© Geneviève Giguère
Poet, documentary filmmaker, lyricist and Innu translator, Josephine Bacon writes in both French and Innu-Aimun. Her wide-ranging works resonate with the echoes of the elders whose paths have crossed with hers: Un thé dans la toundra / Nipishapui nete mushuat, Nous sommes tous des sauvages, Bâtons à message / Tshissinuashitakana.
She is regularly invited to take part in poetry events around the world and collaborates with numerous local and international journals.
Joséphine Bacon was appointed to the Ordre des arts et des lettres du Québec at a special awards ceremony held on May 28, 2018 This link will open in a new window. The Conseil wishes to thank Institut Tshakapesh for translating the tribute in innu.
Minuatshimakanu Joséphine Bacon
Joséphine eukuan ka papikuenanut. Nukuannu anite ussishikut, petakuannu eimiti, uitakannu anite utashineu-tipatshimunit e mashinatenit shatshitunnu kie e ishpitenitakannit eishinakuannit unuitimit mak e uinakaniht tshiashinnuat. Shutshenitakushu Joséphine e tshishpeuatak tshetshi eka uni-tshissitutakannit kie tshetshi eka unitakannit innu-aimunnu kie innu-aitunnu. Ashit nenu e papikuenanut, nenu eshi-kanuenitashut e ashitshi-tipatshimut mak eshpish innishit nitau-uauitueu kie nitau-minu-utinamu tshekuannu.
Kaiashineu-tipatshimusht, katshishkutamatshesht, kaiashu-uitamatshesht, katipatshimusht, kie kananatuapatitshesht. Ishinniu e natutamuat kie e ashu-patshitinamuat tshishennua utshissenitamunnu. Nenu uiauitshiaushit tshetshi nanitam inniuimakannit innu-aimunnu, eukuannu tshetshi kueshte ishi-tshiuekapaut katshi tat kutunnuepipuna ashu patetat anite ka kanuenimakanniti innu-auassa, ka utinakanit anite ut uikanisha kie ka utinamuakanit e auassiut kie nenu eshinniut. Eku nenu ka ishpish uauitshiaushit ne Bibitte ka ishinikatikut uitsheuakana, eukuannu ut minakanipan kanua eshinikatakanniti doctorat honoris causa, ka nanatu-tshissenitakannit eshinniuht innuat e tshishkutamatshenanunit.
Ka shutshi-pimutet kassinu anite aiashuteu, ka mishta-shatshitat mushuat eukuan ka innikaitat aieshkuenitamunnu. Utaimuna tshi uapatinikunan meshta-minuashit mushuau e nukutat anite ussishikut e itapit. Nenu e uenutishiutat ka tshitapatakanniti mashinaikana ute Uepishtikueiau-assit e innushtat umashinaikan mak e mishtikushiushtat, umeshkanamikueu ushinnua nenua aiat e mitshetiniti tshetshi tshishpeuataminiti utaimunnu.
The Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec would like to thank the Caisse de la Culture and Le Devoir, which partnered for the award of this honour.