Maria Campbell’s Featured Book
Halfbreed
A new, fully restored edition of the essential Canadian classic.
An unflinchingly honest memoir of her experience as a Métis woman in Canada, Maria Campbell’s Halfbreed depicts the realities that she endured and, above all, overcame. Maria was born in Northern Saskatchewan, her father the grandson of a Scottish businessman and Métis woman–a niece of Gabriel Dumont whose family fought alongside Riel and Dumont in the 1885 Rebellion; her mother the daughter of a Cree woman and French-American man. This extraordinary account, originally published in 1973, bravely explores the poverty, oppression, alcoholism, addiction, and tragedy Maria endured throughout her childhood and into her early adult life, underscored by living in the margins of a country pervaded by hatred, discrimination, and mistrust. Laced with spare moments of love and joy, this is a memoir of family ties and finding an identity in a heritage that is neither wholly Indigenous or Anglo; of strength and resilience; of indomitable spirit.
This edition of Halfbreed includes a new introduction written by Indigenous (Métis) scholar Dr. Kim Anderson detailing the extraordinary work that Maria has been doing since its original publication 46 years ago, and an afterword by the author looking at what has changed, and also what has not, for Indigenous people in Canada today. Restored are the recently discovered missing pages from the original text of this groundbreaking and significant work.
Buy the Book:
Owl’s Nest Books | Shelf Life Books
Maria Campbell’s Recommended Book
I would like to recommend a book be re-published. Blueberry Clouds by Rita Bouvier. It was published by Thistledown Press in Saskatchewan. It’s a book of poetry. It’s a good one. There’s are many wonderful books.
Blueberry Clouds by Rita Bouvier
Rita Bouvier’s Blueberry Clouds is a poignant exploration of the wellsprings of memory, language, and family that have shaped the contemporary experience of Aboriginal people in Canada. The violence and sustaining traditions of the past are brought into a single vision that revels in the power of the Cree and Mechif languages, eliciting a hope and beauty that is rooted in the rich history of Saskatchewan. Conversations with relatives, introspection, a love of the land, and a respect for values passed on through an extended family define this clear, humane voice.
This first book is invested with a spiritual belief and political awareness that make Rita Bouvier an original and provocative writer.
Buy the Book:
Out of Print – check your local used bookstore