In Mi'kmaw, three similarly shaped words have drastically different meanings: kesalul means "I love you"; kesa'lul means "I hurt you"; and ke'sa'lul means "I put you into the fire." Spoken word artist Rebecca Thomas' first poetry collection is at once a meditation on navigating life and love as a second-generation Residential School survivor, a lesson in unlearning, and a rallying cry for Indigenous justice, empathy, and equality.

A response to Rita Joe's iconic poem I Lost My Talk, comes a companion picture book by artist and Mi'kmaw activist Rebecca Thomas. A second-generation residential school survivor, Thomas writes this response poem openly and honestly, reflecting on the process of working through the destructive effects of colonialism. From sewing regalia to dancing at powwow to learning traditional language, I'm Finding My Talk is about rediscovering her community, and finding culture.

When Swift Fox's father picks her up to go visit her aunties, uncles, and cousins, her belly is already full of butterflies. And when he tells her that today is the day that she'll learn how to be Mi'kmaq, the butterflies grow even bigger. Though her father reassures her that Mi'kmaq is who she is from her eyes to her toes, Swift Fox doesn't understand what that means. Her family welcomes her with smiles and hugs, but when it's time to smudge and everyone else knows how, Swift Fox feels even more like she doesn't belong. Then she meets her cousin Sully and realizes that she's not the only one who's unsure--and she may even be the one to teach him something about what being Mi'kmaq means.

When Swift Fox’s father picks her up to go visit her aunties, uncles, and cousins, her belly is already full of butterflies. And when he tells her that today is the day that she’ll learn how to be Mi’kmaq, the butterflies grow even bigger. Though her father reassures her that Mi’kmaq is who she is from her eyes to her toes, Swift Fox doesn’t understand what that means. Her family welcomes her with smiles and hugs, but when it’s time to smudge and everyone else knows how, Swift Fox feels even more like she doesn’t belong.   Then she meets her cousin Sully and realizes that she’s not the only one who’s unsure—and she may even be the one to teach him something about what being Mi’kmaq means.

Être Mi'gmaq, qu'est-ce que ça signifie? Wowgwis a des papillons dans le ventre. C’est aujourd’hui que son papa l’emmène rencontrer ses tantes, ses oncles et ses cousins. Quand il lui dit, avant de partir, que le jour est venu pour elle d’apprendre ce que c’est qu’être Mi’gmaq, les papillons grossissent. Et s’il fallait que la famille de son papa ne lui ouvre pas les bras?