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A Two-Spirit Journey

Author: Ma-Nee Chacaby

Publisher: Univ. of Manitoba Press

Published: 2016-05-03

Total Pages: 264

ISBN-13: 0887555039

A compelling, harrowing, but ultimately uplifting story of resilience and self-discovery. "A Two-Spirit Journey" is Ma-Nee Chacaby’s extraordinary account of her life as an Ojibwa-Cree lesbian. From her early, often harrowing memories of life and abuse in a remote Ojibwa community riven by poverty and alcoholism, Chacaby’s story is one of enduring and ultimately overcoming the social, economic, and health 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 abuse by different adults, and in her teen years became alcoholic herself. At twenty, Chacaby moved to Thunder Bay with her children to escape an abusive marriage. Abuse, compounded by racism, continued, but Chacaby found 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, humour, and resilience. Her memoir provides unprecedented insights into the challenges still faced by many Indigenous people.

Lesbians of Color

Author: Hilda Hidalgo

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2013-10-18

Total Pages: 134

ISBN-13: 1317952677

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Broaden your understanding of lesbians of color, their perspectives, and their needs from a human services point of view. Lesbians of Color: Social and Human Services helps you understand the ways in which lesbians of color perceive important issues related to their oppression and discrimination by the dominant social service community. The authors’personalized accounts graphically depict the deep-seated impacts of society’s racism, sexism, and homophobia. This insightful book suggests effective ways of changing detrimental practices and agency policies that perpetuate oppression and discrimination, and it enhances your interactions with lesbians of color. Chapters build on “feminist standpoint theory,” a theory of inquiry enlightened by authors’firsthand knowledge that helps you move from an intellectual to an empathic grasp of the points made by each author. The use of standpoint theory gives you a different way of gaining insight and understanding of the experiences of lesbians of color. It acts as a springboard for valuing and celebrating the experiences and perspectives of lesbians of color so you can, in turn, provide more sensitive and effective services to members of this population. Among the topics explored in Lesbians of Color are: specific ways white practitioners should behave to demonstrate their sensitivity and respect for lesbians of color insight as to how “need perceptions” and “problem diagnosis” varies when the practitioner listens to and understands lesbians of color specific identity issues that affect the emotional well-being of adopted lesbians visibility and activism as contributors to the mental health of lesbians of color how visibility and activism are essential in creating positive changes in policies and practices for lesbians of color This volume is useful for professionals involved in direct service practice with lesbian clients and for administrators of social service agencies. The book is also a helpful guide for educators in professional preparation programs who must introduce students to issues related to lesbians of color.