Peyakow: Reclaiming Cree Dignity

McLeod (Mamaskatch) reflects on his adulthood as a queer, Cree man working to improve life for other Native people in Canada in his moving latest. He recounts his work—as a school principal in the 1990s, a federal treaty negotiator for Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, and as executive director of the Assembly of First Nations in the 2000s—and his travels, supportive friends, and the brief love affairs that allow for an escape from his worries. However, the suicides of his siblings and his memories of the sexual abuse he suffered in his adolescence make it difficult for McLeod to ignore the trauma pervasive in his life. At every turn, he looks to healing through introspection, even while dealing with racism (“You don’t look Native,” being a common refrain from “white locals”) and criticism from people within his own community, who frequently question his Cree identity. Particularly poignant are the sections concerning the life and death of his trans sister Trina, and the battle he and other Indigenous folks fought to wring a long overdue apology for the damage done to Indigenous Canadians by the nation’s horrific residential schools. The result is a heartwrenching meditation on love, loss, and identity. (Aug)