A Two-Spirit Journey: The Autobiography of a Lesbian Ojibwa-Cree Elder

A compelling, harrowing, but ultimately uplifting story of resilience and self-discovery. "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.

Author: Ma-Nee Chacaby
Publisher: University of Manitoba Press
Published: 04/22/2016
Pages: 256
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.80lbs
Size: 8.90h x 5.90w x 0.70d
ISBN13: 9780887558122
ISBN10: 0887558127
BISAC Categories:
- Biography & Autobiography | Cultural, Ethnic & Regional | Indigenous
- Social Science | LGBTQ+ Studies | Lesbian Studies
- Social Science | Ethnic Studies | American | Native American Studies

About the Author
Ma-Nee Chacaby is a Two-Spirit, Ojibwa/Cree Elder. She was raised by her Cree grandmother in a remote Ojibwa community near Lake Nipigon, Ontario.

Mary Louisa Plummer is a social scientist and a long-time friend of Ma-Nee. Much of her professional work has focused on public health and children's rights.