"I Lost my Talk" is Timeless.

I Lost My Talk is profound and timeless, both in its address to the Indigenous peoples' experiences and in its universal appeal to themes of identity and loss that people can relate to, and the longing to be heard. This legacy of colonialism, including residential school trauma, has continued into modern times within Indigenous communities worldwide. Joe's poem is giving voice to those whose cultures were erased and reminding us that the wounds are still open.



It speaks to any person who has felt dislocated from their heritage or identity. Through migration, assimilation, and various other forms of cultural pressure, too often the world is burdened by a very real loss of language or traditions that are at the core of their being. Joe's cry to "find my talk" is not only about recovering language; it is about recovery in placing one's self within the world and being seen and understood for what you truly are.




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