Former Sask. poet laureate selected for Parliamentary role

SASKATOON -- An award-winning Indigenous poet and former residential school student has been selected as the next Parliamentary Poet Laureate.

Louise Bernice Halfe, who is also known by her Cree name, Sky Dancer, has used poetry to confront Canada's fraught history with Indigenous people.

She is Canada's ninth poet laureate. She also was Saskatchewan's second poet laureate.

Raised on the Saddle Lake First Nation in Alberta, Halfe attended Blue Quills Residential School as a child and went on to become a social worker.

The role of the Parliamentary Poet Laureate is to write poetry, especially for use in Parliament on important occasions.

The laureate also sponsors poetry readings and advises the Parliamentary Librarian regarding the library’s collection.

Halfe says her ultimate goal is to help poetry gain greater prominence in Canada.