Content of the article

Writing as activism. The words recall an idea that has been around for as long as people have been writing: that all writing genuinely concerned with the world is, in fact, an attempt to improve the world. A free webinar under the aforementioned title scheduled for Monday — co-hosted by the Quebec Writers Federation and Muslim Awareness Week, hosted by Montreal poet, playwright and scholar Ehab Lotayef, and featuring two leading practitioners of socially engaged writing – will examine this idea and others.

Content of the article

Ellen Gabriel is a teacher and Indigenous rights advocate who came to international attention as a spokesperson for Kanesatake during the 1990 Oka Crisis. She is a regular contributor to the public interest journalism site Ricochet.

“What those words (Writing as Activism) remind me of – and I’m speaking from an Indigenous perspective – is another level of trying to raise awareness and help people understand the realities and issues around what colonization did,” she said. “Because these things aren’t taught in schools and we have very few ways to do it, (writing) is an interesting way to get people to take knowledge of the perspectives of indigenous peoples.

Samir Shaheen-Hussain is a pediatric emergency physician and assistant professor at McGill’s Faculty of Medicine. Her book Fighting for a Hand to Hold: Confronting Medical Colonialism Against Indigenous Children in Canada, spurred by professional encounters with the subject, won two categories at the QWF Literary Awards in November.

Content of the article

“For me, writing the book was part of a push to say, ‘We can’t go on like we’ve been,'” he said. “Especially given things like the death of Joyce Echaquan and the confirmation of the discovery of bodies of children in residential schools, there’s no longer any excuse to say, ‘We didn’t know. ”

Shaheen-Hussain says part of the challenge in writing her book was combining accessibility with the rigor of academic writing.

“It’s not fiction, but it’s still a form of storytelling,” he said. “I see a book like mine partly as a form of popular education. Yes, it’s aimed at healthcare workers and providers, but it’s also aimed at students, policy makers, and the general population.

Asked about examples of contemporary writers doing work similar to theirs, Gabriel and Shaheen-Hussain both cited Montreal writer Robyn Maynard, whose 2017 book Policing Black Lives was a groundbreaking critical study of the over-policing of black and aboriginal communities in Canada. Both also point out that their writing is only part of their activism.

Content of the article

“It’s a tool, but not a tool you should rely on,” Gabriel said. “It’s just a way for people to get a background on things. The best way to learn is from people themselves and by learning our languages.

“It’s just one tactic,” Shaheen-Hussain said. “Actually, I don’t really distinguish between doing an occupation, or organizing a protest, or doing a letter campaign, or publishing an editorial. These are all strategies that may be applicable in various contexts. It’s just a matter of understanding what is being asked.

IN ONE LOOK

Writing as activism will take place on Monday, January 31 at 6 p.m. Registration is mandatory. For more information about the webinar and to register, go to bit.ly/3rYW1qj

ianmcgillis2@gmail.com