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     There was a time where I would have been silenced, but today I make noise for myself, for my peers and for my ancestors before me. Like many people who are considered as minorities or intersectionality-oppressed individuals, speaking our truth can feel far too vulnerable to share in the pressures of the public. The internet has created an accessible space for our voices, so in response, we “flood the feed”. I welcome you to that space, where I will be writing and curating stories of intersecting national and personal identity. Thank you for respecting, and most of all, listening.  

     This course is an opportunity to explore the multitude of voices which make up a “contemporary” Canada, through considering the stories that were hushed or forgotten. Canada’s colonial history has become the most dominant within our school system, as well as the literary canon. Despite the hegemonic power of western literary practice, counter-narratives exist. Through this course, we will hear a contrast of voices, and consider the voices that we don’t hear, and with these observations, we will contribute to “change”.

     With the rise of blog culture and the rise of tech-literacy, people of all different backgrounds and demographics are gaining access to the online world. It’s a space where freedom of opinion can be exercised and dialogue can be provoked. With a focus on our weekly blogs, I hope to start a practice of both sharing my voice, while listening to others, through an online social and artistic network.

     On this unceded land, we enter a world of a necessary unveiling of truth. We have the power to create a new canon, with voices of all octaves, tones, and expressions. So with that being said, I am ready to listen, learn, and plant seeds, and I hope you are too. 

Keep on flooding the feed,

Lexi (Swamp Mama)

**Check out what Chimimandra Ngozi Adichie has to say about story, the canon, and the freedom of writing for people like herself. Once you’ve listened to her inspiring flow, take a look at the link I included bellow about the Nationwide protests against the LNG pipeline. This article updates us on the indigenous and allied voices across Canada in response to the the RCMP raid of the Unist’oten blockade.

Thousands rally in cities across Canada in support of Unist’ot’en and Gidimt’en

Works Cited

Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi. TED, TEDGlobal, 2009,        www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story?fbclid=IwAR1H1cSWVUTqmkAc0BtY8wvJ1Ru1kPJklGaPQxUEsF05bnCekzg1peS9zls.

Brake , Justin. “Thousands Rally in Cities across Canada in Support of Unist’Ot’En and Gidimt’En.” APTN National News , 9 Jan. 2019.