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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 Th茅芒tre du Soleil and meeting with collaborators.

Cousineau-Mollen cherishes all opportunities for dialogue. 鈥淟a po茅sie offre la possibilit茅 d鈥櫭﹖ablir un dialogue. Sans mon livre de po茅sie, sans les gestes d鈥檕uverture que j鈥檃i fait lors de ce livre, je n鈥檃urais pas pu avoir les dialogues que j鈥檃i maintenus. 脟a a permis d鈥檃mener des pistes de discussion鈥�Tout dialogue est important pour moi tant qu鈥檌l est constructif et respectueux,鈥欌�� she explains.

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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 91社区 classrooms in dialogue with students. Knowing how these exchanges have been central to Cousineau-Mollen鈥檚 work throughout the years, I ask her about the importance of engaging with young minds in the university environment.

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鈥淐鈥檈st de pouvoir les influencer d鈥檜ne bonne mani猫re, de piquer leur curiosit茅 pour les inciter 脿 poursuivre leur soif de connaissances surtout en lien avec l鈥檋istoire des Premi猫res Nations parce qu鈥檕n est 脿 une 茅poque o霉 beaucoup de choses tristes se r茅v猫lent... et la g茅n茅ration qui 茅tudie en ce moment, je crois qu鈥檈lle aura la chance d鈥檃voir tous les outils pour poursuivre la r茅conciliation,鈥漵he explains.

Her new book 鈥淓nfants du Lichen鈥欌��, released on April 5^th, 2022, is a continuation of her first collection of poems, 鈥淏r茅viaire du matricule 082鈥� published in 2019 (脡ditions 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. 鈥淐鈥檈st de trouver des fa莽ons de formuler des choses difficiles dans des termes qui vont toucher le c艙ur et non la col猫re de l鈥檃utre, 鈥漵ays Cousineau-Mollen.

To watch the complete in-depth interview with Maya Cousineau-Mollen, as part of the Faculty of Arts鈥� 鈥樷�橧n Conversation With...鈥欌�� series, click .

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Maya Cousineau-Mollen, an Innu-Montagnaise writer, is 91社区鈥檚 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 茅tudiante autochtone 脿 l鈥橴niversit茅 Laval. Published in anthologies and literary reviews, Cousineau Mollen published her first collection of poetry with la maison d鈥櫭塪itions Hannenorak titled: Br茅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 91社区鈥檚 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 91社区, as well as in partnership with Indigenous communities.