Lesley Belleau
Lesley Belleau was born and raised in Garden River First Nations, located outside of Sault Ste Marie, Ontario. She is Ojibway and holds an M.A in English Literature and Creative Writing. She writes fiction, poetry, plays and spoken word pieces as well that she has performed on and off-stage.
Books (1)
Synopsis:
Indianland is a rich and varied poetry collection. The poems are written from a female and Indigenous point of view and incorporate Anishinaabemowin throughout. Time is cyclical, moving from present-day back to first contact and forward again. Themes of sexuality, birth, memory, and longing are explored, images of blood, plants (milkweed, yarrow, cattails), and petroglyphs reoccur, and touchstone issues in Indigenous politics are addressed (Elijah Harper, Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women, forced sterilizations, Oka).
Educator Information
Recommended in the Canadian Indigenous Books for Schools 2019-2020 resource list as being useful for grades 11 and 12 for these subjects: English Language Arts, Media Studies, and Social Studies.
This work includes sexual content, references to rape, and mature content.
Additional Information
80 pages | 5.50" x 8.50"
Teen Books (1)
Synopsis:
The Colour of Dried Bones is a collection of intertwined short stories. Together, they show the life of a young Ojibway woman as she struggles to find her place in society, within her relationships, and within her own body. In her exploration of different moments in her life, loves, friendships, hardships and motherhood, she also explores her relationships with her family, her people, and the people around her. Through observation and intense seeking, she breaks through her confusion and eventually, finds a voice that is her own-even if she does not yet recognize it. Ultimately, she discovers that she must look within herself to determine her outcome. That only by travelling homeward, to her roots at her reserve, can she find the path that leads to healing and rest.
Suggested Grades: 11-12
Our logo reflects the greater Nation we live within—Turtle Island (North America)—and the strength
and core of the Pacific Northwest Coast peoples—the Cedar Tree, known as the Tree of Life. We are
here to support the building of strong nations and help share Indigenous voices.
