About the author

Marilyn Dumont is a celebrated writer of Cree/Metis ancestry whose impactful poetry and prose have garnered numerous accolades and a significant place in Canadian literature. Her work is known for its poignant exploration of Indigenous identity, history, and contemporary issues.

Biographical Overview:

• Background: Marilyn Dumont is of Cree/Metis descent.
• Recognition: Her writing has been widely published and critically acclaimed.
• Teaching: She currently teaches Creative Writing at Athabasca University.

Literary Contributions:

1. A Really Good Brown Girl (1996):
   • Awards: Won the 1997 Gerald Lampert Memorial Award.
   • Impact: Now in its 11th printing and selections are widely anthologized.
2. Green Girl Dreams Mountains (2001):
   • Awards: Won the 2001 Stephan G. Stephansson Award from the Writer’s Guild of Alberta.
3. That Tongued Belonging (2007):
   • Awards: Awarded the Anskohk Aboriginal Poetry Book of the Year and the McNally Robinson Aboriginal Book of the Year.
4. Current Work: Dumont is working on her fourth manuscript, focusing on Metis history, politics, and identity, particularly through her ancestral connection to Gabriel Dumont.

Professional Roles:

• Writer-in-Residence: She has held multiple positions as Writer-in-Residence, including at the Edmonton Public Library in 2008.

Selected Work: “Letter to Sir John A. Macdonald” (2013): This poem, from her collection A Really Good Brown Girl, exemplifies Dumont’s incisive critique of historical and contemporary issues faced by Indigenous people in Canada. Addressing Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada’s first Prime Minister, Dumont reflects on the enduring presence and resilience of the Metis people despite historical injustices:

Themes:

Persistence and Identity: Dumont emphasizes the survival and continued identity of the Metis people (“I’m still here and halfbreed”).

Critique of Historical Actions: The poem critiques Macdonald’s policies, such as the building of the railway, and their long-term impacts on Indigenous peoples.

Legacy of Resistance: References to historical and contemporary acts of resistance against policies aimed at assimilation and erasure.

Tone and Style:

Conversational Yet Poignant: The poem’s direct address to Macdonald creates a conversational tone, juxtaposed with the weight of its historical critique.

Interweaving Past and Present: Dumont skillfully connects past injustices with ongoing struggles, illustrating the continuity of resistance and resilience among Indigenous peoples.

Marilyn Dumont’s work is characterized by its profound engagement with Indigenous history, identity, and resilience, offering powerful insights through her evocative and thought-provoking poetry.

Letter to Sir John A. Macdonald Summary

Dear John: I’m still here and halfbreed,
after all these years
you’re dead, funny thing,
that railway you wanted so badly,
there was talk a year ago
of shutting it down
and part of it was shut down,
the dayliner at least,
‘from sea to shining sea,’
and you know, John,
after all that shuffling us around to suit the settlers,
we’re still here and Metis.

We’re still here
after Meech Lake and
one no-good-for-nothing-Indian
holdin-up-the-train,
stalling the ‘Cabin syllables / Nouns of settlement,
/…steel syntax [and] / The long sentence of its exploitation’
and John, that goddamned railroad never made this a great nation,
cause the railway shut down
and this country is still quarreling over unity,
and Riel is dead
but he just keeps coming back
in all the Bill Wilsons yet to speak out of turn or favour
because you know as well as I
that we were railroaded
by some steel tracks that didn’t last
and some settlers who wouldn’t settle
and it’s funny we’re still here and callin ourselves halfbreed.

Marilyn Dumont’s poem “Letter to Sir John A. Macdonald” is a powerful reflection on the lasting impact of Canada’s colonial history on Indigenous peoples, particularly the Metis. Addressed to Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada’s first Prime Minister, the poem conveys a sense of enduring resilience and identity among the Metis people despite historical attempts to marginalize them.

The poem starts with Dumont asserting her presence and identity as a Metis, calling herself a “halfbreed,” a term historically used pejoratively but here reclaimed with pride. She points out the irony that while Macdonald, the architect of many colonial policies, is long dead, the Metis people he tried to assimilate are still very much alive and present.

Dumont then references the Canadian Pacific Railway, a symbol of nation-building that Macdonald championed. She notes the recent discussions about shutting down parts of the railway, highlighting the failure of Macdonald’s grand vision to create a unified nation. The railway, meant to connect the country “from sea to shining sea,” also served to displace Indigenous communities. Despite this, the Metis people remain, still holding onto their identity and heritage.

She brings up the Meech Lake Accord, a 1987 attempt to amend the Canadian Constitution which failed partly due to the opposition of Indigenous leaders like Elijah Harper, a “no-good-for-nothing-Indian” who played a crucial role in stalling it. This reference underlines the ongoing resistance of Indigenous peoples against policies that ignore their rights and voices.

Dumont critiques the notion that the railway could make Canada a great nation, pointing out that the country still grapples with issues of unity and identity. The ghost of Louis Riel, a Metis leader executed for his resistance against the Canadian government, continues to haunt the nation’s conscience. Riel’s legacy lives on in contemporary Indigenous leaders who continue to challenge the status quo.

The poem closes with a reflection on the ironies of history. The railway, once a symbol of progress and unity, has partly shut down, and the settlers who were supposed to bring prosperity didn’t settle the nation’s issues. Yet, despite these historical challenges, the Metis people persist, proudly calling themselves “halfbreed.”

In summary, Dumont’s poem is a conversation with the past, acknowledging the persistence and resilience of the Metis people in the face of historical and ongoing challenges. It critiques colonial policies, celebrates Indigenous resistance, and underscores the enduring identity and presence of the Metis community.