A two-spirit journey : the autobiography of a lesbian Ojibwa-Cree elder / Ma-Nee Chacaby, with Mary Louisa Plummer.

By:

Chacaby, Ma-Nee, 1950-

Contributor(s):

Plummer, Mary Louisa

Material type: Text

TextSeries: Critical studies in Native history ; 18.Publication details: Winnipeg, Manitoba : University of Manitoba Press, 2016.Description: xii, 240 p. : ill., map, geneal. table ; 23 cmISBN:

9780887558122 (pbk.)

Subject(s):

Genre/Form:

Autobiographies.

DDC classification:

306.76/63092 23

Contents:

My grandmother's and my family' history in Manitoba and Ontario (1863-1952) -- First discoveries, joys and sorrows : my early childhood in Ombabika (1952-1958) -- Seasonal activities, first friendships, and the beginning of addiction (1958-1960) -- School, teenage friendships, and having two spirits (1960-1965) -- Losing my grandmother and mothers, becoming a parent, and surviving an abusive marriage in Auden (1965-1970) -- Living and parenting in Thunder Bay and Sault Ste. Marie before sobriety (1970-1975) -- Sobriety and single parenting in Thunder Bay (1975-1980) -- Working with addicted mothers and raising foster kids with Nate in Winnipeg (1980-1987) -- Coming out, falling in love, and living with Leah in Thunder Bay and Boston (1987-1991) -- Meeting Grace and building a life together in Kaministiquia (1991-2004) -- Recovering from post traumatic stress disorder and becoming an elder in Thunder Bay (2004-2014) -- Afterword by Mary Louisa Plummer.

Awards:

Canada Reads winner 2025.

Summary: "A Two-Spirit Journey is Ma-Nee Chacaby's extraordinary account of her life as an Ojibwa-Cree lesbian. From her early, often harrowing memories of life and abuse in a remote Ojibwa community riven by poverty and alcoholism, Chacaby's story is one of enduring and ultimately overcoming the social, economic, and health legacies of colonialism. As a child, Chacaby learned spiritual and cultural traditions from her Cree grandmother and trapping, hunting, and bush survival skills from her Ojibwa stepfather. She also suffered physical and sexual abuse by different adults, and in her teen years became alcoholic herself. At twenty, Chacaby moved to Thunder Bay with her children to escape an abusive marriage. Abuse, compounded by racism, continued, but Chacaby found supports to help herself and others. Over the following decades, she achieved sobriety; trained and worked as an alcoholism counsellor; raised her children and fostered many others; learned to live with visual impairment; and came out as a lesbian. In 2013, Chacaby led the first gay pride parade in Thunder Bay. Ma-Nee Chacaby has emerged from hardship grounded in faith, compassion, humour, and resilience. Her memoir provides unprecedented insights into the challenges still faced by many Indigenous people."-- Provided by publisher.

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Holdings ( 1 )
Title notes ( 4 )

Holdings
Item type	Current library	Collection	Call number	Status	Notes	Date due	Barcode	Item holds
Biography	West Grey Durham Branch Shelves	Non-fiction	306.766 CHA (Browse shelf(Opens below))	Checked out	Canada Reads Winner 2025	04/15/2025	33321003266203

Total holds: 0

Includes bibliographical references.

"A Two-Spirit Journey is Ma-Nee Chacaby's extraordinary account of her life as an Ojibwa-Cree lesbian. From her early, often harrowing memories of life and abuse in a remote Ojibwa community riven by poverty and alcoholism, Chacaby's story is one of enduring and ultimately overcoming the social, economic, and health legacies of colonialism. As a child, Chacaby learned spiritual and cultural traditions from her Cree grandmother and trapping, hunting, and bush survival skills from her Ojibwa stepfather. She also suffered physical and sexual abuse by different adults, and in her teen years became alcoholic herself. At twenty, Chacaby moved to Thunder Bay with her children to escape an abusive marriage. Abuse, compounded by racism, continued, but Chacaby found supports to help herself and others. Over the following decades, she achieved sobriety; trained and worked as an alcoholism counsellor; raised her children and fostered many others; learned to live with visual impairment; and came out as a lesbian. In 2013, Chacaby led the first gay pride parade in Thunder Bay. Ma-Nee Chacaby has emerged from hardship grounded in faith, compassion, humour, and resilience. Her memoir provides unprecedented insights into the challenges still faced by many Indigenous people."-- Provided by publisher.

Canada Reads winner 2025.