Living in the Tall Grass
By Chief R. Stacey Laforme
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Poems of Reconciliation
In Living in the Tall Grass: Poems of Reconciliation, Chief Stacey Laforme gives a history of his people through stories and poetry to let Canadians see through the eyes of Indigenous people. In it, he hits hard on matters of residential schools, the environment, suicide among Indigenous youth, domestic abuse, and so on, but also writes poems of love and hope. Chief Laforme’s universal message is, “We should not have to change to fit into society, the world should adapt to embrace our uniqueness.”
Keywords: Indigenous, Reconciliation, Anishinaabe, Chief Stacey Laforme
Chief R. Stacey Laforme
Stacey Laforme was born on a cold December morning into a life of alcoholism and abuse. At fifteen, he left home and lived on the street, eventually finding a home with both of his grandmothers. He started his first job at twelve years old, eventually going into the family business and joining the iron workers union. He attended college late in life. He ran and was elected Chief of the Mississaugas of the Anishinaabe in December 2015. Chief Laforme says, “I am dedicated to my people, and to all the people who live within our treaty lands.” In 2017, Chief Laforme became only the third Honorary Senior Fellow of Massey College, Toronto, joining The Duke of Edinburgh and The Chancellor of Oxford University in the rarest honour the college bestows.
What they say
“All peoples learn from authentically written expressions about not only our struggles but hope and vision. Chief Stacey Laforme has eloquently written pieces which invoke our emotion and inspire reflection and change.”— Perry Bellegarde, National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations
“The poetry of Chief Stacey Laforme illustrates the wonderful state of being alive. His words compel us to improve our capacity to listen, to understand and learn to live together. It is a generous gift from one who cares deeply and looks for good in the world.”— Hon. Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario
