Brief Critical Analysis to Leanne Simpson’s “Bubbling like a Beating Heart”

As a relatively recent immigrant to Canada, the process of settling down has been a rather unique and challenging experience, especially when trying to fit in with the Canadian culture.  This week’s reading evoked me to think about the issues arose from the earlier immigrants and the First Nations of Canada, and how differently the experience was for the indigenous residents and immigrants at that time comparing to now.

Leanne Simpson is a member of Alderville First Nation with Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg ancestry and a celebrated indigenous academic, writer and spoken word artist (leannesimpson.ca). In her “Bubbling like a Beating Heart: Reflections on Nishnaabeg Poetic and Narrative Consciousness”, she delicately offers the reader insights into a Nishnaabeg perspective, revealing her tremendous effort in preserving her culture while critically analyzing the role of narratives and other formats of storytelling play in decolonizing and protecting the indigenous communities. Simpson has tactfully chosen to include words directly from her Native language, and followed up with a carefully phrased translation that often has meanings in many folds. Although the constant need to refer to footnote places a burden on readers, there is no other way to accurately convey her intention. Simpson also discusses the significance of narrative in the article. She emphasizes the critical role of “rebuilding a culturally based artistic renaissance and nation-based political resurgences” the Nishnaabeg poetics and narrative consciousness of play (page 110). In the article, Simpson stresses the importance of such writing would have in shaping the future. As her closing sentence remarks, “[…] engaging in artistic pursuits aligns us with our creative energy of our Origin stories, thereby liberating new realities and new possibilities” (p117).