Rita Joe, 'poet laureate' of Mi'kmaq, dies

The woman known as the poet laureate of the Mi'kmaq nation has died.

Rita Joe of Eskasoni died Tuesday night at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital in Sydney after a long battle with Parkinson's disease. She was 75.

Joe had published seven books, including five poetry anthologies and an autobiography, The Song of Rita Joe.

Joe'spoetry and activism made her a symbol of native pride.

The Aboriginal Achievement Foundation saysJoeworked throughout her lifeto counter native stereotypes, and herpoems and songs reflect both pain and hope.

"If you write in a positive way, or think in a positive way about your culture it will come back positive," she said in an interview with CBC Radio last month.

"I was brainwashed. 'You're no good,' I was told every day at Shubie [residential school]."

Joe was born in 1932, in Wycocomagh, N.S., and was sent to Shubenacadie Indian Residential School, which she attended until the eighth grade.

She married Frank Joe in 1954 and they had eight children and adopted two more.

Began writing in late 1960s

Rita began to write poetry in the late 1960s, but her first book was not published until 1978.

Her poems gently presented the First Nations experience within Canada, advocatinglove and understanding between peoples.

She wrote five poetry anthologies and an autobiography, The Song of Rita Joe. Her books include The Poems of Rita Joe, Songs of Eskasoni: More Poems of Rita Joe and Lnu and Indians We're Called.

Her sixth book, The Mi'kmaq Anthology, published in 1997, was co-written with Lesley Choyce.

Her philosophy has been to find the beauty in every place or circumstance and to keep an upbeat attitude about life.

"I told the audience that no matter from what circumstances you come from, and no matter from what culture, or how poor you are, everybody can do this," she said after receiving a National Aboriginal Achievement Award in 1997.

"You just have to put your effort into it and be positive. Don't try to work on the negative stuff."

Joe acted as an ambassador for native arts and culture throughout Canada and the U.S., even meeting the Queen.

A long-time activist who wrote numerous articles about native issues, Joe also served on the Queen's Privy Council for Canada, one of the few non-politicians ever to do so.

She was given the Order of Canada in 1990 andalso won the Nova Scotia writers federation prize.

Joe told CBC last monthshe was amazed by all the accolades.

"I accepted on behalf of my people every time I was given an award," she said. "They helped, everybody helped in their own way."