On the . When she finally speaks, she is poised, and her words are chosen thoughtfully. In many ways, one could say she embodies the qualities of her craft; soft spoken but also emanating great strength. She is speaking with me from Paris where she is visiting Le Théùtre du Soleil and meeting with collaborators.
Cousineau-Mollen cherishes all opportunities for dialogue. âLa poĂ©sie offre la possibilitĂ© dâĂ©tablir un dialogue. Sans mon livre de poĂ©sie, sans les gestes dâouverture que jâai fait lors de ce livre, je nâaurais pas pu avoir les dialogues que jâai maintenus. Ăa a permis dâamener des pistes de discussionâŠTout dialogue est important pour moi tant quâil est constructif et respectueux,ââ she explains.
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Upon her return from France, as she carries out the remainder of her residence, she will spend some time in the McGill classrooms in dialogue with students. Knowing how these exchanges have been central to Cousineau-Mollenâs work throughout the years, I ask her about the importance of engaging with young minds in the university environment.
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âCâest de pouvoir les influencer dâune bonne maniĂšre, de piquer leur curiositĂ© pour les inciter Ă poursuivre leur soif de connaissances surtout en lien avec lâhistoire des PremiĂšres Nations parce quâon est Ă une Ă©poque oĂč beaucoup de choses tristes se rĂ©vĂšlent... et la gĂ©nĂ©ration qui Ă©tudie en ce moment, je crois quâelle aura la chance dâavoir tous les outils pour poursuivre la rĂ©conciliation,âshe explains.
Her new book âEnfants du Lichenââ, released on April 5th, 2022, is a continuation of her first collection of poems, âBrĂ©viaire du matricule 082â published in 2019 (Ăditions Hannenorak). Cousineau-Mollen says that the driving force behind this latest work includes a sense of responsibility to maintain the conversation that was initiated thanks to the first one. As we end our interview, I ask her what the 14-year-old girl she was as she began writing would wish her today and what is the vision for her work as it continues to unfold.
She answers that it would be to continue the healing process inside herself and to continue to find ways to dialogue. âCâest de trouver des façons de formuler des choses difficiles dans des termes qui vont toucher le cĆur et non la colĂšre de lâautre, âsays Cousineau-Mollen.
To watch the complete in-depth interview with Maya Cousineau-Mollen, as part of the Faculty of Artsâ ââIn Conversation With...ââ series, click .
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Maya Cousineau-Mollen, an Innu-Montagnaise writer, is McGillâs Mellon Indigenous Writer in Residence for winter 2022. Encouraged by her adoptive parents, Cousineau-Mollen began writing poetry at a young age and has since incorporated writing throughout her life. Cousineau-Mollen is the cofounder of the First Nations Youth Council in Quebec and Labrador, in addition to founding the association Ă©tudiante autochtone Ă lâUniversitĂ© Laval. Published in anthologies and literary reviews, Cousineau Mollen published her first collection of poetry with la maison dâĂditions Hannenorak titled: BrĂ©viaire du Matricule 082.
The Indigenous Writer in Residence program is one of the initiatives funded by the five-year by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation in June 2019 to support McGillâs Indigenous Studies and Community Engagement Initiative (ISCEI). The ISCEI promotes the growth of the Indigenous Studies Program in the Faculty of Arts, and aims to serve as a nexus for Indigenous scholarship and community-building and to facilitate communication and collaboration both across units at McGill, as well as in partnership with Indigenous communities.