Rebecca Thomas is an award winning Mi'kmaw poet and activist who does not want to be a poet or activist. She just happens to be good enough at poetry and persuasion to get people to listen but her ultimate goal is to make Canada a better place for her Indigenous community because so many people tend to forget they were here first. She has accidentally found herself as the former Poet Laureate of Halifax. She has performed with the Halluci Nation and has spoken and lectured at conferences and coffee houses from coast to coast.
She writes kids books about growing up the child of a residential school survivor. Her first book I'm Finding My Talk has been shortlisted for the First Nations Community Reads Award. Her most recent collection of poetry called "I place you into the fire" was listed as one of CBC's top 20 books of 2020. Her book "Swift Fox All Along" was a finalist for the 2020 Governor General's Award for children's literature. She has an upcoming children's book called "The Chair" set for a 2024 publishing date. She pays her bills by helping students who are overwhelmed with life and studies as a Student Services Advisor at the Nova Scotia Community College.
(Bio credit-James Arthur MacLean)
Rebecca Thomas is also the narrator for The Earth Book in Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia's staged adaptation of Todd Parr's It's Okay To Be Different (coming to Mermaid Theatre June 3rd).