A Two-Spirit Journey - (Critical Studies in Native History) by Ma-Nee Chacaby (Paperback)

About the Book

A Two-Spirit Journey is Ma-Nee Chacaby's extraordinary account of her life as an Ojibwa-Cree lesbian. Chacaby's story is one of enduring and ultimately overcoming the social, economic, and health legacies of colonialism.

Book Synopsis

Winner of Canada Reads 2025

From her early, often harrowing memories of life and abuse in a remote Ojibwa community, Ma-Nee Chacaby's extraordinary story is one of enduring and ultimately overcoming the social and economic 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 violence, and in her teen years became an alcoholic herself. At twenty, Chacaby took her children and, fleeing an abusive marriage, moved to Thunder Bay. Despite the abuse, racism, and indifference she often found there, Chacaby marshalled the strength and 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, and humour. Her memoir provides unprecedented insights into the challenges still faced by many Indigenous people.

Review Quotes

"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"

"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 "2017 Manitoba Book Awards"

"A memoir of great scope and beauty, exploring with gender and sexuality, her Ojibwa-Cree cultural heritage, colonialism, and resilience."--Sarah Neilson "L.A. Review of Books"

"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"

"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"

"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

"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 "The Canadian Journal of Native Studies"

"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"

"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. 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"

"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"

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.