Darrel J. McLeod

Darrel James McLeod (July 13, 1957 – August 29, 2024) was a Canadian Cree writer.[1] His memoir Mamaskatch: A Cree Coming of Age, an account of his childhood experience of physical and sexual abuse, won the Governor General's Award for English-language non-fiction at the 2018 Governor General's Awards[2] and was a shortlisted finalist for the 2019 RBC Taylor Prize.[3]

McLeod was born in 1957 in Athabasca, Alberta.[4][5] Originally from Treaty 8 Cree territory near Smith, Alberta,[6] McLeod went on to work as a teacher, a health care worker, a land claims negotiator and as director of education and international affairs for the Assembly of First Nations.[1] He began writing the book while studying creative writing under Betsy Warland at Simon Fraser University.[1]

The book also touches both on McLeod's coming out as a gay man,[7] and on his sibling's transition as transgender.[8]

His second book, Peyakow, was shortlisted for the 2021 Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction.[9] McLeod died in Victoria, British Columbia on August 29, 2024, at the age of 67.[10][11]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Book review: New memoir maps the terrain of reconciliation". The Province, September 28, 2018.
  2. ^ "Book about campus rape and an Indigenous memoir win $25,000 Governor General’s Literary Award". Toronto Star, October 30.
  3. ^ "Finalists for RBC Taylor Prize announced". Toronto Star, January 9, 2018.
  4. ^ "Darrel James McLeod | Obituary | Sharing Memories".
  5. ^ "1494 A Cree hero's journey". The British Columbia Review. 18 June 2022. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  6. ^ "Sooke author among finalists for Governor General’s Literacy (sic) Awards". Monday Magazine, October 3, 2018.
  7. ^ "Be inspired by these new memoirs from remarkable people". Toronto Star, September 28, 2018.
  8. ^ "Mamaskatch: A Cree Coming of Age". Quill & Quire, July 2018.
  9. ^ Vicky Qiao, "Jordan Abel & Ian Williams among five finalists for $60K Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction". CBC Books, September 15, 2021.
  10. ^ Joshua Chong, Darrel J. McLeod, award-winning Cree author and educator, dies at 67. Toronto Star, August 30, 2024.
  11. ^ Devlin, Mike (31 August 2024). "Obituary: Award-winning author Darrel J. McLeod was also noted jazz musician". Times Colonist. Retrieved 2 September 2024.


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