Book Review: 'From Turtle Island to Gaza' and its Relevance on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

By Muaz Nasir

“We become aliens

strangers

outsiders

foreigners

unknown

in our own land

other”

From Turtle Island to Gaza is a collection of poems by David A. Groulx, an Ojibwe Indian and French Canadian whose work has appeared in over 160 publications in 16 countries.

Groulx weaves together experiences of colonialism, displacement, trauma, and resistance in both Indigenous peoples of Canada and the people of Palestine 

As Canada pauses on September 30th to honour the children lost to the residential school system and the survivors who live with its legacy, Groulx’ work reminds us that truth and reconciliation cannot be confined to the past.

Colonialism is not over—it continues to shape lives both here in Canada and in countries across the world.

“If we know our oppressor

lives in prisons of anger

How can the settler

be our master”

This book speaks directly to the ongoing nature of colonial violence, linking the historical and present-day dispossession of Indigenous peoples in Canada to the struggles of Palestinians under military occupation.

Groulx’ poetry broadens our understanding of what decolonization really means and who is allowed to seek justice.

He draws powerful parallels between land theft, cultural erasure, and resistance; and urges Canadians to recognize our own responsibilities from past harms while actively working to dismantle colonial systems today.

On a day that is often filled with symbolic gestures, From Turtle Island to Gaza calls for something deeper: solidarity, action, and truth-telling.

It challenges us to reflect on whose voices we believe, whose histories we honour, and what reconciliation demands beyond orange shirts and public statements.

It also forces us to face the truths of our own colonial foundations and commit to ensuring the systems of oppression are not forced onto another generation to endure.