Bobbi Lee Maracle (born Marguerite Aline Carter; July 2, 1950November 11, 2021) was an Indigenous Canadian writer and academic of the Stó꞉lō nation. Born in North Vancouver, British Columbia, she left formal education after grade 8 to travel across North America, attending Simon Fraser University on her return to Canada. Her first book, an autobiography called Bobbi Lee: Indian Rebel, was published in 1975. She wrote fiction, non-fiction, and criticism and held various academic positions. Maracle's work focused on the lives of Indigenous people, particularly women, in contemporary North America. As an influential writer and speaker, Maracle fought for those oppressed by sexism, racism, and capitalist exploitation.

Early life and education

The granddaughter of Tsleil-Waututh Chief Dan George, "Lee" was a nickname for "Aline". raised mainly by her mother, Jean (Croutze) Carter. to Toronto. Critic Harmut Lutz describes Indian Rebel as "a celebration of Native survival", comparing it to the works of Maria Campbell and Howard Adams.

Sundogs, 1992, Maracle's first novel, touches on remembering Native heritage and recollecting cultural roots.

Ravensong, (1993), speaks of blending oral tradition and holistic oneness with living while tackling the barriers of racism, sexism, and class.

Academic positions

Maracle was one of the founders of the En'owkin International School of Writing in Penticton, British Columbia. She has been described as Métis.

Awards and honours

Maracle was named an officer of the Order of Canada in 2018. In 2017, Maracle was presented with the Bonham Centre Award from the Mark S. Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies, University of Toronto, for her contributions to the advancement and education of issues around sexual identification. She delivered the 2021 Margaret Laurence Lecture on "A Writing Life". In 2020, she was named finalist for the Neustadt International Prize for "Celia's Song".

Publications

Fiction

  • Sojourner's Truth and Other Stories (1990)
  • Sundogs – 1992
  • Ravensong – (Press Gang Publishers, 1993)
  • Daughters Are Forever (2002)
  • Will's Garden (2002)
  • Memory Serves: Oratories (2015)
  • My Conversations with Canadians (2017)

Poetry

  • Bent Box (2000)

Collaborations

  • My Home as I Remember (2000)