Poet and writer Joanne Bealy went to the Kent Monkman talk at the Central Library, and learned some hard lessons about white privilege and complicity, not just from Monkman but especially from two Black women.

A review of two excellent books on the horrific Shubenacadie Residential School, one, by Chris Benjamin, offering a historical overview, and the other, by elder Isabelle Knockwood, providing a moving eye witness account of the institution in all its horror. This isn’t ancient history.

These two video fragments of the great Mi’kmaw poet Rita Joe are definitely worth a look. Check out the last interview with Rita Joe before her death, and her memories of leaving the Shubenacadie Residential School behind forever.

Nova Scotia definitely has made progress in terms of teaching students about Indian Residential Schools, treaties, and the contributions made by First Nations, Inuit and Métis to Canada. But there is much more work to do, and a petition with 1700 signatures delivered at Province House yesterday serves as a reminder. Teaching the teachers would be a good start, says KAIROS Atlantic.