Rita Mestokosho facts for kids

Rita Mestokosho was born in 1966 in Ekuanitshit, a small Innu village near Mingan in Québec. She is an important Innu writer and poet. She also works as a leader for culture and education in her community.

About Rita Mestokosho

Her Early Life and Education

Rita Mestokosho grew up in the Innu village of Ekuanitshit. As a child, she spent a lot of time in the forest with her parents. Her parents were hunter-gatherers, meaning they found their food by hunting animals and gathering plants.

After finishing high school in Quebec City and Montreal, Rita Mestokosho went to university. She studied political science at the University of Quebec in Chicoutimi. Later, she returned to her home community.

She has worked for many years to create an "Innu mitshuap uteitun." This is a special house for Innu culture. She still helps to manage this important cultural center.

Fighting for Her People

Rita Mestokosho is an activist for Indigenous rights. An activist is someone who works hard to make changes in society. She fights to make sure the Innu-aimun language is recognized. She also works to help the Innu Nation's culture and history grow stronger.

She is a member of her local Innu Council. This means she helps make decisions for her community. She also speaks for her people. For example, she spoke out against building a hydroelectric dam on the Roman river. A hydroelectric dam is a large wall built across a river to make electricity from the water's power.

Her poetry and her activism are closely connected. She uses her poems to defend the environment. She also uses them to protect the traditional lands of the Innu people.

A Gifted Writer and Poet

Rita Mestokosho's poems have been printed in many international magazines. She often takes part in meetings for writers who use their native languages. She also attends international literature and poetry festivals.

In 1995, she published her first book of poems, called Eshi Uapataman Nukum. A company in Sweden later re-published this book in three languages: Innu, French, and Swedish.

Her next book, Née de la pluie et de la terre, came out in September 2014. Rita Mestokosho often publishes her poems in two languages. This means her books have both Innu and French versions. This helps more people understand and enjoy her work.

In 2023, she won a very important award. She received the Governor General's Award for French-language poetry for her book Atikᵁ utei. Le cœur du caribou. This award is one of the highest honors for writers in Canada.