Leanne Betasamosake Simpson facts for kids

Leanne Betasamosake Simpson is a writer, musician, and teacher from the Mississauga Nishnaabeg nation in Canada. She is known for her important work with the Idle No More movement. Simpson teaches at the Dechinta: Centre for Research and Learning. She lives in Peterborough, Ontario.

Early Life and Roots

Leanne is a member of the Alderville First Nation. Her grandmother, Audrey Williamson, was born there in 1925. Leanne's great-grandfather, Hartley Franklin, moved to Peterborough to work on canoes.

Leanne was born and grew up in Wingham, Ontario. Her mother, Dianne Simpson, is Nishnaabeg. Her father, Barry Simpson, has Scottish family roots.

In the 1990s, Leanne's grandmother and mother regained their official Indigenous status. Leanne and other family members also regained their status later. This helped them reconnect with their heritage.

How Leanne Works

Simpson writes about important issues facing Indigenous people today. She shares stories from her own Anishinaabe nation. She uses different ways to tell these stories, like music, fiction, and poetry.

Leanne works to reconnect with the traditions she was separated from as a child. She spent time with Northern Nishnaabeg elders. This helped her learn the language, culture, and spiritual ways.

She uses Nishnaabeg storytelling methods to make sense of the world. Her work is deeply connected to nature and Indigenous ways of thinking. As a mother, she wants her children to learn these traditions. This helps them understand Indigenous values and beliefs.

Leanne's interest in activism grew during her studies at the University of Guelph. She was inspired by the 1990 Oka Crisis and leaders like Ellen Gabriel. She realized she needed to actively reconnect with her Anishinaabe roots. Today, Simpson inspires young people as an artist, musician, and writer. She focuses on Indigenous ways of knowing, rather than just Western ideas.

Education and Teaching

Leanne studied biology at the University of Guelph and Mount Allison University. She earned her PhD in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Manitoba.

She is a teacher at the Dechinta Centre for Research and Learning. She also teaches at universities across Canada. She has been a visiting scholar at places like McGill University and the University of Saskatchewan. Her work helps people understand Indigenous culture in Canadian music and writing.

Standing Up for Indigenous Rights

Simpson is very active in Indigenous rights and anti-colonialism. She also works to raise awareness about gender-based violence. She helps protect Indigenous homelands. She was an important part of the Idle No More protest movement.

Leanne shares her activism through her academic writing and art. She believes movements like Idle No More are strongest when many people work together. This includes community organizers, artists, writers, and teachers. They work from the ground up, using creative ways to make change.

During the Idle No More protests, she became a key voice. Her article, "Aambe! Maajaadaa! (What #IdleNoMore Means to Me)", was widely shared. In it, she explained why defending Indigenous land and ways of life is so important. She stressed how Indigenous worldviews are deeply connected to the land.

Simpson believes that solutions to environmental problems cannot come from systems that just take from the Earth. She says that governments often use bits of Indigenous knowledge without understanding the full culture. This can actually make the problem worse. She sees this taking of resources and ideas as part of colonialism.

Rebuilding Indigenous Nations

Leanne is a strong supporter of Indigenous resurgence. This means rebuilding Indigenous nations using their own knowledge and community involvement. Her ideas are about bringing traditional ways of living into the future. She believes this future must not harm the Earth or Black and Indigenous peoples. She finds inspiration from movements like Black Lives Matter and NoDAPL.

Simpson's ideas about decolonization are used by many Indigenous scholars. She argues that solutions to colonialism cannot be found only in Western ways of thinking. She says Indigenous activists should focus on building new ways of living based on Indigenous worldviews. She believes in rejecting ideas that try to make Indigenous people fit into colonial systems.

Simpson also talks about how Canada's Indian Act system was forced on Indigenous peoples. She says it helps the Canadian government control Indigenous lands. She believes these systems of control must be taken apart.

Leanne's philosophy of Indigenous resurgence focuses on bringing back Indigenous ways of life. She believes these ways are flexible and can be used for the future.

As an Indigenous feminist, Simpson believes that rebuilding Indigenous nations means removing old ideas about gender roles. She says focusing only on cisgender men comes from colonial ways of thinking. She works to include queer Indigenous people in rebuilding communities. In her article "Queering Resurgence," she talks about raising her children in a way that challenges these old ideas.

Music and Writing

As a musician, Simpson has worked with many artists. She records and performs stories as songs. Her album f(l)ight was produced by Jonas Bonnetta. She often performs with her sister Ansley Simpson and Nick Ferrio. Her album Theory of Ice includes collaborations with Jim Bryson and John K. Samson.

Rehearsals for Living

Rehearsals for Living is a book Leanne wrote with Robyn Maynard. Robyn writes about Black lives. This book is a powerful conversation between two important Canadian thinkers and activists. They are both Black and Indigenous women and mothers. They share letters about where we go from here. It's a mix of debate, dialogue, and family letters. They talk about Black and Indigenous views on today's world. They also discuss the history of slavery and colonization. The book looks at what the future might hold after the pandemic.

Theory of Ice

Simpson's album, Theory of Ice, combines poetry and music. She worked with her bandmates Ansley Simpson and Nick Ferrio, and producers Jonas Bonetta and Jim Bryson. The album was chosen as a finalist for the 2021 Polaris Music Prize.

Noopiming Sessions

Noopiming Sessions was inspired by Leanne's novel, Noopiming: A Cure for White Ladies. She created it with Ansley Simpson, James Bunton, and Sammy Chien. They worked on it during the COVID-19 pandemic. This EP was the first release for the Indigenous-run music label Gizhiiwe.

Noopiming

In her 2020 novel, Noopiming: The Cure for White Ladies, Simpson mixes prose and poetry. She aims to challenge colonial ideas and bring back Indigenous ways of thinking. The title is a response to an old book from 1852 called Roughing it in the Bush. Simpson uses an artistic style to show readers an alternative world. This world focuses on healing and Indigenous transformation. The book deeply explores how Indigenous people connect to ceremonies and the land. It shows a future rooted in the past. Noopiming was a finalist for the Governor General's Literary Award for fiction in 2020.

As We Have Always Done

In As We Have Always Done: Indigenous Freedom Through Radical Resistance (2017), Simpson talks about Indigenous political resurgence. She says it comes from unique Indigenous ways of thinking and doing. She calls for Indigenous resurgence that offers land-based Indigenous ways of life. These ways are an alternative to colonial control. In one essay, "Land and Pedagogy," she uses Nishnaabeg stories. She argues for a different kind of education. This education would reclaim land as a way of teaching. It would help a new generation of Nishnaabeg people rebuild society based on their values.

This Accident of Being Lost

This Accident of Being Lost: Songs and Stories (2017) is a collection of short stories and poetry. It came out a year after her album f(l)ight. The book shows both the sad and funny parts of Indigenous life. Simpson explains that Nishnaabeg people use humor to survive and find joy despite colonialism. The title refers to the ongoing struggle of Indigenous peoples who have lost parts of their culture due to colonialism. Simpson wrote this book especially for Indigenous women. She wanted them to see their lives reflected in literature. She also uses Anishinaabemowin (the Nishnaabeg language) without italics or translation. This shows she wrote it for Nishnaabeg readers. She wants Indigenous women to feel strong and not like victims.

f(l)ight

f(l)ight, released in 2016, uses Indigenous storytelling through spoken word poetry and songs. It is a companion to This Accident of Being Lost. f(l)ight challenges the idea that Indigenous peoples are always sad or to be pitied. Instead, it shows their strength, persistence, and brilliance. The album title combines "fight" and "light" to make "flight". "Light" shows the beauty of Simpson's Nishnaabeg culture. "Fight" refers to the ongoing resistance of Indigenous peoples to protect their sacred lands. The word "flight" means escaping into the Nishnaabewin worldview. This helps imagine future possibilities for Indigenous peoples. The sounds of nature, like wild rice and the Crowe River, were important in making the album.

Islands of Decolonial Love

Islands of Decolonial Love: Stories and Songs (2013) is a book and album project. Simpson uses both English and her native Nishnaabemowin. She only gives partial translations. This helps readers who don't speak the language get a sense of the text. She also avoids capitalizing her poetry. This challenges how we use language and power. This work can be challenging to read because it uses decolonial writing styles. It explores what "decolonial love" means. It rejects the idea of Indigenous people as always sad or conquered. Instead, Simpson focuses on the power of decolonial love. She shows that Indigenous people are strong and persistent against oppression. For Simpson, colonization does not mean being conquered.

The Gift Is in the Making

The Gift Is in the Making: Anishnaabeg Stories (2013) is a collection of Nishnaabeg stories. Simpson rewrote them for young people aged eleven and older. The book has black and white illustrations. Twenty stories are traditional Nishnaabeg folklore. One story was written by Simpson for her own children. She shared these stories orally, as is traditional. She notes they are best shared in winter. Simpson includes Nishnaabeg words for places, animals, and seasons. She provides definitions so young people can learn the language. She reworked these stories to be relevant to modern life. Simpson wanted to remove colonial ideas that had changed the stories over time. These ideas often added European gender norms or encouraged obedience. Simpson's goal is to reclaim Indigenous ways of thinking. She believes stories are very important for Indigenous peoples. They pass on Indigenous values and political ideas.

Dancing on Our Turtle's Back

Dancing on Our Turtle's Back: Stories of Nishnaabeg Re-Creation, Resurgence, and a New Emergence (2011) criticizes new forms of colonialism and government reconciliation efforts. Simpson believes the Canadian government and Indigenous nations should deal with each other as equals. She argues that reconciliation efforts try to hide past colonial harms. They ignore ongoing problems from colonialism. They also silence Indigenous voices. Simpson's work criticizes the Indian Act. She says it helps the government control Indigenous lands. It also encourages racist and sexist ideas.

Simpson uses Nishnaabeg decolonial theories called biskaabiiyang. These theories use traditional Indigenous knowledge to resist new colonial silencing. Simpson says that Indigenous dealings with the Canadian government should be based on Indigenous ways of knowing. She believes reconciliation must be based on Indigenous movements towards resurgence. This means understanding the deep connection between people and nature. Simpson's work tries to decolonize how the government handles reconciliation. She believes each Indigenous nation is unique. They should not be seen as one powerless group. Ultimately, she rejects Canada's claims to control Indigenous self-rule.

The Winter We Danced

Simpson was one of the main editors for The Winter We Danced: Voices from the Past, the Future and the Idle No More Movement (2014). This book is a tribute to the "dancers" of the Idle No More movement. It includes academic essays, photos, artwork, and poetry. This collection honors the activists of Idle No More. It also encourages the movement's spirit to continue. It celebrates how Indigenous people were central to the movement. Much of the work in this book was created during the busiest times of Idle No More. It offers insights from activists while they were fighting for change. The book shows Idle No More's focus on the importance of Indigenous communities' connection to their land. It also shares their vision for the future of Indigenous peoples. The work explores the effort needed to heal from the pain of colonial trauma. It also shows how Indigenous people keep their ways of life through ceremony and community.

This Is an Honour Song

This Is an Honour Song: 20 Years Since the Blockades, An Anthology of Writing on the “Oka” Crisis (2010) is a collection edited by Simpson and Kiera Ladner. This book explores the impact of the Oka Crisis from 1990. During this time, Kanien’kehaka people defended their land from a proposed golf course. The book focuses on how these events led to a political and artistic resurgence among Indigenous peoples. It also shows how the events challenged colonial myths among Canadian settlers.

Lighting the Eighth Fire

The 7th Fire Prophecy of the Nishnaabe peoples talks about new people coming to revive Indigenous traditions. This prophecy inspired Simpson to edit her first collection of essays in 2008. It was called Lighting the Eighth Fire: The Liberation, Resurgence, and Protection of Indigenous Nations. This book has 13 chapters written by Indigenous scholars. They write from the perspective of 4th World Theory. This theory focuses on Indigenous ways of knowing and being. Lighting the Eighth Fire highlights the unique philosophies of each Indigenous nation. Each chapter connects past Indigenous stories and histories to present efforts for resurgence and future possibilities.

Awards and Recognitions

In 2014, Simpson's article "Land as Pedagogy" won the 'Most thought-provoking' award in Native and Indigenous Studies. That same year, author Thomas King named her the RBC Taylor Emerging Writer.

In 2017, her book "This Accident of Being Lost" was nominated for the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize and the Trillium Book Award.

As We Have Always Done was named the best book of 2017 by the Native American Indigenous Studies Association.

She has been nominated three times for the ReLit Award. She was nominated in 2014 for Islands of Decolonial Love and in 2018 for This Accident of Being Lost. In 2021, she was nominated for Noopiming.

Noopiming was a finalist for the Governor General's Award for English-language fiction at the 2020 Governor General's Awards.

Theory of Ice was a finalist for the 2021 Polaris Music Prize.

Simpson won the Prism Prize's Willie Dunn Award. This award goes to a Canadian trailblazer who has shown excellence in music, music video, or film production.