To unearth our secrets means we must face our past, and in doing so, we will find our voice.
Unearthing Secrets, Gathering Truths delves into the life and the healing of an lnnininew woman from the ancestral lands of the Moshkekowok, now called Northern Ontario. It is through the process of writing broken poetry–visual poetry rooted in the haunting memories of her childhood–that she provides the reader a glimpse into the mind of child survivor who was saved by her ancestors.
This thought-provoking poetry sheds light on a personal account of how she comes to terms with intergenerational trauma inflicted by the residential school system. Unearthing Secrets, Gathering Truths explores the heartfelt and evocative fragmented experiences through the eyes of an Indigenous woman. Through the honesty of her words, she embraces the spirit world, the resilience of her foremothers, the integral healing powers of disassociation as a survival mechanism, and the richness of her mitewin–dreams–which reconnects her to herself. Through her poetry, she has found the courage to face her difficult past, and now as a mother, she is gathering the truths of her family to help in the healing process.
Cree from the Ancestral lands of Moshkeko, and a band member of Attawapiskat First Nation, Jules Koostachin was born in Moose Factory, Ontario where she was raised by her Cree grandparents. She is a PhD candidate with GRSJ at UBC with a focus on Indigenous documentary practices. Jules is an actor, academic, writer and a filmmaker. Her media arts practice addresses socio-political issues that urban and rural Indigenous peoples face.