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Rita Joe is a young Indigenous woman who leaves her reservation for the city in hopes of finding a better life. While in the city, Rita Joe finds herself tangled up with the law. She appears before The Magistrate, charged with vagrancy. Rita Joe has appeared before The Magistrate before, and her face is familiar to him. He asks her if they know each other, but Rita cannot remember. The Magistrate tells Rita Joe that she has eight hours to collect witnesses to defend her case. The Magistrate
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MAGISTRATE: The charge against you this morning is vagrancy.
*MAGISTRATE continues studying papers he holds. She looks up at him and shakes her head helplessly, then blurts out to him. *
RITA: I had to spend last night in jail . . . did you know?
MAGISTRATE: Yes. You were arrested.
[... … …]
RITA: What difference does it make?
MAGISTRATE: Children cannot be left like that . . . It takes money to raise children in the woods as in the cities . . . There are institutions and people with more money than you who could . . .
RITA: Nobody would get my child, mister!
Ryga, George, The Ecstasy of Rita Joe, Talonbooks, 1967, pp 43-47.
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Per the publisher, Talonbooks, the rights to produce The Ecstasy of Rita Joe in whole or in part, in any medium by any group, amateur or professional, are retained by the author's estate.
Interested persons are requested to apply to
George Ryga & Associates Inc.
65 Aspen Place
Half Moon Bay
Alberta, Canada T4S 1S1
www.georgeryga.com
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