Displays of Indigenous “artifacts” in Western museums have long been protested by activists. Critics argue that museums collect sacred and culturally important materials, fail to represent culture properly, and instead offer an unapologetic display of violent colonialism past (Pensley 37). In the poem “how to steal a canoe” by Leanne Simpson, the story of the repatriation of a canoe from a museum by two characters, kwe and akiwenzii, is explored. Simpson’s poem engages with the issue of reclaiming cultural objects and Simpson connect this activism to reestablishment and regeneration of Indigenous identity. This is done through the personification of the canoes and the transformation of the role of the canoe from object to a third character.
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The canoes are physicalized and given human-like anatomical features, like “bruised bodies”, “rough skin” and “hurt ribs” (Simpson 69). The connotations of these words create a dark tone and establish the canoes’ role as abused victims of colonialism. They are broken and not taken care of by the museum. The character kwe aids in the personification, as she takes care of the canoes like one would with an elderly person. She shows immense respect in her interactions of the canoes. She shows extreme dignity in her actions, “praying to those old ones” (Simpson 69). The connotation of prayer in the quote is not of Western religion, but something more spiritual, a level of respect that goes beyond the appreciation of a physical object, but moves to the love of a physical being, much like the idea of prayer as a way of asking for spiritual guidance (Archibald 51). In the same way, kwe shows this same level of respect when caring for the canoes, showing how Simpson allows the canoes to move beyond their physical boundaries and become a character in the …show more content…
Simpson personifies the canoes in her poem in order to elevate it and bring a deeper, metaphorical meaning to her commentary on repatriation. The canoe in “how to steal a canoe” is a symbol of Indigenous identity which allows Simpson to explore the ideas of regeneration and reestablishment. As the tone of the poem shifts from one of mourning and sadness, to one of joy and life Simpson stresses the importance of activism as a way to free Indigenous identity from the jails of colonialism, and the repatriation of a canoe becomes a sort of a guide for doing
The canoes are physicalized and given human-like anatomical features, like “bruised bodies”, “rough skin” and “hurt ribs” (Simpson 69). The connotations of these words create a dark tone and establish the canoes’ role as abused victims of colonialism. They are broken and not taken care of by the museum. The character kwe aids in the personification, as she takes care of the canoes like one would with an elderly person. She shows immense respect in her interactions of the canoes. She shows extreme dignity in her actions, “praying to those old ones” (Simpson 69). The connotation of prayer in the quote is not of Western religion, but something more spiritual, a level of respect that goes beyond the appreciation of a physical object, but moves to the love of a physical being, much like the idea of prayer as a way of asking for spiritual guidance (Archibald 51). In the same way, kwe shows this same level of respect when caring for the canoes, showing how Simpson allows the canoes to move beyond their physical boundaries and become a character in the …show more content…
Simpson personifies the canoes in her poem in order to elevate it and bring a deeper, metaphorical meaning to her commentary on repatriation. The canoe in “how to steal a canoe” is a symbol of Indigenous identity which allows Simpson to explore the ideas of regeneration and reestablishment. As the tone of the poem shifts from one of mourning and sadness, to one of joy and life Simpson stresses the importance of activism as a way to free Indigenous identity from the jails of colonialism, and the repatriation of a canoe becomes a sort of a guide for doing