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Louise Halfe at a podium, and students in chairs listening

CHAT, TDPS, RCD and the English Department hosted Canadian Poet Laureate and Native Canadian, Louise Halfe, to campus. Also known as Skydancer, Louise Halfe is a social worker and a member of the Cree people. She was born in Two Hills, Alberta, and was raised on the Saddle Lake Reserve. When she was seven years old, Louise was forced to attend Blue Quills Residential School in St. Paul, Alberta; she remained there for nine years. At the age of sixteen, she left home and broke ties with her family. This gave her the opportunity to complete her studies at St. Paul's Regional High School. While Halfe attended high school, she developed an interest in writing. She started a journal to write about her memories and life experiences. At her talk with the Tufts community, she shared some of  the poetry she written about her experiences as well as her perspective on our relationship with nature.