A two-spirit journey : the autobiography of a lesbian Ojibwa-Cree Elder Cover Image

E-book

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

Chacaby, Ma-Nee, 1950- (author.). Plummer, Mary Louisa, (author.).

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

Record details

ISBN: 9780887555053
ISBN: 0887555055
ISBN: 9780887555039
ISBN: 0887555039
ISBN: 0887558127
ISBN: 9780887558122
Physical Description: 1 online resource
Publisher: Winnipeg, Manitoba : University of Manitoba Press, 2016.

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:	Includes bibliographical references.
Formatted Contents Note:	Cover; Contents; Illustrations; Note on Terminology; Family Tree; Chapter 1. My Grandmother's and My Family's History in Manitoba and Ontario (1863-1952); Chapter 2. First Discoveries, Joys, and Sorrows-My Early Childhood in Ombabika (1952-1958); Chapter 3. Seasonal Activities, First Friendships, and the Beginning of Addiction (1958-1960); Chapter 4. School, Teenage Friendships, and Having Two Spirits (1960-1965); Chapter 5. Losing My Grandmother and Mother, Becoming a Parent, and Surviving an Abusive Marriage in Auden (1965-1970). Chapter 6. Living and Parenting in Thunder Bay and Sault Ste. Marie Before Sobriety (1970-1975)Chapter 7. Sobriety and Single-Parenting in Thunder Bay (1975-1980); Chapter 8. Working with Addicted Mothers and Raising Foster Kids with Nate in Winnipeg (1980-1987); Chapter 9. Coming Out, Falling in Love, and Living with Leah in Thunder Bay and Boston (1987-1991); Chapter 10. Meeting Grace and Building a Life Together in Kaministiquia (1991-2004); Chapter 11. Recovering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Becoming an Elder in Thunder Bay (2004-2014); Afterword by Mary Louisa Plummer. People Mentioned in the BookGlossary; Bibliography.
Restrictions on Access Note:	Access restricted to LAC onsite clients. Online access with authorization.