50 years later, a Cree poet grieves for murdered teen Helen Betty Osborne, others targeted by hate
Cree and Metis poet Marilyn Dumont's poem, simply called Helen Betty Osborne, honours and mourns the shy, soft-spoken teenager and others like her who have been targeted by hate.
Marilyn Dumont felt the ugly pain of the racism that fuelled Osborne's murder in 1971
This First Person article is the experience of Marily Dumont, an acclaimed poet and educator. For more information about CBC's First Person stories, please see the FAQ.
Marilyn Dumont never knew Helen Betty Osborne.
But when Osborne, a 19-year-old Cree woman, was murdered in The Pas, Man., in November 1971, Marilyn Dumont — a young Cree woman in rural Alberta — felt the ugly pain of the racism that fuelled the teen's death.
Years later, Dumont went on to become an acclaimed poet and educator.
Her poem, simply called Helen Betty Osborne, honours and mourns the shy, soft-spoken teenager and others like her who have been targeted by hate.
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