Marie Annharte Baker facts for kids
Marie Annharte Baker (born 1942) is a Canadian writer and artist. She is from the Anishinaabe (also called Ojibwa) people. Annharte is known for her poetry, books, and performances. She also works as a cultural critic and activist.
Through her writing and art, Annharte shares her thoughts about life in western Canada. She often focuses on important topics like the experiences of women, Indigenous people, and those living in cities or facing poverty.
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About Marie Annharte Baker's Life
Marie Annharte Baker was born in 1942. She grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Her family background is mixed: her father was Irish, and her mother was Anishinabe.
Annharte spent her holidays with her Anishinabe grandparents. They lived on a reservation in Manitoba. She went to college in the 1960s, but she felt her education wasn't very helpful at first. She considers herself mostly self-taught.
Later, in the 1970s, she went back to school. She earned a degree in English from the University of Winnipeg. After graduating, Annharte became involved in Native American activism. She taught Native Studies at several colleges in Minneapolis. She was one of the first people in North America to teach a class just about Native American women.
After teaching, Annharte returned to Winnipeg. There, she worked as a community family advocate. This means she helped families in her community.
Annharte's Community Work
Annharte has been connected with many universities. These include the University of Manitoba and University of Minnesota. She has also worked with many groups of writers and activists. She helped start the Regina Aboriginal Writers Group. She also co-founded the Aboriginal Writers Collective of Manitoba.
Annharte was a founding member of the Canadian Indian Youth Council. This group helped young Indigenous people. Today, she is working on the Nokomis Storyteller Theatre. This theatre features funny clown acts and puppet shows. She also volunteered for a radio show in Vancouver called When Spirit Whispers. On this show, she interviewed Native people and talked about Native art.
Marie Annharte Baker's Works
Annharte has written several books and poems. Here are some of her well-known works:
- Being on the Moon (1990, 2000)
- Coyote Columbus Cafe (1994)
- Exercises in Lip Pointing (2003)
- Indigena Awry (2013)
- Too Tough (1990)
- "Porkskin Panorama" (a poem in Callalloo)
- "Medicine Lives"
- "Borrowing Enemy Language"
Awards and Recognition
Marie Annharte Baker has received awards for her important work:
- 1990 National Film Board grant: She received this for her film Too Tough. This film celebrated the spiritual strength of Native women. It showed how they can overcome negative images in the media.
- 1991 City of Regina's writing award: She won this for Albeit Aboriginal. This was a script that helped bring back the voices of Native women.
See also
- Canadian literature
- Canadian poetry
- List of Canadian poets
- List of Canadian writers
- List of writers from peoples indigenous to the Americas
