Saskatoon's Lisa Bird-Wilson uses poetry to explore residential school experience

Seeing a collection of photos at a Truth and Reconciliation Commissioneventin the city inspired Saskatoon authorLisa Bird-Wilson's debut collection of poetry The Red Files.

"In my family we had residential school photos that had been copied onto paper and then on the paper typed underneath were the names of who was in that photo."

But upon viewing archival photos available at the TRC event, Bird-Wilson learned it was rare for the children in the images to be identified.

"They're anonymous. There are no names attached to any of the photos in the archives," said Bird-Wilson. "Except, you might get a name of an administrator who took that series of photos."

Bird-Wilson, wanting to find a way to tell the children's stories, turned to poetry.

To prepare for writing The Red Files, Bird-Wilsonconducted archival researchin Saskatoon and Ottawa. The resulting poemsare a blend of historical fact andcreative invention.

"I worried and worried and thought and thought about and it some point I just really put my head down and worked."

Most important for Bird-Wilson was to render these "anonymous"children as fully-formed individuals, each with a rich story to tell.

"We all know the really bad things about residential schools and I wanted to somehow be able to convey a sense of something good."