Peyakow
Reclaiming Cree Dignity
-
-
5.0 • 2 Ratings
-
-
- $20.99
Publisher Description
Mamaskatch, Darrel J. McLeod’s 2018 memoir of growing up Cree in Northern Alberta, was a publishing sensation—winning the Governor General's Literary Award for Non-Fiction, shortlisted for many other major prizes and translated into French and German editions. In Peyakow, McLeod continues the poignant story of his impoverished youth, beset by constant fears of being dragged down by the self-destruction and deaths of those closest to him as he battles the bullying of white classmates, copes with the trauma of physical and sexual abuse, and endures painful separation from his family and culture. With steely determination, he triumphs: now elementary teacher; now school principal; now head of an Indigenous delegation to the UN in Geneva; now executive in the Government of Canada—and now a celebrated author.
Brutally frank but buoyed throughout by McLeod’s unquenchable spirit, Peyakow—a title borrowed from the Cree word for “one who walks alone”—is an inspiring account of triumph against unimaginable odds. McLeod’s perspective as someone whose career path has crossed both sides of the Indigenous/white chasm resonates with particular force in today’s Canada.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
McLeod (Mamaskatch) reflects on his adulthood as a queer, Cree man working to improve life for other Native people in Canada in his moving latest. He recounts his work—as a school principal in the 1990s, a federal treaty negotiator for Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, and as executive director of the Assembly of First Nations in the 2000s—and his travels, supportive friends, and the brief love affairs that allow for an escape from his worries. However, the suicides of his siblings and his memories of the sexual abuse he suffered in his adolescence make it difficult for McLeod to ignore the trauma pervasive in his life. At every turn, he looks to healing through introspection, even while dealing with racism ("You don't look Native," being a common refrain from "white locals") and criticism from people within his own community, who frequently question his Cree identity. Particularly poignant are the sections concerning the life and death of his trans sister Trina, and the battle he and other Indigenous folks fought to wring a long overdue apology for the damage done to Indigenous Canadians by the nation's horrific residential schools. The result is a heartwrenching meditation on love, loss, and identity.
Customer Reviews
Peyakow
This book is an absolute work of art! Darrel J. McLeod is an incredibly gifted writer with an impressive resume of working on First Nations treaty negotiations worldwide and offers great insight from working behind the scenes with different factions of our government and others and the barriers that had to be overcome for results. A very personal history from deep within his heart and soul, it was impossible to put down this heart-wrenching work. Peyakow is filled with great information I had never before heard regarding the long process of First Nations treaty negotiation in British Columbia, Canada and around the world. I fully appreciated his insight into the topic and his artistic writing. A fine book that deserves awards!