I have so many books, I’m going to have to break this post into three, instead of the original two that I’d previously promised in Part One. The third part will be the autobiographical/biographical/memoir accounts from long ago.
Reading is good.
For this post, you’ll find studies and texts written by historians and researchers. Enjoy.
Some spell it Ojibwe. For others it’s Ojibwa. But I grew up learning to spell it Ojibway. All are correct. There’s nothing I love more than immersing myself in a good book about the history, culture, and people of the Anishinaabe Nation.
My love of reading prompted me to do a post about some great books I’ve immersed myself in, for pleasure or for research. I should say all for pleasure since every book I read is pleasurable. Because there are many books I’ve stuck my nose in, I’ll be splitting this post into Part One and Part Two.
Everyone’s journey is a story.
For this post, I’m going to list and highly recommend the late and great Basil Johnston, a survivor of the Indian Residential School (he attended the same one as my dad, but they attended at different times since Basil is much older than my father).
Captive Spirit by Liz Fichera
It’s time for some fiction since I’ve been on a non-fiction kick as of late. Last night, I popped Captive Spirit by Liz Fichera into my trusty old Sony e-reader. Mind you I can’t comment on the beginning of the story because I fell asleep before I could begin reading LOL. So I’m looking forward to sneaking in some reading time tonight.
Here is the blurb courtesy of Goodreads:
Sonoran Desert. Dawn of the sixteenth century.
Aiyana isn’t like the other girls of the White Ant Clan. Instead of keeping house, she longs to compete on the Ball Court with her best friend Honovi and the other boys. Instead of marriage, she daydreams of traveling beyond the mountains that surround her small village. Only Honovi knows and shares her forbidden wish, though Aiyana doesn’t realize her friend has a secret wish of his own…
When Aiyana’s father arranges her marriage to a man she hardly knows, she takes the advice of a tribal elder: run! In fleeing, she falls into the hands of Spanish raiders and finds herself being taken over the mountains against her will. Now Aiyana’s on a quest to return to the very place she once dreamed of escaping. And she’ll do whatever it takes to survive and find her way back to the people she loves.
Buy Links: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Kobo | Nook | iBooks
Fore!
aka The Open or the British Open is the oldest major golf tournament. This week, everyone who is anyone in the golfing world is at Carnoustie Golf Links in Scotland.
I love playing fantasy golf (no, I’m not a gambler LOL) for my own fun. I don’t expect to win a prize from the PGA, European PGA, or the Golf Channel, but it’s always a hoot to see if I picked the right golfers to win or do well on the leaderboard.
Here are my picks from the following tours:
Blessed by Maggie Blackbird
A mixed-blood Catholic seminarian struggles to discern his true calling: the priesthood or his ex-lover, a proud but damaged Ojibway man.
Blessed is now available for purchase at eXtasy Books.
It’s been ten years since Emery Matawapit sinned, having succumbed to temptation for the one thing in his life that felt right, another man. In six months he’ll make a life-changing decision that will bar him from sexual relationships for the rest of his life.
Darryl Keejik has a decade-long chip on his shoulder, and he holds Emery’s father, the church deacon, responsible for what he’s suffered: the loss of his family and a chance at true love with Emery. No longer a powerless kid, Darryl has influence within the community—maybe more than the deacon. Darryl intends on using his power to destroy Deacon Matawapit and his church.
Hoping to save the church, Emery races home. But stopping Darryl is harder than expected when their sizzling chemistry threatens to consume Emery. Now he is faced with the toughest decision of his life: please his devout parents and fulfill his call to the priesthood, or remain true to his heart and marry the man created for him.
This is very erotic book about a spiritual journey.
It’s time for another writing update. I finished reviewing the galley. eXtasy Books has scheduled a release for Blessed on Friday, June 29, 2018.
Logline: A mixed-blood Catholic seminarian struggles to discern his true calling: the priesthood or his ex-lover, a proud but damaged Ojibway man.
Blessed by Maggie Blackbird
Seven Fallen Fathers by Tanya Talaga
During Sunday weekly brunch with my parents, my dad told me about a book he had read. Since we have the same reading tastes, I wanted to hear more about Seven Fallen Feathers: Racism, Death, and Hard Truths in a Northern City by Tanya Talaga. What can I say other than I’m knee-deep in this book. It’s so good, I had to place on hold the book I’m currently reading.
The author brings to life the Northern City she speaks about, as if she’s a local, but she states she’s from Toronto. Although she’s a journalist by trade, she could pass for a fictional author with her vivid descriptions of the setting, the people, and the hard truths.
Here is the blurb courtesy of Goodreads: In 1966, twelve-year-old Chanie Wenjack froze to death on the railway tracks after running away from residential school. An inquest was called and four recommendations were made to prevent another tragedy. None of those recommendations were applied.
More than a quarter of a century later, from 2000 to 2011, seven Indigenous high school students died in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The seven were hundreds of miles away from their families, forced to leave home and live in a foreign and unwelcoming city. Five were found dead in the rivers surrounding Lake Superior, below a sacred Indigenous site. Jordan Wabasse, a gentle boy and star hockey player, disappeared into the minus twenty degrees Celsius night. The body of celebrated artist Norval Morrisseau’s grandson, Kyle, was pulled from a river, as was Curran Strang’s. Robyn Harper died in her boarding-house hallway and Paul Panacheese inexplicably collapsed on his kitchen floor. Reggie Bushie’s death finally prompted an inquest, seven years after the discovery of Jethro Anderson, the first boy whose body was found in the water.
Using a sweeping narrative focusing on the lives of the students, award-winning investigative journalist Tanya Talaga delves into the history of this small northern city that has come to manifest Canada’s long struggle with human rights violations against Indigenous communities.
Buy Links: Amazon.ca; Chapters/Indigo; Kobo; McNally Robinson; Amazon.com; B&N; iBooks.
Over the weekend, the wonderful artist at eXtasy Books sent me a copy of my book cover for Blessed. The potential release date is June 15th.
Blessed by Maggie Blackbird
It’s been a long time since I’ve last done a writing update. I’m happy to say I’ve contracted the first book of my Ojibway romance trilogy with eXtasy Books.
As I go through the editing process, I thought I’d share my logline and blurb.
Shhh. Writer at work.
A mixed-blood Catholic seminarian struggles to discern his true calling: the priesthood or his ex-lover, a proud but damaged Ojibway man.
American Indian Movement
As I mentioned in my previous post, the American Indian Movement was formed in the summer of 1968, Minneapolis, Minnesota by Dennis Banks, Clyde Bellecourt, Eddie Benton Banai, and George Mitchell, all from surrounding Ojibwa Nations in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
I already covered the autobiographies, biographies, and memoirs of prominent members of AIM. For this post, I’ll introduce you to books about the movement by writers, journalists, professors, and a retired FBI agent who was in charge for the first two weeks of the Wounded Knee occupation in 1973.
What’cha Watching?
Looking for something new to watch on TV? Enjoy period shows with a supernatural twist? Then The Terror is for you. My husband came across this show on AMC one evening. I watched for a bit. Then Lady Silence made her appearance and I was hooked. I couldn’t believe an Indigenous woman was starring in a TV series with a cast of men.
Lady Silence is a member of the Netsilik people and the shaman’s daughter. She’s given her nickname “Lady Silence” by the crew. There is mystery to her and wisdom. Some of the crew fear her while others want to use her knowledge to kill what is terrorizing them. As for Lady Silence, she seems to want no part of them, or the creature that is stalking the crew.
Fore!
Woohoo, The Masters is this week. If you don’t follow golf, The Masters is one of four major golf tournaments with players from the PGA, European Tour, Asia Tour, etc. (who qualify), competing for the prestigious green jacket.
Born in 1934, The Masters is the youngest golf major, with The Open Championship (formerly known as The British Open) being the granddaddy of them all with its birth in 1860 at the Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland.
I play Fantasy Golf. Here are my picks from the European Tour:
American Indian Movement
The American Indian Movement was formed in the summer of 1968, Minneapolis, Minnesota by Dennis Banks, Clyde Bellecourt, Eddie Benton Banai, and George Mitchell, all from surrounding Ojibwa Nations in Minnesota and Wisconsin. According to the late Dennis Banks’ autobiography, Ojibwa Warrior, AIM was created to address the oppression of native people in the twin cities. It grew from there to a national level.
Many books were written about the American Indian Movement and its members. For this post, I’m listing books about the members or books written by the members.
Movie Night!
I don’t watch movies like I used to. But when I find one I enjoy, I must share it with the world. So I thought I’d create a new category about the latest movie I popped into my DVD player, or recorded on PVR.
I’m a HUGE Mad Max fan. I have been ever since I watched Mad Max II: The Road Warrior. So when Mad Max: Fury Road came out, I was skeptical. In my eyes, only Mel Gibson could play Max. Plus, I kinda go “hmm” at CGI. I’m glad to say George Miller (director) proved me wrong.
Fore!
Right now I’m watching the South African Open (when I am also supposedly writing). Most would think, “What? Golf? Seriously?” I love golf–watching and playing. To prove anything can happen during a tournament, I present you with golfers who’ll do the unthinkable to save par or even a birdie…literally!
Here are six gents who stripped down to almost nothing in the name of the game.
I suggest viewing at home. NSFW=Not Safe for Work.
The Storyteller Trilogy by Sue Harrison
I’ve been knee-deep in non-fiction for the past couple of months. The other day I downloaded some fiction…finally. How I’ve missed reading fiction–especially historical fiction. I did a previous post about Sue Harrison‘s Ivory Carver Trilogy. I’m finally starting her Storyteller Trilogy.
Here are the blurbs for each story:
Song of the River: Eighty centuries ago, in the frozen land that is now Alaska, a clubfooted male child had been left to die, when a woman named K’os rescued him. Twenty years later and no longer a child, Chakliux occupies the revered role as his tribe’s storyteller. In the neighboring village of the Near River people, where Chakliux will attempt to make peace by wedding the shaman’s daughter, a double murder occurs that sends him on a harsh, enthralling journey in search of the truth about the tragic losses his people have suffered, and into the arms of a woman he was never meant to love.
Wishing you a wonderful 2018!
Happy 2018!
I thought I’d post today in case it gets a lil crazy to get online tomorrow.
A Canuck Christmas
For my blog, I came up with the idea of listing my 12 favourite Christmas songs.
I got a fever and the only prescription is more cowbell!
Muah!
In Canuckville, we’re still without snow (just because I said that, a blizzard will whisk through here). We got dumped on at the end of October and enjoyed the white fluffy stuff for a couple of weeks since the temp was hovering around -12 Celsius. Then a warm spell wooshed in and stole all our snow. Do I sound like I’m complaining? Maybe a little bit. I do enjoy walking through a winter wonderland with the Mals. They are arctic freighting dogs, so snow for them is an exciting time.
Anyhoo, this is when I list some of my fave Christmas movies. In the spirit of the twelve days, I’ll supply twelve that I’ve enjoyed over the years. Keep in mind I’m not a big watcher of Christmas movies. These are ones that stayed with me through my youth.
Maggie Blackbird 