SH:LAM (The Doctor)

This powerful collection, all too relevant today, tells a story that needs to be told. The author writes, "This is the truth of what has happened to my people. The Kwantlen people used to number in the thousands but like all river tribes, eighty percent of our people were wiped out by smallpox and now there are only 200 of us. As a Kwantlen man, father, fisherman, poet and playwright I believe the gift of words was given to me so I can retell our stories"

These poems tell the story of a Kwantlen man who has been given the gift of healing, but is also is a heroin addict. (From Mawenzi House)

• Why Joseph Dandurand wanted to tell his story of survival through poetry
• Meet Joseph Dandurand, VPL's 2019 Indigenous storyteller in residence
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Interviews withJoseph Dandurand

The Next Chapter2:33Joseph A Dandurand on SH:LAM: The Doctor

The poet and playwright Joseph A Dandurand, on his poetry collection SH:LAM, which is based in part on traditional stories of the Kwantlen First Nation.