>> Michael Allcott: Good morning, Mr. Chancellor, President Franklin, distinguished family and graduates. Today we honour one of Canada's most significant authors with the highest degree awarded by the University, the Honorary Doctorate. Joseph comes from a family of 11 siblings and he credits the strong women in his life for being much of the wisdom that informs his writing. I am thrilled and we are very fortunate to have his mother Vlance Boyden, his sister Julia, and his son Jacob here with us this morning. Joseph Boyden's name belongs with the names of Canada's greatest literary icons, the likes of Margaret Attwood, Alice Monroe, and Michael Andachi are his peers. More over the ethic reach of his novels expresses cultural fissures that are at the foundation of our country. Through the intimate portrayal of complex, faulty, and deeply human heroes, Boyden engages us and readers around the world in a vital project of reconciliation. That epic reach and his will to powerfully represent the complexity of his country put him also in the company of international greats like Orhan Pamuk, J.M Concaea, Tony Morrison and the Late Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Joseph's books have been recognized with some of the highest honours Canada has to bestow. Three Day Road, his first novel was a selection for the 2006 Canada reads competition, it also earned the Amazon books in Canada first novel prize, the Mcnallie robinson aboriginal book of the year award, and the Rogers writers trust prize for first fiction. Through Black Spruce he won the prestigious Scotia Gillard prize, 2013's the Orenda was long listed for the Giller, short listed for the Governor General's award and won the CBC Canada reads competition. He has also begun collecting international prizes Joseph told me that yesterday he found out that he will be awarded the Grand Prix le trivere by France. Other's have granted Joseph Honorary degrees and accolades for his writerly but a Trent honorary degree also honours a depth of friendship to this University. Joseph has been a friend to Trent since before the publication of his first novel in 2004 students of the legendary professor Emeritus John Wadlin's Canadian studies class first invited him to visit. In 2008 Joseph was here to discuss Three Day Road which was chosen to be Trent's first common book for all new students. In 2012 Joseph spent more then a week with Trent students, students, faculty, and our community participating in the 40th anniversary Temagami Colloquium and serving as the Jack Matthews fellow in residence for the International program and our partners the Canadian Canoe Museum and Lakefield College school. In september 2013 Joseph launched the Orenda in the Great Hall of Champlain college. What is so deeply Trent about Joseph Boyden, why is it that many people have assumed he is a Trent Alumn. Perhaps it is the touch of iconoclasm that  manifested itself in the Mohawk he sported in Jean de Brebéuf high school or the dual tattoos on his forearms that could equally represent eagle feathers or the writers quill. Perhaps it is the multiple cultures that cross profoundly through his own identity just as Trent's identity is crossed by commitment to both Canadian studies, Indigenous studies, interdisciplinary, international, and experiential learning. Joseph's books challenge the way you think, they challenge the way you think about Canada, they challenge the way you think about your place in our received history. They will challenge the way you think about the engagement across cultural boundaries, the authentic accounting for history and the love of the land that is necessary for our future. In his un-mystified   commitment to the possibility of social justice you will feel the reverberation of your Trent learning. In the Canada reads competition Juab canoe famously introduced Joseph's book with these words, this is not the myth of a missionary this is confession for colonization that gives voice to the Indigenous so we can have a new conversation. Without that no truth no reconciliation, and that is why the Orenda is the book to change our nation. Mr. Chancellor, I have the great honour of presenting our friend Mr. Joseph Boyden for the degree of Doctor of Letters, Anoris Kowza.