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The Memoirs of Miss Chief Eagle Testickle #1
The Memoirs of Miss Chief Eagle Testickle: Vol. 1: A True and Exact Accounting of the History of Turtle Island
From global art superstar Kent Monkman and his long-time collaborator Gisèle Gordon, a transformational work of true stories and imagined history that will remake readers’ understanding of the land called North America.
For decades , the singular and provocative paintings by Cree artist Kent Monkman have featured a recurring character—an alter ego of sorts, a shape-shifting, time-travelling elemental being named Miss Chief Eagle Testickle. Though we have glimpsed her across the years in films and on countless canvases, it is finally time to hear her story, in her own words. And, in doing so, to hear the whole history of Turtle Island anew. The Memoirs of Miss Chief Eagle A True and Exact Accounting of the History of Turtle Island is a genre-demolishing work of genius, the imagined history of a legendary figure through which profound truths emerge—a deeply Cree and gloriously queer understanding of our shared world, its past, its present, and its possibilities.
Volume One, which covers the period from the creation of the universe to the confederation of Canada, follows Miss Chief as she moves through time, from a complex lived experience of Cree cosmology to the arrival of European settlers, many of whom will be familiar to students of history. An open-hearted being, she tries to live among those settlers, and guide them to a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of all beings and the world itself. As their numbers grow, though, so does conflict, and Miss Chief begins to understand that the challenges posed by the hordes of newly arrived Europeans will mean ever greater danger for her, her people, and, by extension, all of the world she cherishes.
Blending history, fiction, and memoir in bold new ways, The Memoirs of Miss Chief Eagle Testickle are unlike anything published before. And in their power to reshape our shared understanding, they promise to change the way we see everything that lies ahead.
For decades , the singular and provocative paintings by Cree artist Kent Monkman have featured a recurring character—an alter ego of sorts, a shape-shifting, time-travelling elemental being named Miss Chief Eagle Testickle. Though we have glimpsed her across the years in films and on countless canvases, it is finally time to hear her story, in her own words. And, in doing so, to hear the whole history of Turtle Island anew. The Memoirs of Miss Chief Eagle A True and Exact Accounting of the History of Turtle Island is a genre-demolishing work of genius, the imagined history of a legendary figure through which profound truths emerge—a deeply Cree and gloriously queer understanding of our shared world, its past, its present, and its possibilities.
Volume One, which covers the period from the creation of the universe to the confederation of Canada, follows Miss Chief as she moves through time, from a complex lived experience of Cree cosmology to the arrival of European settlers, many of whom will be familiar to students of history. An open-hearted being, she tries to live among those settlers, and guide them to a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of all beings and the world itself. As their numbers grow, though, so does conflict, and Miss Chief begins to understand that the challenges posed by the hordes of newly arrived Europeans will mean ever greater danger for her, her people, and, by extension, all of the world she cherishes.
Blending history, fiction, and memoir in bold new ways, The Memoirs of Miss Chief Eagle Testickle are unlike anything published before. And in their power to reshape our shared understanding, they promise to change the way we see everything that lies ahead.
264 pages, Hardcover
First published November 7, 2023
82 people are currently reading
1715 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
December 4, 2023
An amazingly horny, decolonialist history of Turtle Island. Told through the fictional memoirs of Kent Monkman's alter ego, Miss Chief Eagle Testickle. The narrative is provided as background to Monkman's art, a reverse illustrated novel.
The Vancouver reading for this book was excellent. It started with a psychedelic animation of Monkman's art that told of the universe's origins and Miss Chief Eagle Testickle's voyage to askiy (earth). Monkman then came out in full Miss Chief drag to perform a reading with his co-author Gisele Gordon; followed by a really interesting discussion with Shelagh Rogers that balanced all the humour and raunch of the book while also tackling heavy conversations.
This first volume goes from...the beginning of time?...to the day they decided Canada was a country (July 1, 1867); and my understanding is that volume two will be largely focused on Saskatchewan through to the modern day.
The Vancouver reading for this book was excellent. It started with a psychedelic animation of Monkman's art that told of the universe's origins and Miss Chief Eagle Testickle's voyage to askiy (earth). Monkman then came out in full Miss Chief drag to perform a reading with his co-author Gisele Gordon; followed by a really interesting discussion with Shelagh Rogers that balanced all the humour and raunch of the book while also tackling heavy conversations.
This first volume goes from...the beginning of time?...to the day they decided Canada was a country (July 1, 1867); and my understanding is that volume two will be largely focused on Saskatchewan through to the modern day.
March 23, 2025
While it was lovely to hear the Cree in this book spoken aloud and pronounced by a Cree speaker (Gail Maurice), I don't think audiobook was the best choice for this hybrid fiction/nonfiction about a shape-shifting immortal being. I need to get my hands on the print copy to look at the art! The book traces the literal beginning of time to 19th cent. from a queer Cree perspective. Often funny, very sexy, and scathing of colonization. Europeans come out looking, rightly so, as heartless idiots. I would have liked more content that didn't focus on colonization though.
December 13, 2023
Kent Monkman’s Indigi-queering of history is fantastic in both style and content.
Their paintings that accompany and complement the story-telling are so richly detailed and engrossing a magnifying glass is definitely recommended!
Although I certainly had to adjust my reading expectations, it was worth it. I thought I was going to read this like a novel. But the extensive reference notes demand a shift in the flow of the experience. I tended to flip to the note section at each numbered reference point. And the notes are a vital part of this recounting and reconsidering of history. Now I realize I may have been better served by reading each chapter in its entirety and THEN delving into the accompanying notes. Or possibly vice-versa. I’ll experiment in Volume II.
The story is also enriched by the use of Cree, specifically the Plains Cree Y dialect. I’ve heard some suggestions that this integration is a hindrance to non-Cree speakers. I’m going to call shenanigans on that argument. It’s only a hindrance if you’re a lazy reader. For the most part the words are immediately translated into English within the text. When not translated, their meaning is often easily drawn from context. And when I did take advantage of the appended glossary, it enhanced the experience.
Their paintings that accompany and complement the story-telling are so richly detailed and engrossing a magnifying glass is definitely recommended!
Although I certainly had to adjust my reading expectations, it was worth it. I thought I was going to read this like a novel. But the extensive reference notes demand a shift in the flow of the experience. I tended to flip to the note section at each numbered reference point. And the notes are a vital part of this recounting and reconsidering of history. Now I realize I may have been better served by reading each chapter in its entirety and THEN delving into the accompanying notes. Or possibly vice-versa. I’ll experiment in Volume II.
The story is also enriched by the use of Cree, specifically the Plains Cree Y dialect. I’ve heard some suggestions that this integration is a hindrance to non-Cree speakers. I’m going to call shenanigans on that argument. It’s only a hindrance if you’re a lazy reader. For the most part the words are immediately translated into English within the text. When not translated, their meaning is often easily drawn from context. And when I did take advantage of the appended glossary, it enhanced the experience.
June 23, 2025
In this first volume of The Memoirs of Miss Chief Eagle Testickle, we follow Cree artist Kent Monkman’s alter ego Miss Chief from the time of creation to 1 July 1867. The text frames Monkman’s incredible paintings, which are interspersed throughout, and is simultaneously humorous, devastating, informative, and emotional. It is a text of myth and history and story all at once, and while it is mostly told chronologically, at times Miss Chief bends time to look forward and backward. Highly, highly recommended.
The text is supported by extensive research, included in endnotes, and a glossary of Cree terminology (which is used throughout the text) is provided. I would recommend engaging with both while reading.
Content warnings: colonialism, racism, racial slurs, sexism, misogyny, cultural appropriation, genocide, murder, death, pandemic / epidemic (spread deliberately), grief, mentions of human trafficking and kidnapping, deaths of children, cruelty toward & deaths of non-human animals
The text is supported by extensive research, included in endnotes, and a glossary of Cree terminology (which is used throughout the text) is provided. I would recommend engaging with both while reading.
Content warnings: colonialism, racism, racial slurs, sexism, misogyny, cultural appropriation, genocide, murder, death, pandemic / epidemic (spread deliberately), grief, mentions of human trafficking and kidnapping, deaths of children, cruelty toward & deaths of non-human animals
November 12, 2024
I have to round up for I learned a lot but I did like the second book better. This book’s miss chief seemed to be a little different than the one we meet in second book and the derisive tone they take to recount some of the history sounds a little self-mocking to me. Regardless, great job! Especially, the audiobook narration. I’ll probably need to buy a copy of the book just to have access to the glossary.
February 29, 2024
This collaboration between printer Kent Monkman and writer Gisèle Gordon tells the history of the character, Miss Chief, seen in many of Monkman's paintings over the years, intertwining this alter-egos story with the formation of the universe, the Earth and Turtle Island.
The story continues up to the creation of the Dominion of Canada.
Raunchy, cosmic, dense, and tragic, it's the history of Canada that was passed over in your junior high classes.
The story continues up to the creation of the Dominion of Canada.
Raunchy, cosmic, dense, and tragic, it's the history of Canada that was passed over in your junior high classes.
June 28, 2024
One of the strangest and most bizarre looks at the past that I've read...so much so that I'm listing this as both fiction & non-fiction, as it blurs the line. In fact, it blurs so many lines in so many categories that it can make the head spin...and it flirts with my allergy to poetry far too much. But there is no denying this is an evocative, compelling & tragic look at the unfolding of First Nation physical & cultural genocide on a scale that continues to shame the current generation of Canadians. It's also occasionally filthy and funny in equal measure -- another blurred line.
Want to read
February 3, 2025***Who sucked me in?***
Booksandlala on YouTube in their 'reviewing books I haven't talked about 📚 a new style of monthly wrap-up'-video published on maandag 3 februari 2025
I realised I actually know nothing about the history of Canada. Mounties, Whales, schools where they murdered children, weird attachment to the British queen and politeness. That is it.
Also the cover is very interesting! And of volume 2. Maybe I will try to get the box-set because that would be gorgeous to have on the shelf.
Booksandlala on YouTube in their 'reviewing books I haven't talked about 📚 a new style of monthly wrap-up'-video published on maandag 3 februari 2025
I realised I actually know nothing about the history of Canada. Mounties, Whales, schools where they murdered children, weird attachment to the British queen and politeness. That is it.
Also the cover is very interesting! And of volume 2. Maybe I will try to get the box-set because that would be gorgeous to have on the shelf.
August 15, 2024
*Thank you to Libro.fm and McClelland & Stewart for the free ALC in exchange for an honest review*
I don't know if I've ever read anything else quite like this, so brace for kind of a long review. This is somewhere between fiction and nonfiction - using a fictional, immortal narrator to tell historical facts. I also listened to the audio version, of which there are two versions within the single file - with and without endnotes. Specifically, I listened to the second version, with the endnotes included in situ, as I personally love a good endnote.
The authors Kent Monkman & Gisèle Gordon read the introduction, and copious notes, disclaimers, and asides prior to the beginning of the actual text. Kent Monkman is Swampy Cree (Fisher River First Nation, Manitoba) & Gisèle is a "settler" from the UK. Together, Kent & Gisèle have created and used the fictional âtayôhkanak (legendary being) Miss Chief Eagle Testickle in a wide variety of media to tell the story of the history of Canada and its peoples - especially the wide range of queer peoples.
The audio is read by Gail Maurice, a fluent Cree & Michif speaker and is Cree/Métis (Beauval, Saskatchewan). She does an absolutely AMAZING job with this story & I can't wait to listen to her narrate more.
Personally, I think the audio is a MUST for this, due to the copious use of Cree throughout. Not only is the narrator fabulous, as I just mentioned, but hearing the Cree, rather than letting my brain make a butchery of it, was a lovely experience. That being said... the endnotes. I am very conflicted over the use of endnotes in the audio. On one hand, they are absolutely necessary, as they convey much of the factual, historical context for what is happening with our fictional (and fabulous) Miss Chief. On the other... they are copious, they are lengthy, and because they are read by Gisèle rather than Gail, they can take you out of the story itself. Will I listen to Volume 2 with the endnotes? Yes. Do I necessarily think endnotes in audio are fabulous? No, but I still love them in print.
All told, I had no clue what to expect and boy was this a ride. An in-depth look at the Indigenous history of Canada, told with the additional layer of queer culture. There's sex, and a lot of it, as well as all the harsh, terrible realities of what colonizers did to native peoples.
I don't know if I've ever read anything else quite like this, so brace for kind of a long review. This is somewhere between fiction and nonfiction - using a fictional, immortal narrator to tell historical facts. I also listened to the audio version, of which there are two versions within the single file - with and without endnotes. Specifically, I listened to the second version, with the endnotes included in situ, as I personally love a good endnote.
The authors Kent Monkman & Gisèle Gordon read the introduction, and copious notes, disclaimers, and asides prior to the beginning of the actual text. Kent Monkman is Swampy Cree (Fisher River First Nation, Manitoba) & Gisèle is a "settler" from the UK. Together, Kent & Gisèle have created and used the fictional âtayôhkanak (legendary being) Miss Chief Eagle Testickle in a wide variety of media to tell the story of the history of Canada and its peoples - especially the wide range of queer peoples.
The audio is read by Gail Maurice, a fluent Cree & Michif speaker and is Cree/Métis (Beauval, Saskatchewan). She does an absolutely AMAZING job with this story & I can't wait to listen to her narrate more.
Personally, I think the audio is a MUST for this, due to the copious use of Cree throughout. Not only is the narrator fabulous, as I just mentioned, but hearing the Cree, rather than letting my brain make a butchery of it, was a lovely experience. That being said... the endnotes. I am very conflicted over the use of endnotes in the audio. On one hand, they are absolutely necessary, as they convey much of the factual, historical context for what is happening with our fictional (and fabulous) Miss Chief. On the other... they are copious, they are lengthy, and because they are read by Gisèle rather than Gail, they can take you out of the story itself. Will I listen to Volume 2 with the endnotes? Yes. Do I necessarily think endnotes in audio are fabulous? No, but I still love them in print.
All told, I had no clue what to expect and boy was this a ride. An in-depth look at the Indigenous history of Canada, told with the additional layer of queer culture. There's sex, and a lot of it, as well as all the harsh, terrible realities of what colonizers did to native peoples.
September 28, 2025
This was a fantastical retelling of history, accompanied with (literally) cheeky paintings and a huuuge informative appendix and glossary of terms. I love the new terms. I loved the depiction of communion among all things, and that communion and mutual respect are possible, if they want it.
Did Miss Chief foresee Hudson’s Bay Company going bankrupt 355 years later, and that a Cree organization would then be trying to be redevelop the Bay building in Montreal? What would she think? Did she need shoes?
Did Miss Chief foresee Hudson’s Bay Company going bankrupt 355 years later, and that a Cree organization would then be trying to be redevelop the Bay building in Montreal? What would she think? Did she need shoes?
January 4, 2024
Wow! What a beautiful journey this book has taken me on. Miss Chief Eagle Testickle tell the story of the history of turtle island (North America) from a Cree perspective. I loved the insight into the many ways of living, being one with everything, and giving back what you take. I ordered the second book as soon as I was done e this one. The illustrations are amazing. I will cherish this story for a long time. This should be a must read for everyone. We are still learning a lot from the past, we can’t keep making the same mistakes.
May 22, 2024
3.75
playful and poignant
playful and poignant
January 27, 2025
Everyone should read this book. Miss Chief adds humour and queerness to the history of Turtle Island. It’s rooted in Cree teachings so beautifully and makes you rethink the history we were taught.
November 29, 2023
This is an absolutely gorgeous book that narratively links together Monkman's stunning and incisive paintings. Playful and sexy yet rooted in the traumatic history of the land currently known as Canada, it reimagines colonization through the eyes of Monkman's alter-ego, the shapeshifting elemental Miss Chief Eagle Testickle. It's also a rad way to learn Cree, or at least pick up some Cree vocabulary.
January 31, 2024
This is my favourite read of the year so far! I love how it combines fiction and history, plus there are so many paintings as illustrations! I'll write up a more full review when I read volume 2.
February 23, 2025
miss chief eagle testikle you will always be famous
March 27, 2025
4 Stars
This book is funny and unapologetically real. Miss Chief is such a bold character, and her stories blend humour with deeper commentary on Indigenous identity and life.
This book is funny and unapologetically real. Miss Chief is such a bold character, and her stories blend humour with deeper commentary on Indigenous identity and life.
April 6, 2024
A unique and creative telling of history supported by many footnotes from government archives and other documents
From Volume Two :
“ my people needed no one’s help until you slaughtered our elder siblings, the buffalo…..They and so many others fed your people when you first arrived. Now you starve them on grass prisons, tiny squares of land on your paper maps. Your treaty commissioners refused to speak to the okihcitawiskwewak, the women who hold responsibility for the nehiyaw wiyasiwewina (Plains Cree laws regarding humans) and lands in our communities. Our leaders were not told the truth of what was in these papers on which they made their marks. And your people have not honored even your own meager promises of protecting our peoples from famine-.
Miss Chief - response to policy (1882) of ‘refusing food until the Indians are on the verge of starvation, to reduce the expense’
From Volume Two :
“ my people needed no one’s help until you slaughtered our elder siblings, the buffalo…..They and so many others fed your people when you first arrived. Now you starve them on grass prisons, tiny squares of land on your paper maps. Your treaty commissioners refused to speak to the okihcitawiskwewak, the women who hold responsibility for the nehiyaw wiyasiwewina (Plains Cree laws regarding humans) and lands in our communities. Our leaders were not told the truth of what was in these papers on which they made their marks. And your people have not honored even your own meager promises of protecting our peoples from famine-.
Miss Chief - response to policy (1882) of ‘refusing food until the Indians are on the verge of starvation, to reduce the expense’
April 23, 2024
i literally just finished this and cannot wait to reread this and lend it to everyone I know.
it's horny it's funny it's the history of turtle island and the project of colonialism in ""Canada"" and also there are louboutins
it's horny it's funny it's the history of turtle island and the project of colonialism in ""Canada"" and also there are louboutins
March 30, 2025
“in the world of the newcomers, all living beings were currency”
January 12, 2024
Kent Monkman and Gisele Gordon's "Memoirs of Miss Chief Eagle Testickle: Vol. 1" transcends the conventional boundaries of memoirs, offering readers a unique blend of personal narrative and a profound exploration of North American history under the subtitle "A True and Exacting Accounting of the History of Turtle Island." Lled by the enigmatic and nonbinary character, Miss Chief Eagle Testickle, known from Monkman's expressive paintings.
As the narrative unfolds, Testickle guides us through the genesis of Turtle Island, weaving together Indigenous perspectives and Monkman's Cree ancestry. The richness of Cree culture is intricately interwoven with emotionally charged Cree words, adding depth to the narrative. Gordon and Monkman's skillful integration of meanings into the text enhances the reader's connection to the spiritual and emotional aspects of the Indigenous experience.
Embedded within the pages are vivid reproductions of Monkman's paintings, bringing to life Miss Chief Testickle's pre-contact adventures on Turtle Island. These paintings not only serve as visual aids but also challenge traditional artistic norms. Some paintings humorously reinterpret Renaissance classics, featuring Miss Chief Testickle in lieu of conventional subjects, while others poignantly capture the essence of Monkman and Gordon's narrative, inviting readers to explore the profound relationship Indigenous communities had with their land.
Miss Chief Testickle, more than a mere human character, is an embodiment of life and sexuality, transcending physical form. Existing since time immemorial, they are intricately connected to the spirits of the land, fostering relationships with all life.
Monkman and Gordon's collaborative effort delivers a compelling history of Canada, providing a fresh perspective through Miss Chief Eagle Testickle's eyes. The narrative oscillates between ribald, sardonic, and beautiful, challenging entrenched historical narratives. For those tethered to conventional teachings, this memoir offers an alternative lens, prompting a reevaluation of preconceived notions and fostering a nuanced understanding of historical events.
The bilingual narrative, enriched with Cree words, offers readers a glimpse into a culture that is both complex and spiritually resonant. While a glossary at the book's end aids in comprehension, the emotionally and spiritually descriptive nature of Cree words creates a more immersive reading experience and it was a just a nice change of pace.
"Memoirs of Miss Chief Eagle Testickle Vol. 1" emerges as a significant work of art, seamlessly blending language and imagery. Monkman and Gordon's creation invites readers to marvel at the depth of imagination that shaped it. The memoir's importance extends beyond the personal, transcending into a collective acknowledgment of diverse histories and perspectives. A fun, and acutely educational read. At times hilarious and and times devastating, it was a refreshing style with a sardonic overtone at times even in regards to rather serious recorded historical milestones.
As the narrative unfolds, Testickle guides us through the genesis of Turtle Island, weaving together Indigenous perspectives and Monkman's Cree ancestry. The richness of Cree culture is intricately interwoven with emotionally charged Cree words, adding depth to the narrative. Gordon and Monkman's skillful integration of meanings into the text enhances the reader's connection to the spiritual and emotional aspects of the Indigenous experience.
Embedded within the pages are vivid reproductions of Monkman's paintings, bringing to life Miss Chief Testickle's pre-contact adventures on Turtle Island. These paintings not only serve as visual aids but also challenge traditional artistic norms. Some paintings humorously reinterpret Renaissance classics, featuring Miss Chief Testickle in lieu of conventional subjects, while others poignantly capture the essence of Monkman and Gordon's narrative, inviting readers to explore the profound relationship Indigenous communities had with their land.
Miss Chief Testickle, more than a mere human character, is an embodiment of life and sexuality, transcending physical form. Existing since time immemorial, they are intricately connected to the spirits of the land, fostering relationships with all life.
Monkman and Gordon's collaborative effort delivers a compelling history of Canada, providing a fresh perspective through Miss Chief Eagle Testickle's eyes. The narrative oscillates between ribald, sardonic, and beautiful, challenging entrenched historical narratives. For those tethered to conventional teachings, this memoir offers an alternative lens, prompting a reevaluation of preconceived notions and fostering a nuanced understanding of historical events.
The bilingual narrative, enriched with Cree words, offers readers a glimpse into a culture that is both complex and spiritually resonant. While a glossary at the book's end aids in comprehension, the emotionally and spiritually descriptive nature of Cree words creates a more immersive reading experience and it was a just a nice change of pace.
"Memoirs of Miss Chief Eagle Testickle Vol. 1" emerges as a significant work of art, seamlessly blending language and imagery. Monkman and Gordon's creation invites readers to marvel at the depth of imagination that shaped it. The memoir's importance extends beyond the personal, transcending into a collective acknowledgment of diverse histories and perspectives. A fun, and acutely educational read. At times hilarious and and times devastating, it was a refreshing style with a sardonic overtone at times even in regards to rather serious recorded historical milestones.
January 28, 2025
Kent Monkman’s art is beautiful so I was excited to check out this magical realism perspective on indigenous history. I really liked the idea in concept of telling the story through his two spirit
Alter-ego. I was excited to especially learn about History of Turtle Island through perspective. I found it did not hit the mark in many ways.
Take the painter chapter - ‘The painter who cannot see’. This at first, did some great commentary on colonial artists appropriating indigenous art and monetizing their culture. He was realistically annoying, claiming to have some deep understanding of this culture he was not apart of. But then the author starts broadly implying indigenous art is somehow deeper or more significant than all other art. I hate this pompous attitude and undermines the idea of art generally. Did not like that.
Describing one’s own art as having depths behind what others can compered is a ridiculous way to describe YOUR OWN art. Comparing art like this is inherently dumb. Pushing indigenous art forward is good but positing that it is somehow deeper and better than all other art is ironically unspiritual. The thing is I love the spiritual side of sex. I almost wish they explored it in that metaphysical way and what it can represent behind the oppressive dogmas of Judeo-Chrisitan cultural perspectives on sex. Instead, in reality I am listening to the made-up sexual conquests of this time-travelling magical being (albeit quite beautifully written). This makes it feel shallow. I will share a banger quote from the book: “…keep him hard so he would not shoot fast, he nailed me so hard and so well that I find some other root to sooth my ashole the next day, massaging his buttock to loud laughter”.
I wish I could have learned about the culture and esoteric references to their spiritual worlds. Instead I got quirky interactions with random people briefly. I did not a get a new perspective on anything. I understand some parts were an attempt to break the noble savage caricature but it doesn’t even do that well. The book advert itself as a historical perspective from those were colonized. Sexual stuff almost takes away from the plights of colonial history and trivializes them.
One (again made-up) anecdote in particular that was wild was when she was edging (yes, edging) the prince of the British monarchy. Not even really attempting to negotiate saving your people. He did nothing and she’s like ‘oops, I tried’. Even later, when she was spanking John A. MacDonald?? I was dying.
Ultimately, this fell flat in its attempt to showcase a culture’s perspective on a brutal oppressive history of a disregarded people. Horny ass book, loved the gay stuff, but the sex lost its meaning by the end. I wish they explored the Cree culture itself. This book was at its best when it talked about the culture itself, teaches Cree language, concepts but it barely gets into it. Again, this book is well written but I am just disappointed because I expected so much more. . I can’t seem to add half stars on Good Reads but I would give this a 2.5/5
Alter-ego. I was excited to especially learn about History of Turtle Island through perspective. I found it did not hit the mark in many ways.
Take the painter chapter - ‘The painter who cannot see’. This at first, did some great commentary on colonial artists appropriating indigenous art and monetizing their culture. He was realistically annoying, claiming to have some deep understanding of this culture he was not apart of. But then the author starts broadly implying indigenous art is somehow deeper or more significant than all other art. I hate this pompous attitude and undermines the idea of art generally. Did not like that.
Describing one’s own art as having depths behind what others can compered is a ridiculous way to describe YOUR OWN art. Comparing art like this is inherently dumb. Pushing indigenous art forward is good but positing that it is somehow deeper and better than all other art is ironically unspiritual. The thing is I love the spiritual side of sex. I almost wish they explored it in that metaphysical way and what it can represent behind the oppressive dogmas of Judeo-Chrisitan cultural perspectives on sex. Instead, in reality I am listening to the made-up sexual conquests of this time-travelling magical being (albeit quite beautifully written). This makes it feel shallow. I will share a banger quote from the book: “…keep him hard so he would not shoot fast, he nailed me so hard and so well that I find some other root to sooth my ashole the next day, massaging his buttock to loud laughter”.
I wish I could have learned about the culture and esoteric references to their spiritual worlds. Instead I got quirky interactions with random people briefly. I did not a get a new perspective on anything. I understand some parts were an attempt to break the noble savage caricature but it doesn’t even do that well. The book advert itself as a historical perspective from those were colonized. Sexual stuff almost takes away from the plights of colonial history and trivializes them.
One (again made-up) anecdote in particular that was wild was when she was edging (yes, edging) the prince of the British monarchy. Not even really attempting to negotiate saving your people. He did nothing and she’s like ‘oops, I tried’. Even later, when she was spanking John A. MacDonald?? I was dying.
Ultimately, this fell flat in its attempt to showcase a culture’s perspective on a brutal oppressive history of a disregarded people. Horny ass book, loved the gay stuff, but the sex lost its meaning by the end. I wish they explored the Cree culture itself. This book was at its best when it talked about the culture itself, teaches Cree language, concepts but it barely gets into it. Again, this book is well written but I am just disappointed because I expected so much more. . I can’t seem to add half stars on Good Reads but I would give this a 2.5/5
April 22, 2024
It was the title and cover of this book that caught my eye at the book store; I initially thought by the name it was going to be some sort of comedy just based on the characters name, but learned quickly that was not exactly the case.
It is a very unique type of book. Maybe the most similar thing I've read so far is 'Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee' by Dee Clarke, as both are a look at the subjugation of the First Nations through a lens; but where that book focuses on the USA, this one focuses on Canada, and where that one is deeply historical in approach, this one is unlike anything I've ever read. It's based on art by Kent Monkman, which (as I understand it) he has been making for many years now and who the titular character, 'Miss Chief Eagle Testickle', kept appearing in.
This is a history of Turtle Island through her perspective, and it is a wild ride. Highly queer, highly horny (there is literally a descriptive scene of how Miss Chief gets on with a Sasquatch), highly touching. I think this book did a better job than 'Bury my Heart' at really highlighting what was lost when Europeans came to North America, as it focuses less on what happened and how the First Nations were stripped of their land, and more on contrasting the two value systems from the perspective of the First Nations. In particular I found the second half of the book moving, both in how Miss Chief reacted to Europe itself in her time there and how disconnected the Europeans felt from their land; and then seeing those same values taking over in North America.
Interestingly I was reading this at the same time as 'This Changes Everything' (Naomi Klein), which is a totally different thing entirely, being non-fiction about Capitalism and Climate Change ... and yet at the same time this almost feels like this takes place earlier in the same tale as that book. Surely there is a common cultural theme between the two about exploiting nature vs connecting with it. It really is interesting reading two different books at the same time and seeing the way that the different ideas can come together in them.
Beyond the writing, the artwork in this is absolutely splendid. It is done in the classical European style, but the subject matter is very much Miss Chiefs adventures. A big theme in the book was about how, as Europeans met with the First Nations, they were constantly misrepresented as savages, simpletons, etc... (representations which still persist to this day!), and so seeing European art styles used to reclaim First Nations representation helped bring home the points that the book was making.
The book ends on July 1, 1867, with the 'birth' of Canada; a second part follows, that I have not yet read yet, covering the time period in which Canada as a country has existed.
It is a very unique type of book. Maybe the most similar thing I've read so far is 'Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee' by Dee Clarke, as both are a look at the subjugation of the First Nations through a lens; but where that book focuses on the USA, this one focuses on Canada, and where that one is deeply historical in approach, this one is unlike anything I've ever read. It's based on art by Kent Monkman, which (as I understand it) he has been making for many years now and who the titular character, 'Miss Chief Eagle Testickle', kept appearing in.
This is a history of Turtle Island through her perspective, and it is a wild ride. Highly queer, highly horny (there is literally a descriptive scene of how Miss Chief gets on with a Sasquatch), highly touching. I think this book did a better job than 'Bury my Heart' at really highlighting what was lost when Europeans came to North America, as it focuses less on what happened and how the First Nations were stripped of their land, and more on contrasting the two value systems from the perspective of the First Nations. In particular I found the second half of the book moving, both in how Miss Chief reacted to Europe itself in her time there and how disconnected the Europeans felt from their land; and then seeing those same values taking over in North America.
Interestingly I was reading this at the same time as 'This Changes Everything' (Naomi Klein), which is a totally different thing entirely, being non-fiction about Capitalism and Climate Change ... and yet at the same time this almost feels like this takes place earlier in the same tale as that book. Surely there is a common cultural theme between the two about exploiting nature vs connecting with it. It really is interesting reading two different books at the same time and seeing the way that the different ideas can come together in them.
Beyond the writing, the artwork in this is absolutely splendid. It is done in the classical European style, but the subject matter is very much Miss Chiefs adventures. A big theme in the book was about how, as Europeans met with the First Nations, they were constantly misrepresented as savages, simpletons, etc... (representations which still persist to this day!), and so seeing European art styles used to reclaim First Nations representation helped bring home the points that the book was making.
The book ends on July 1, 1867, with the 'birth' of Canada; a second part follows, that I have not yet read yet, covering the time period in which Canada as a country has existed.
February 6, 2024
A wonderful multilayered way to engage with the complex history of this land and its people. At first I guessed that this was a light and rather fanciful romp through Canadian history. Indeed there is a lightness to the story in some ways, including its beautiful illustrations by Kent Monkman.
And it is so much more than light or fanciful. This is a deep and carefully researched history of the land now known as Canada up until 1867, told from the perspective of indigenous people. For those aspects of the history that are written down (mostly voyageur/settler accounts) it is rigorously footnoted. And while I claim no authority, my gut feels that the longer story is deeply rooted in indigenous memory and knowing.
This wisdom attracts me and enriches my life and my connection with this land and all that live in it.
There is also a deliciously queer dimension to the story, and the book will work better for readers who are open to welcoming the two-spirit nature and exuberant behaviour of the narrator Miss Chief - an eternal spirit able to manifest in many different forms across the ages. If you might be offended by her two-spirit nature and exuberant sexuality - or indeed the intertwining of factual history, personal memoir and fiction - this might not be the book for you.
What I love about the book is the way the authors, through the narrator, engage with both the tangible and the intangible aspects of life, and recognise the power of the two deep streams of human values and ways of life that came into contact in this land thousands of years after the First People came to live here. It is sad that so much destruction came from this meeting, and confusing because one side seemed to reap all sorts of material benefits. It seems only recently that more settlers have begun to reach out more consistently to honour the wisdom of the First People of this land.
I am confused by the juxtaposition of play, pleasure and joy with pain, violence and conflict. But perhaps that is just the way life is, and the authors do well to help us take it all on board in some new way. As Ai Weiwei recently said in an interview, it is a dangerous thing for our world when people insist on simplistic "black and white" understandings of right and wrong. Perhaps the artists, Monkman and Weiwei, are onto something that might help the rest of us.
And it is so much more than light or fanciful. This is a deep and carefully researched history of the land now known as Canada up until 1867, told from the perspective of indigenous people. For those aspects of the history that are written down (mostly voyageur/settler accounts) it is rigorously footnoted. And while I claim no authority, my gut feels that the longer story is deeply rooted in indigenous memory and knowing.
This wisdom attracts me and enriches my life and my connection with this land and all that live in it.
There is also a deliciously queer dimension to the story, and the book will work better for readers who are open to welcoming the two-spirit nature and exuberant behaviour of the narrator Miss Chief - an eternal spirit able to manifest in many different forms across the ages. If you might be offended by her two-spirit nature and exuberant sexuality - or indeed the intertwining of factual history, personal memoir and fiction - this might not be the book for you.
What I love about the book is the way the authors, through the narrator, engage with both the tangible and the intangible aspects of life, and recognise the power of the two deep streams of human values and ways of life that came into contact in this land thousands of years after the First People came to live here. It is sad that so much destruction came from this meeting, and confusing because one side seemed to reap all sorts of material benefits. It seems only recently that more settlers have begun to reach out more consistently to honour the wisdom of the First People of this land.
I am confused by the juxtaposition of play, pleasure and joy with pain, violence and conflict. But perhaps that is just the way life is, and the authors do well to help us take it all on board in some new way. As Ai Weiwei recently said in an interview, it is a dangerous thing for our world when people insist on simplistic "black and white" understandings of right and wrong. Perhaps the artists, Monkman and Weiwei, are onto something that might help the rest of us.
November 29, 2023
I purchased this ebook as a companion to my book showing the paintings of famed, award-winning Canadian Cree artist Kent Monkman. His works are bound to give an alternate look at history. He is widely known for his controversial, provocative, and sometimes shocking depiction of native history and oppression by white colonial settlers. His paintings are richly detailed and painted in a realistic European style.
Miss Chief (mischief) is a recurring character in his artwork and serves as the artist's alter-ego. She is gender-fluid, erotic, and a two-spirited time traveller. Monkman has added her to his canvases to subvert usual conceptions of gender and sexuality. She serves to honour the tradition of two-spirit indigenous culture and to try to guide the newcomers into harmony with the natural world.
She begins to see the conflict they bring as a danger to the natives and their world while hoping to install a deeply Cree queer understanding of their now shared world and live in harmony with the earth and its creatures. Miss Chief narrates her viewpoint of world history, from the creation of their world (Turtle Island) to the disharmony brought by the newcomers up to the time of Confederation. Traditional native histories richly enhance her memoir, and a great many native words were found in the story which is told from her perspective. She is disturbed by the changes the settlers and fur traders impose on the land. Genocidal forces have tried to erase the language, culture, and way of life of the natives. Combat and smallpox destroyed many lives and depleted their population.
Actual historical characters are woven through the story. She expresses profound sorrow over the destruction of the animal tribes that she considers friends, such as the beaver and buffalo. She encounters supernatural beings and watches the dead ascend to the skies guided by spirits.
Miss Chief is considered a Trickster in native lore, being a supernatural mischievous force that defies social order. There is a lengthy glossary at the end of the book that translates the many words from the Cree language found in the narration. Additional Notes further explain indigenous culture, traditions and worldview. Some of Workman's artwork is inserted into Miss Chief's story.
Her second book of memoirs will be published this month and describes the '60s scoop, where the child welfare services removed native children from their families and placed them in non-Indigenous homes, and the many years when frightened children torn from their anguished families to be placed in residential schools with the goal of eliminating the language, culture, and way of life.
Miss Chief (mischief) is a recurring character in his artwork and serves as the artist's alter-ego. She is gender-fluid, erotic, and a two-spirited time traveller. Monkman has added her to his canvases to subvert usual conceptions of gender and sexuality. She serves to honour the tradition of two-spirit indigenous culture and to try to guide the newcomers into harmony with the natural world.
She begins to see the conflict they bring as a danger to the natives and their world while hoping to install a deeply Cree queer understanding of their now shared world and live in harmony with the earth and its creatures. Miss Chief narrates her viewpoint of world history, from the creation of their world (Turtle Island) to the disharmony brought by the newcomers up to the time of Confederation. Traditional native histories richly enhance her memoir, and a great many native words were found in the story which is told from her perspective. She is disturbed by the changes the settlers and fur traders impose on the land. Genocidal forces have tried to erase the language, culture, and way of life of the natives. Combat and smallpox destroyed many lives and depleted their population.
Actual historical characters are woven through the story. She expresses profound sorrow over the destruction of the animal tribes that she considers friends, such as the beaver and buffalo. She encounters supernatural beings and watches the dead ascend to the skies guided by spirits.
Miss Chief is considered a Trickster in native lore, being a supernatural mischievous force that defies social order. There is a lengthy glossary at the end of the book that translates the many words from the Cree language found in the narration. Additional Notes further explain indigenous culture, traditions and worldview. Some of Workman's artwork is inserted into Miss Chief's story.
Her second book of memoirs will be published this month and describes the '60s scoop, where the child welfare services removed native children from their families and placed them in non-Indigenous homes, and the many years when frightened children torn from their anguished families to be placed in residential schools with the goal of eliminating the language, culture, and way of life.
August 15, 2024
*Thank you to Libro.fm and McClelland & Stewart for the free ALC in exchange for an honest review*
I don't know if I've ever read anything else quite like this, so brace for kind of a long review. This is somewhere between fiction and nonfiction - using a fictional, immortal narrator to tell historical facts. I also listened to the audio version, of which there are two versions within the single file - with and without endnotes. Specifically, I listened to the second version, with the endnotes included in situ, as I personally love a good endnote.
The authors Kent Monkman & Gisèle Gordon read the introduction, and copious notes, disclaimers, and asides prior to the beginning of the actual text. Kent Monkman is Swampy Cree (Fisher River First Nation, Manitoba) & Gisèle is a "settler" from the UK. Together, Kent & Gisèle have created and used the fictional âtayôhkanak (legendary being) Miss Chief Eagle Testickle in a wide variety of media to tell the story of the history of Canada and its peoples - especially the wide range of queer peoples.
The audio is read by Gail Maurice, a fluent Cree & Michif speaker and is Cree/Métis (Beauval, Saskatchewan). She does an absolutely AMAZING job with this story & I can't wait to listen to her narrate more.
Personally, I think the audio is a MUST for this, due to the copious use of Cree throughout. Not only is the narrator fabulous, as I just mentioned, but hearing the Cree, rather than letting my brain make a butchery of it, was a lovely experience. That being said... the endnotes. I am very conflicted over the use of endnotes in the audio. On one hand, they are absolutely necessary, as they convey much of the factual, historical context for what is happening with our fictional (and fabulous) Miss Chief. On the other... they are copious, they are lengthy, and because they are read by Gisèle rather than Gail, they can take you out of the story itself. Will I listen to Volume 2 with the endnotes? Yes. Do I necessarily think endnotes in audio are fabulous? No, but I still love them in print.
All told, I had no clue what to expect and boy was this a ride. An in-depth look at the Indigenous history of Canada, told with the additional layer of queer culture. There's sex, and a lot of it, as well as all the harsh, terrible realities of what colonizers did to native peoples.
-Jena B.
I don't know if I've ever read anything else quite like this, so brace for kind of a long review. This is somewhere between fiction and nonfiction - using a fictional, immortal narrator to tell historical facts. I also listened to the audio version, of which there are two versions within the single file - with and without endnotes. Specifically, I listened to the second version, with the endnotes included in situ, as I personally love a good endnote.
The authors Kent Monkman & Gisèle Gordon read the introduction, and copious notes, disclaimers, and asides prior to the beginning of the actual text. Kent Monkman is Swampy Cree (Fisher River First Nation, Manitoba) & Gisèle is a "settler" from the UK. Together, Kent & Gisèle have created and used the fictional âtayôhkanak (legendary being) Miss Chief Eagle Testickle in a wide variety of media to tell the story of the history of Canada and its peoples - especially the wide range of queer peoples.
The audio is read by Gail Maurice, a fluent Cree & Michif speaker and is Cree/Métis (Beauval, Saskatchewan). She does an absolutely AMAZING job with this story & I can't wait to listen to her narrate more.
Personally, I think the audio is a MUST for this, due to the copious use of Cree throughout. Not only is the narrator fabulous, as I just mentioned, but hearing the Cree, rather than letting my brain make a butchery of it, was a lovely experience. That being said... the endnotes. I am very conflicted over the use of endnotes in the audio. On one hand, they are absolutely necessary, as they convey much of the factual, historical context for what is happening with our fictional (and fabulous) Miss Chief. On the other... they are copious, they are lengthy, and because they are read by Gisèle rather than Gail, they can take you out of the story itself. Will I listen to Volume 2 with the endnotes? Yes. Do I necessarily think endnotes in audio are fabulous? No, but I still love them in print.
All told, I had no clue what to expect and boy was this a ride. An in-depth look at the Indigenous history of Canada, told with the additional layer of queer culture. There's sex, and a lot of it, as well as all the harsh, terrible realities of what colonizers did to native peoples.
-Jena B.
February 21, 2024
On a recent trip to Toronto I discovered the Canadian painter Kent Monkman. I was drawn to his "iowabeebe - The Deluge" hanging in the Canadian Art sector. I looked him up in the museum's gift shop and off I went with this book.
It's a good one!
The book contains many illustrations (pictures of Kent's paintings) and it's easy to read.
This is how Miss Chief Eagle Testickle comes to be. This one spin on how Kent's paintings could be understood.
It's fascinating and thought provoking on so many levels:
- it's the tale of Native Americans history told by a nêhiyaw - Cree (and not by Western society)
- the narrator being all genders, all forms, and nothing that can be defined by one word in any language
- the mix between real history and myth making (isn't all human history exactly just that?!)
- the notion that land (this planet) doesn't belong to anyone and that we, humans, should take care of it (and of each other)
- sexual freedom as the most natural and uncomplicated of behaviours, sexual energy as something to embrace and express with pride, an act of exchange full of beauty
The ideas of Miss Chief Eagle Testickle are like a child's, and for this reason so clear, profound and powerful. I feel they brought some change in me.
It made me think of my friends, the left-overs-of-the-left-overs...I quote Kent "...my friends who love whomever they want, and my friends who live however they want to live, for our ways of loving were all-encompassing".
It's a good one!
The book contains many illustrations (pictures of Kent's paintings) and it's easy to read.
This is how Miss Chief Eagle Testickle comes to be. This one spin on how Kent's paintings could be understood.
It's fascinating and thought provoking on so many levels:
- it's the tale of Native Americans history told by a nêhiyaw - Cree (and not by Western society)
- the narrator being all genders, all forms, and nothing that can be defined by one word in any language
- the mix between real history and myth making (isn't all human history exactly just that?!)
- the notion that land (this planet) doesn't belong to anyone and that we, humans, should take care of it (and of each other)
- sexual freedom as the most natural and uncomplicated of behaviours, sexual energy as something to embrace and express with pride, an act of exchange full of beauty
The ideas of Miss Chief Eagle Testickle are like a child's, and for this reason so clear, profound and powerful. I feel they brought some change in me.
It made me think of my friends, the left-overs-of-the-left-overs...I quote Kent "...my friends who love whomever they want, and my friends who live however they want to live, for our ways of loving were all-encompassing".
January 17, 2025
Kent Monkman's paintings are provocative and compelling, but they don't really appeal to me. I would say the same for this book. It's provocative and compelling, but it didn't really appeal to me.
There were parts of the story that I found engaging such as the creation story and the spiritual elements of how indigenous cultures relate to the land and nature spiritually but I didn't really like Miss Chief as a character and I found the constant references to sex distracting and almost cartoonish. I appreciated how the story flipped the script and relayed history from an indigenous perspective but the inclusion of Miss Chief did make it feel like a comic book and not a serious exploration of history. I am surprised this book is considered non-fiction and not historical fiction.
Although I thought the inclusion of Cree language added a lot of authenticity to the story, I also found it took me out of the reading experience. Perhaps it's more natural as an audio experience. There are 40-50 pages of endnotes at the end of the book and they are definitely worth reading, perhaps more so than the Miss Chief's story.
I would only recommend this book to those who are fans of Kent Monkman and I'd recommend the endnotes to those interested in history.
There were parts of the story that I found engaging such as the creation story and the spiritual elements of how indigenous cultures relate to the land and nature spiritually but I didn't really like Miss Chief as a character and I found the constant references to sex distracting and almost cartoonish. I appreciated how the story flipped the script and relayed history from an indigenous perspective but the inclusion of Miss Chief did make it feel like a comic book and not a serious exploration of history. I am surprised this book is considered non-fiction and not historical fiction.
Although I thought the inclusion of Cree language added a lot of authenticity to the story, I also found it took me out of the reading experience. Perhaps it's more natural as an audio experience. There are 40-50 pages of endnotes at the end of the book and they are definitely worth reading, perhaps more so than the Miss Chief's story.
I would only recommend this book to those who are fans of Kent Monkman and I'd recommend the endnotes to those interested in history.
February 5, 2025
This book wasn’t like anything else I’ve ever read. I listened to the audiobook but will definitely borrow a copy from another member of Book Interrupted to browse the amazing art by Kent Monkman. I’d still recommend the audiobook because the book uses the Cree language. This book has mythology, history, art, sex (a lot so get prepared),culture and mind bending perspectives. Miss Chief is a shapeshifter, non or both gendered, demi-god, immortal, mystic, lover, artist, heroine (for lack of a better word). Miss Chief is one with the universe, nature and beyond. This is the story of Cree cosmology and the beginning of existence to first contact with European settlers on turtle island or North America. She was here to help humans live in harmony. It’s an amazing history book. When I first started the book I was overwhelmed with the sheer amount of sex, but as you read it, it becomes normalized. And by the end it almost helps you to be able to ingest the horrible things that the colonizers culture deem as acceptable. I’d recommend this book, it’s a true piece of art. Listen to full podcast review here: https://www.bookinterrupted.com/episo...
September 10, 2024
AH.
MAY.
ZING.
About a year ago, I watched a UBC museum of anthropology walk-through of Shame and Prejudice, a Kent Monkman exhibit (you can watch it here: https://youtu.be/mACqPVUXzk8?si=2ZXNv...). I thought it was fascinating and so powerful. As I started reading, I wondered how Miss Chief Eagle Testickle's story would translate into book form. I shouldn't have worried. The book is just as powerful, raw, sexual, emotional, and devastating as the art. I can't wait to read Vol. 2, but Vol. 1 is foreshadowing that the next book will discuss the history of residential schools, and that's going to be really hard to read.
I loved the presentation of this audiobook, where I got to listen to the text once with no interruptions, and then it was re-read in its entirety including the detailed footnotes (in a different voice). Brilliant.
MAY.
ZING.
About a year ago, I watched a UBC museum of anthropology walk-through of Shame and Prejudice, a Kent Monkman exhibit (you can watch it here: https://youtu.be/mACqPVUXzk8?si=2ZXNv...). I thought it was fascinating and so powerful. As I started reading, I wondered how Miss Chief Eagle Testickle's story would translate into book form. I shouldn't have worried. The book is just as powerful, raw, sexual, emotional, and devastating as the art. I can't wait to read Vol. 2, but Vol. 1 is foreshadowing that the next book will discuss the history of residential schools, and that's going to be really hard to read.
I loved the presentation of this audiobook, where I got to listen to the text once with no interruptions, and then it was re-read in its entirety including the detailed footnotes (in a different voice). Brilliant.
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