Plume Writers' Circle to Publish Anthology

From Arts in Guelph - November/December, 2006

by Anna Contini

It may come as a surprise that the tri-city area is home to some 7,000 Aboriginal people, with 1,500 in Guelph alone. The Plume Writers' Circle is a grass-roots organization with members from all walks of indigenous life who give voice to Aboriginal issues in this community through a range of writing. Recently, the collective received funding from the Ontario Arts Council to publish an Anthology of Local Emerging Writers.

The goal of the anthology is to have different urban perspectives represented through oral stories, poetry, short stories, essays, interviews, and personal reflections. The process of reaching out and connecting with others through the oral or written word not only raises awareness of Aboriginal issues but also builds bridges within the community, says founding Plume member Hope Engel. "As Aboriginal writers we have come from a lonely place with a multitude of issues.… The aim of the anthology is to share our humanity as writers and speak from the heart," she says. A range of themes and styles will reflect the viewpoints of parents, students, youth, workers, artists, helpers and survivors.

Wendy Stewart, co-founder of Plume and Community Development Officer for Anishnabeg Outreach, points out that another aim of the Anthology is simply "to show we exist.... Throughout colonization we have been silenced and part of our healing is about finding a voice." There are vast differences between the linear or Western world view and that of the Aboriginal relational world view that essentially says everything is connected. Just as there are differences between Western and Native viewpoints there are also differences among the various Aboriginal nations. "We want the anthology to reflect this diversity," she says stressing that "we have professionals and academics from all walks of life."

Plume Writers' Circle was launched in 2003 and grew out of the 2002 Eden Mill's Writers' Festival which featured Aboriginal writers. This excitement inspired a core group of Aboriginal women, including both Engel and Stewart, to found their own collective. They have since been meeting regularly in various private and public settings, critiquing each other's work, discussing and sharing ideas and dreams as the First Peoples of Turtle Island living in a contemporary world.

There are numerous wonderful writers in this area says Engel but "we also wanted to connect with a range of emerging writers." The call for submissions has gone to a variety of venues including schools, publications and correctional institutions. "We really want the Anthology to be all-encompassing," she adds. The deadline for submissions is November 30 but already they have started pouring in. The 100-page publication will be launched in the spring and summer of 2007 at National Aboriginal Day in Kitchener-Waterloo and at the Hillside Festival in Guelph.

Often "when one joins our circle for the first time, there are tears," says Stewart. "By sharing our humanity we share our dreams, our fears, our loves, and our pain, making this anthology a potential tool for other Native communities, social service agencies and educators." It provides an opportunity to build relationships not only with one another but also with society at large. This anthology will indeed do just that. It will demonstrate not only that "we exist" says Stewart but that "we are thriving and a cornerstone of this community!"

For more information please contact Hope Engel at 519-827-1275 or visit www.guelpharts.ca/plumewriterscircle.