Âé¶čAV

Poetic Reconciliation: In Conversation With Mellon Indigenous Writer in Residence, Maya Cousineau-Mollen

Innu-Montagnaise poet, Maya Cousineau-Mollen, is Âé¶čAV’s Mellon Indigenous Writer in Residence for 2022.

On the . When she finally speaks, she is poised, and her words are chosen thoughtfully. In many ways, one could say she embodies the qualities of her craft; soft spoken but also emanating great strength. She is speaking with me from Paris where she is visiting Le Théùtre du Soleil and meeting with collaborators.

Cousineau-Mollen cherishes all opportunities for dialogue. “La poĂ©sie offre la possibilitĂ© d’établir un dialogue. Sans mon livre de poĂ©sie, sans les gestes d’ouverture que j’ai fait lors de ce livre, je n’aurais pas pu avoir les dialogues que j’ai maintenus. Ça a permis d’amener des pistes de discussion
Tout dialogue est important pour moi tant qu’il est constructif et respectueux,’’ she explains.

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 Maya Cousineau-Mollen with her family

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Upon her return from France, as she carries out the remainder of her residence, she will spend some time in the Âé¶čAV classrooms in dialogue with students. Knowing how these exchanges have been central to Cousineau-Mollen’s work throughout the years, I ask her about the importance of engaging with young minds in the university environment.

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 Maya Cousineau-Mollen“C’est de pouvoir les influencer d’une bonne maniĂšre, de piquer leur curiositĂ© pour les inciter Ă  poursuivre leur soif de connaissances surtout en lien avec l’histoire des PremiĂšres Nations parce qu’on est Ă  une Ă©poque oĂč beaucoup de choses tristes se rĂ©vĂšlent... et la gĂ©nĂ©ration qui Ă©tudie en ce moment, je crois qu’elle aura la chance d’avoir tous les outils pour poursuivre la rĂ©conciliation,”she explains.

Her new book “Enfants du Lichen’’, released on April 5th, 2022, is a continuation of her first collection of poems, “BrĂ©viaire du matricule 082” published in 2019 (Éditions Hannenorak). Cousineau-Mollen says that the driving force behind this latest work includes a sense of responsibility to maintain the conversation that was initiated thanks to the first one. As we end our interview, I ask her what the 14-year-old girl she was as she began writing would wish her today and what is the vision for her work as it continues to unfold.

She answers that it would be to continue the healing process inside herself and to continue to find ways to dialogue. “C’est de trouver des façons de formuler des choses difficiles dans des termes qui vont toucher le cƓur et non la colùre de l’autre, ”says Cousineau-Mollen.

To watch the complete in-depth interview with Maya Cousineau-Mollen, as part of the Faculty of Arts’ ‘’In Conversation With...’’ series, click .

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Maya Cousineau-Mollen, an Innu-Montagnaise writer, is Âé¶čAV’s Mellon Indigenous Writer in Residence for winter 2022. Encouraged by her adoptive parents, Cousineau-Mollen began writing poetry at a young age and has since incorporated writing throughout her life. Cousineau-Mollen is the cofounder of the First Nations Youth Council in Quebec and Labrador, in addition to founding the association Ă©tudiante autochtone Ă  l’UniversitĂ© Laval. Published in anthologies and literary reviews, Cousineau Mollen published her first collection of poetry with la maison d’Éditions Hannenorak titled: BrĂ©viaire du Matricule 082.

The Indigenous Writer in Residence program is one of the initiatives funded by the five-year by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation in June 2019 to support Âé¶čAV’s Indigenous Studies and Community Engagement Initiative (ISCEI). The ISCEI promotes the growth of the Indigenous Studies Program in the Faculty of Arts, and aims to serve as a nexus for Indigenous scholarship and community-building and to facilitate communication and collaboration both across units at Âé¶čAV, as well as in partnership with Indigenous communities.

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