Litsy

A Two-Spirit Journey: The Autobiography of a Lesbian Ojibwa-Cree Elder | Ma-Nee Chacaby

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5🌟/5🌟

Parts of this book hurt my heart. Parts of this book made me so very angry. What I do know is that Ma-Nee is a very strong, resilient person that I have a lot of respect for. Even though this book is full of trigger warnings, I believe it's a very important read that all of us can learn from.

8 likes

BookishTrish

A Two-Spirit Journey: The Autobiography of a Lesbian Ojibwa-Cree Elder | Ma-Nee Chacaby

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Holy moly did Ma-Nee live through some terrible terrible shit. Her empathy, compassion, and generosity shine through. I found the tough parts really tough to listen to and so it‘s my third pick for #CanadaReads winner this year.

38 likes

Blueberry

A Two-Spirit Journey: The Autobiography of a Lesbian Ojibwa-Cree Elder | Ma-Nee Chacaby

3 ⭐. #CanadaReads2025
Triggers: physical and sexual abuse

52 likes2 stack adds

JacqMac

A Two-Spirit Journey: The Autobiography of a Lesbian Ojibwa-Cree Elder | Ma-Nee Chacaby

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Might be my top pick for Canada Reads this year. The trauma and devastation this woman survived, yet the way she turned the pain into empathy and compassion, is the most exceptional show of defiance. “Even today, when I am grateful to lead a peaceful and happy life, there are moments when I feel anger, bitterness, and regret. But those feelings only make me miserable, and I don't want to live like that.” Not the best writing, but worth the read.

47 likes1 stack add

Nebklvr

A Two-Spirit Journey: The Autobiography of a Lesbian Ojibwa-Cree Elder | Ma-Nee Chacaby

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This is not an easy read but it is an inspiring one. Ma-Nee experienced multiple episodes of violence and abuse, racism, homophobia, and homelessness. Her ability to forgive and to release the bitterness and anger towards those who caused her harm is beautiful and hard won. This may not be the best written narrative but it is an amazing one. #CanadaReads

50 likes

TheKidUpstairs

A Two-Spirit Journey: The Autobiography of a Lesbian Ojibwa-Cree Elder | Ma-Nee Chacaby

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First book completed for #CanadaReads 2025

The title suggests that this memoir will focus on Ma-Nee Chacaby's journey as a Two-Spirit person, but that is only one part of the much larger story of her life. Born in the 1950s in a tuberculosis sanitorium, this powerful memoir tells an (almost*) complete story of life as an Indigenous woman in Ontario, with all the traumas and triumphs therein.

Cont'd in commments

TheKidUpstairs Chacaby does not shy away from the more difficult parts of her story -trigger warnings for physical and sexual abuse, addiction and alcoholism, homophobia and homophobic violence, racism, homelessness - but I was struck by her ability to remain open to connection and community through it all. cont'd 10mo

TheKidUpstairs There are many stories of horrific acts committed by deeply damaged people (it is not by any means an easy read), but there are also many beautiful acts of kindness and help given, by loved ones and by strangers, that Chacaby then continues to radiate out to the world. This is an important read for a Canada Reads/group read setting, as she touches on so many issues and moments that offer a jumping off point for further study and discussion cont'd 10mo

TheKidUpstairs And an afterword by Mary Louise Plummer (the co-author) offers interesting insights into collaborative storytelling, particularly that between Indigenous people and white settler social science and history. And both the difficulties and potential presented by translating oral storytelling to a physical book. 10mo

TheKidUpstairs *(I say almost because Ma-Nee is still living her life, not because the book is lacking) 10mo

59 likes3 stack adds4 comments

Lindy

Disintegrate/Dissociate | Arielle Twist

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Arielle Twist, a trans Cree woman from George Gordon First Nation in Saskatchewan, describes her debut poetry as raw and unfiltered. The poems are about grief, displacement, dating, sex and relationships. This book received the Dayne Ogilvie Prize and the Indigenous Voices Award. #Canadian #LGBTQ #TransGirlApril #poetry

32 likes1 stack add

Lindy

Disintegrate/Dissociate | Arielle Twist

And if we must survive,
which means we must write,
I‘ll weave you into a poem,
this art of quilting words.
I think that‘s the closest thing
I will ever feel to love.

22 likes2 stack adds

Robotswithpersonality

Jonny Appleseed | Joshua Whitehead

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Each person's discovery of gender identity is unique, but Two-Spirit, the way it's relayed here, I think it's important to recognize this is specific to a people, a culture, a spirituality. Likewise, Indigiqueer, queer and Indigenous, is an experience separate from how a white person might experience queerness or an Indigenous person might experience heteronormativity. 1/?

Robotswithpersonality The novel centres the idea of individuals holding various identities, the main character is a queer, sex positive sex worker, an Indigenous two-spirited person, who has grown up in a multi-generational family on a reservation, having left it as a new adult. He shares intimate ties to a friend who seems conflicted in his sexuality, has experienced government removal from family, foster care, both have experienced child abuse and continue to experience systemic racism. 2/? 3y

Robotswithpersonality Telling the story of how those identities intersect in a quietly devastating, unflinchingly honest way, the writing winds back and forth between pragmatically explicit, poetically wistful, and embittered weariness. It reads like a memoir/diary, reflections and remembrances. There is a framing narrative, including inciting incident (death of step-family member) and goal worked towards (get money to get back to reservation, visit family, attend funeral) but it functions more as background to many pieces of the narrator and his friend's lives recounted, especially the narrator's relationship to two generations of female predecessors. 3/? 3y

Robotswithpersonality The aching contrast between enforced colonialist views on gender and sexuality, notions of manhood and masculinity, under which some modern Indigenous peoples are still assimilated, in contrast to more traditional views which are more welcoming to fluidity, really hits hard. It makes Jonny's acceptance by his mother and grandmother that much more beautiful. 4/? 3y

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Robotswithpersonality I like that the book ends with the possibility that these characters cannot just survive, but possibly thrive, but it doesn't shrink from the reality that their identities disadvantage them in a world of intolerance and white privilege. It will require acknowledging what about their upbringing programming their current behavior may no longer serve them, while it is gentle about not necessarily framing any blame on parental figures rather than the system that let them down for generations. 5/? 3y

Robotswithpersonality The introduction to the author's note of gratitude at the back feels like the perfect summary to the notes of brave, angry, mournful and accepting felt throughout the book.

⚠️Pretty much all the warnings:
Racism, homophobia, child abuse, binge drinking/alcohol dependency, SA, assault, fatphobia, body image issues (dysphoria?), definitely multiple unsafe situations, gets descriptive with multiple bodily fluids 3y

Singout “Enforced colonialist views on gender and sexuality…exactly. So much harm has been done and so much lost by Settler dominance. 3y

6 likes6 comments

Robotswithpersonality

Jonny Appleseed | Joshua Whitehead

I will always be grateful to every instance of a character in any medium calling out exactly how "fucked up" such comments are, and yes, stating that all bodies deserve "to be...loved". It's a message that bears repeating.

4 likes

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