Indigenous stories from Indigenous voices: spend an hour with Jesse Wente
The Kingston Frontenac Public Library (KFPL), in partnership with the Limestone District School Board (LDSB), is hosting Anishinaabe writer, broadcasting personality and arts advocate Jesse Wente for a discussion about narrative sovereignty: the ability for someone, or a community, to tell their own stories rather than being defined by the stories of others.
The library said that Indigenous Peoples know their stories best; yet for centuries harmful stereotypes, myths, and nonIndigenous “expert” voices have been elevated instead.
According to a release from the library, Wente, a long-time CBC Metro Morning columnist who spent over a decade with the Toronto International Film Festival, is well-known in the arts world. He is the Executive Director of the Indigenous Screen Office and Chair of the Board of the Canada Council for the Arts, and he authored Unreconciled: Family, Truth, and Indigenous Resistance.
His talk with KFPL and LDSB is happening online via Zoom from noon to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, June 7, 2022. KFPL said that the talk will be followed by a moderated Q&A session. Register at https://calendar.kfpl.ca/event/6661177.
“It was exciting to work with LDSB to book Jesse for a Kingston audience,” said Jake Miller, Librarian, Adult Programming. “His contributions to the arts, broadcasting, and support for Indigenous creators make him a force! Giving the general public, educators, and students this opportunity will hopefully inspire Indigenous creators and their allies to engage with Indigenous experiences and creations.”
Both KFPL and LDSB are committed to highlighting Indigenous creators, cultures, experiences and perspectives, history, and teachings, according to the release.
The library thanks the Friends of the Kingston Frontenac Public Library for generously supporting this event.
Interested in future Indigenous programming? KFPL invites you to check out upcoming author talks with Sarah Brown-Dunkley (https://calendar.kfpl.ca/event/6408698) and S.P. Joseph Lyons (https://calendar.kfpl.ca/event/6195794) and a beading workshop, Testsi’nehtará:ron, with Flint and Maple’s Liv Rondeau (https://calendar.kfpl.ca/event/6718576).