Totem Poles and Railroads

This collection of contemporary poetry, by indigenous Canadian poet Janet Rogers, addresses complex issues of historical and contemporary importance, including personal identity, colonization, and social justice issues such as missing and murdered Indigenous women. A mature and sophisticated selection of poems, almost all are lyrical in nature and address relationships between indigenous and non-indigenous people in Canada. It offers many classroom uses for grades 11-12, including demonstrating poetic form, technique, and voice, and providing opportunities for inquiry and research into colonialism, historical and contemporary figures.