highlighted when simpson uses the metaphor of "digits around ikwe throat squeeze life like pressing orange for juice" (14-16). This metaphor of Indigenous women having their life drained from them like oranges speaks to the objectification and dehumanization of the population, as well as the brutal ways in which violence is inflicted so carelessly on them. Violence against women is further addressed in lines 17-20 "most of my mom's sisters are dead like her too now - caught in the crosshairs of murdered or missing". The inclusion of the mussing and murdered lines speaks to the greater national tragedy of Indigenous women being disproportionately impacted as victims of violence.  This line is important in telling the story of jaye, but it is also important because it places the singular events of what happened to the people in their family in the greater national context. When violence against Indigenous people can be painted in this way, it is clear that this is an issue that requires national attention and not individual remedy.
The ending of the poem does a great job in making the connection between Indigenous oppression and the historical genocide of Indigenous people in Canada by the government. When simpson states " was never the culprit & the blame was never to be my mother's or her sisters' - rather the machines of genocide" (35-37), simpson counters the claims discussed in the beginning of the poem by their foster parents who blamed their mother for her life's mistakes. There is an understanding that trauma experienced by Indigenous people has a deep-seated historical basis within this country, and this generational trauma will continue to impact future Indigenous children if unchecked.

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Both “urban NDNs in the DTES” and "Home and Native Land"  highlight the struggle of being silenced and oppressed as an Indigenous person at the hands of the Canadian government. Both of these works exemplify being silenced both literally and figuratively. The effects of violence perpetuated by the Canadian government create lifelong wounds and continue to create generational trauma and produce feelings of isolation and disconnect from Indigenous culture. Assimilation and the imposition of colonial culture work to oppress Indigenous people which connects to Charla Sylvester’s portrayal of institutional silencing of Indigenous Peoples by the Canadian government. This is exemplified by faye simpson in their youth living in different foster homes who told them different negative things about their mother.

Connects to faye simpson’s poem with the idea that Canada is responsible for violence perpetuated against Indigenous women in the past and present.

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"Home and Native Land" By: Charla Sylvester 

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"Home and Native Land" By: Charla Sylvester 

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Created by photography student Charla Sylvester, this photograph titled "Home and Native Land" highlights the national responsibility of Canada in the oppression and legacy of violence against Indigenous Peoples. Originally, Sylvester states that the purpose of this photograph was to bring attention to the death of Tina Fontaine, a young Indigenous girl who was found dead after her body was pulled out of the Red River in 2014 Winnipeg wrapped up in a duvet cover. To display her frustration over the lack of justice delivered in the case and to express frustration over the murder of women and mistreatment of Indigenous people within Canada, Charla recreated the image of Tina Fontaine with the stark image of a young girl being bound and wrapped in the Canadian flag.
With the imagery of the Canadian flag, Charla Sylvester sends the message that not only is the marginalization of Indigenous peoples a Canadian issue, but it is also the responsibility of the Canadian government. The historic oppression of Indigenous people can be linked to the colonial history of Canada and the ongoing genocide against its people through the plethora of issues that face Indigenous groups within Canada today. Combined with the imagery of the Canadian flag, the imagery of her mouth being bound shut along with the rest of her body alludes to the silencing of Indigenous voices within Canada. Her mouth being shut means she is unable to speak for herself due to her power being stripped from her, and also the way in which this stripping of power is institutional and the Canadian government is complicit in this silencing.
The goal with this photography is to establish national responsibility for the treatment of Indigenous people, and have the Canadian government be sincere in their commitments to addressing issues like violence against women, unsafe drinking water, and Indigenous land claims which are only a few of the ongoing Indigenous issues ongoing within the country.

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In the beginning I started off by reading the poem in a more straight forward way, and trying to convey the frustration of a young child who has been told negative things about their Indigenous mother who endured may hardships within her life. I gradually increased the level of frustration in my voice as I progressed through the poem, as the mention of what happened to the poet's mother and aunts, as well as the violence against Indigenous women is discussed. I tried to keep my voice level without raising or lowering my voice within a sentence to convey a level of acceptance and understanding of the generational trauma and violence that can make people feel numb.

When I said line 24, I left a pause after the line to allow the weight of the message to resonate with the listener. It was important to convey that cycles of poverty, trauma, and violence are difficult to break given the treatment of Indigenous peoples within Canada.

The ending of the poem was where I tried to give each line a brief pause and speak with acceptance. The ending of the poem is where simpson states the connection of the settler colonist government with the ultimate demise of her mother, aunts, and other Indigenous women and people. I emphasized the words "always be" to reiterate the impact that generational trauma will have on future Indigenous children, and the need to make a change in order for them to thrive.

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simpson, faye. "urban NDNs in the DTES". Poetry in Voice, https://www.poetryinvoice.com/poems/urban-ndns-dtes.

Sylvester, Charla. "Home and Native Land." CBC News, https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/photography-student-mmiwg-canadian-flag-1.4903673.