A Two-Spirit Journey

“This book comes at a critical time in Canada’s history, and is an educational text crucial to understanding some of the issues that First Nations communities confront today.”

– Emily Rivas, This Magazine

“The story that Chacaby and Plummer recount is truly an extraordinary one, but it is also one that will resonate with many people whose stories have not been often told. Plummer situates A Two-Spirit Journey within the context of other life histories collected from Native elders in Canada, but Chacaby is among the first LGBT elders to publish her story. The perspective of a lesbian Ojibwa-Cree elder is invaluable for LGBT Native youth and will be an enriching experience for many others, particularly those who have experienced abuse, disability, poverty, or the effects of colonization.”

– Kai Pyle, Studies in American Indian Literatures

“Leveraging the storytelling traditions that she learned as a young girl in Ombabika, Ont., this autobiography is rich in detail and reads like taking tea with a wise and dear grandmother. Plummer’s role is evident in the way the book is organized, but she is otherwise unobtrusive, facilitating rather than obfuscating Chacaby’s narration.”

– Publishers Weekly

“Chacaby has written a memoir of great scope and beauty, exploring with gender and sexuality, her Ojibwa-Cree cultural heritage, colonialism, and resilience. From a childhood filled with both love and abuse, her own alcoholism recovery to eventually becoming an alcoholism counselor, from motherhood to leading the first Pride parade in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Chacaby’s story sings.”

– Sarah Neilson, L.A. Review of Books

“From groundbreaking and controversial AIDS awareness programs in the 1990s to the work she continues to do today, both with her own family and her extended reserve family, her life and this memoir ultimately serve as handbook of hope.”

– Lara Rae, Winnipeg Free Press

“A Two-Spirit Journey contains a wealth of cultural and social insight.”

– Carleigh Baker, The Malahat Review

“The entire narrative is delivered in a voice so authentic that it feels more like listening to someone telling a story at a kitchen table than reading a memoir alone in bed.”

– Rachel Carlson, herizons magazine

“A compelling, distressing, moving, and uplifting memoir of an Ojibwa-Cree lesbian elder, healer, and activist who struggled to cope with and overcome the insidious and violent legacies of colonialism. Told through the story-telling traditions she learned from her grandmother in Ombabika, Ontario, Ma-Nee Chacaby’s story of childhood friendships, family conflicts, abuse, loss, sexual awakening, activism and self-healing reveals the resilience and compassion of a remarkable woman and, in doing so, also powerfully underscores a most timely message – that, like healing, genuine reconciliation cannot occur without everyone first confronting the ugly truths about Canada’s mistreatment of Indigenous peoples.”

– Jury, Alison Prentice Award, The Ontario Historical Society

“Activist, survivor, mother, counsellor, Ma-Nee Chacaby recounts her sometimes harrowing life with a calm and steady voice, infused with resilience and compassion. Effectively designed and edited to appeal to both the general public and those engaged in Indigenous studies, A Two-Spirit Journey presents an important story, powerfully told.”

– Nik Burton, Rick Walker, and Carolyn Wood, Judges, Mary Scorer Award for Best Best by a Manitoba Publisher, 2017 Manitoba Book Awards.

“In a culture that dehumanizes indigenous peoples and the poor, this memoir forces the reader to confront racist and classist stereotypes and begin the emotional labour required for reconciliation. Chacaby’s book is a triumph, providing a bridge across social divides with its searing humanity.”

– Emily Leung-Pittman, The Goose

“An excellent memoir that gives readers, whether Indigenous or not, a direct connection to the past and to a personal story about gender, sexuality, overcoming adversity, and becoming a leader, an activist, a healer, and an inspiration to two-spirit individuals everywhere.”

– Robert Bittner, Simon Fraser University, The Canadian Journal of Native Studies

“A Two-Spirit Journey is a raw and emotional story that doesn’t just show readers the author’s scars. Chacaby bares all in an honest telling of her life that includes flaws, like her struggles with substance abuse and a sometimes rocky path to sobriety. Despite the turmoil, the autobiography does have its uplifting moments and characters. Heartwarming stories of childhood friendships, and most importantly a powerful relationship between the author and her grandmother, weave feelings of optimism and hope into a life that is oftentimes surrounded by darkness.”

– Scott Paradis, tbnewswatch.com

“An extraordinary account of an extraordinary life and very highly recommended for community and academic library Contemporary Biography, LGBT, and Native American Studies collections.”

– Midwest Book Review

“I highly recommend A Two-Spirit Journey. I read it in a single day, in a few hours. It spoke to me of the social and cultural markers that we share with our Canada cousins: the incredible ongoing violence against womyn; gender as a social construct dictating how womyn are supposed to behave, dress, wear their hair and makeup; Tuberculosis; and the introduction of AIDS to the Native population. But also the risk of coming out, potlucks and womyn’s festivals. I related to her story on so many levels and truly believe that you will too.”

– Morgayne Love, sequimmorgayne

“In this book, Chacaby shares an incredible story, giving voice to perspectives which are rarely heard.”

– Jenna, Falling Letters

“Résultat d’une longue série d’entrevues semidirigées et d’une méthodologie à la croisée des études autochtones et des sciences sociales occidentales, A two-spirit journey raconte, à la première personne, l’histoire de Ma-Nee Chacaby, une aînée ojibwée-crie lesbienne, two-spirit, souffrant d’une déficience visuelle. Survivante non seulement des processus de colonisation, d’acculturation et d’assimilation des communautés autochtones, mais également d’abus sexuels, physiques et psychologiques, la coauteure retrace son voyage spirituel vers une guérison physique et mentale, qui l’a menée à devenir une activiste
autochtone two-spirit.”

– Julie Beauchap, Université du Québec à Montréal Montréal, Cahiers de géographie du Québec