Description
Struggling With My Soul is a 100-page reader developed by Mamu Tshishkutamashutau Innu Education and Boulder Publications about the Innu Nation of Labrador as seen through the eyes of Innu leader George Rich. George Rich was born in Nain in 1962. His early childhood was spent in the interior of Labrador, primarily in the area around Border Beacon. As a boy, George travelled with his parents throughout the northern areas of the Innu territories inland from Utshimassit. In 1967, his family were settled in the government village of Davis Inlet, but they maintained their hunting lifestyle, travelling frequently to Natuashish. where the Mushuau Innu were relocated in 2003, and where he now lives. George was educated in the Canadian school system to high school level. Since then he has become a leader in the community and in the Innu Nation, acting as Chief of Davis Inlet, Vice President of Innu Nation, and for almost 30 years as a negotiator and spokesperson for Innu rights in land claims, health, and relocation. George’s involvement in advancing the rights of the Innu has taken him all over Canada and the world, having attended meetings of the UN in Geneva and with support organizations across Europe. He has visited Indigenous communities in Australia and the US. His vast experience has made him an important contact for non-Innu visitors, researchers and supporters. George Rich writes about the traditional lifestyle of his family and community as well as the various relocations of his people. The devastation of the community's way of life was evident during their time in Davis Inlet. It was here that families suffered and fractured by the use of drugs and alcohol. He also writes about the community's healing and efforts with self-determination. With the use of maps, archival and contemporary images, the book offers young adult students in Canada and the USA a first-hand perspective about the Innu Nation. Highly recommended. Struggling With My Soul has been selected in the Young Adult/Adult Category Longlist for First Nation Communities READ 2018.