Indigiqueerness: A Conversation about Storytelling

by Joshua Whitehead, Angie Abdou (Contributor)

A tender, eclectic reflection from an Indigenous author on his life, work, and queer identity.

Evolving from a conversation between author Joshua Whitehead and Angie Abdou, Indigiqueerness is part dialogue, part collage, and part memoir. Beginning with memories of his childhood poetry and prose and traveling through the library of his life, Whitehead contemplates the role of theory, Indigenous language, queerness, and fantastical worlds in all his artistic pursuits. Indigiqueerness is imbued with Whitehead’s energy and celebrates Indigenous writers and creators who defy expectations and transcend genres.

Genres: Nonfiction, Indigenous, Queer, LGBT, Memoir, Biography, Canada

95 pages, Paperback

First published June 4, 2023

About the author

Joshua Whitehead is an Oji-Cree, Two-Spirit storyteller and academic from Peguis First Nation on Treaty 1 territory in Manitoba. He is currently working toward a Ph.D. in Indigenous literatures and cultures at the University of Calgary on Treaty 7 territory. His most recent book of poetry, Full-Metal Indigiqueer, was shortlisted for the 2017 Lambda Literary Award for Transgender Poetry. In 2016, his poem “mihkokwaniy” won Canada’s History Award for Aboriginal Arts and Stories (for writers aged 19–29), which included a residency at the Banff Centre. He has been published widely in Canadian literary magazines such as Prairie Fire, EVENT, Arc Poetry Magazine, CV2, Red Rising Magazine, and Geez Magazine’s Decolonization issue.

Reviews

[Sam Albert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love my job, I love that I got to read this at my job, and I love that we distributed something as revelatory as this pocket-sized conversation between two incredible Canadian writers. Anyone interested in Whitehead's work, in Indigenous literature, in gender and queer theory, in dismantling the binary between academia and artistry, or in excellent dialogue-centred conversational books that read as poetry, memoir, interview and manifesto all at once should read this!

[Kayleigh Wiebe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Right off the bat, I want to say that this book is really meant for people who have already read some of Joshua Whitehead's books. There are a lot of references and in-depth explorations of scenes and characters from his previous works. I’ve read two books by Joshua Whitehead previously, so for me, I felt I got a lot more out of this book, especially with the descriptions of how the character of Johnny Appleseed emerged.

It’s also a very beautiful book, filled with photos and splash pages of poignant quotes, or questions. The connections to Cree culture, space, place, storytelling, and challenging rigid boundaries of Indigenous identities were elements of this book I appreciated and resonated with me. My personal favourite parts were the discussion of dreams. Dreams can be considered as a Indigenous methodologies, and I loved how Whitehead discussed dreams as a place for ancestral knowledge to be passed down.

Whitehead says in this book “reading is a collaborative endeavour”, and I think this will be a great book, club pack, or buddy read, as Whitehead poses several questions and points for reflection throughout the book that will lead to lively discussion. I know it did for my mom and I, as we buddy read this one via StoryGraph, and our comment section was jampacked.

Thank you to ZG stories and AU Press for this gifted copy. I also bought myself this book during Canadian Independent bookstore day and this meant that my mom and I were able to buddy read this lovely book together.

[Troy]

joshua is such a prolific writer and thinker - so much to be inspired by in this thin but full of substance volume

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great format! Loved it! Full review soon!
Thank you to ZG Stories and AU Press for my gifted review copy!

[Claire Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I felt like I got to know Joshua Whitehead a bit more in this book. I’ve read his other works, Jonny Appleseed and Making Love With the Land, and it was great to get some more insight into his character of Jonny, his life and message/mission. I can feel the love, care, power and pain he puts into his creations and it’s so beautiful and impactful. I’m looking forward to reading more from him throughout his career and seeing the realm of Indigenous literature in Canada grow and flourish even more.

[Sonja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful! I’m so happy I read this interview with Joshua Whitehead. The photo collages and illustrations are beautiful. Queer and indigenous references are great too. Love.

[Rachael · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5 (rounded up to 5)

CW: colonization, homophobia, racism, xenophobia, classism

Non-fiction with no definite form, Whitehead provides thoughts into their work in the evolving Indigenous literature community, exploring identity as an Indigenous Two-Spirit storyteller, and challenging the status quo of academia. I don't know if I've ever read a book quite like this one, but it was fascinating hearing Whitehead's thoughts on how their work has ultimately impacted Indigenous and queer youth as well as understanding more about Two-Spirit identities. Additionally, the different types of mediums that Whitehead utilizes to convey their points really worked well for the book.

My only issue with the book was that it was hard to tell sometimes the difference between Whitehead's writing and the writing of Whitehead's dialogue partner, Angie Abdou (though maybe it was because I was reading the e-book version).

Nevertheless, I enjoyed this book and definitely would read it again.

[tasha.reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, I didn’t think I was going to get much out of this tiny little book but it completely surprised me. Joshua Whitehead truly opens up about his life and his writing process for his previous two books. I actually would say that if you want to read anything by him, this book should be mandatory reading after if not preferably before diving into either. This conversation added so much context to his writing and truly deepened my appreciation for Jonny Appleseed. I’m looking forward to what I get out of Making Love with the Land!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful conversation with Joshua Whitehead about his creative process, his writing, the relationship between his lived experiences and his characters, and possibilities for Indigenous literature into the future. If I had to complain, I'd only say that I wish it were longer. I would suggest picking up the paperback -- it's beautiful, and the imagery and layout really add a lot that I'm not sure would be captured in an ebook in quite the same way.

[Carson · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5 stars (rounded down)

a short but deeply deeply insightful discussion on joshua whitehead’s writing and perspective on indigeneity and queerness! whitehead is a really interesting storyteller and I feel like his words always leave me with new things to think about and new ways to think about them

[Tutankhamun18 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable conversation with Joshua Whitehead about his writing process, the value of storytelling, indigenous writing and the understanding of self. Fun formating and great to read - especially if you already like his other writing.

[Reagan Kapasi · Rating 4 out of 5]

For when you want a short form conversation by a well spoken poet on their writing process, gender identity and rise to fame. The story of grandma's bannock recipe box will live on in my memory.

[Lily W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Need to revisit this once I read his other works

[Belle · Rating 4 out of 5]

so much more is unpacked in this than I expected- queerness, Indigenous identity, language, the apocalypse(!). Honest & thoughtful- this captures Joshua Whitehead's voice and process beautifully

[Sam Skold · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such great thoughts and lessons on storytelling, translation, representation, tradition, and more. And in a form that is so fitting to the content! My only critique is that it seems to be more of a companion piece to his previously published books, and since I haven’t read those I didn’t grasp the depth of it all. 4.25 stars

[Frida · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mi primer acercamiento a Joshua Whitehead (no lo conocía de antes), qué nervios.

We don't have to flee or migrate to cities and abandon part of our identities. We can be Indigenous and we can be queer and we can be rural all at the same time. Those spaces are our homes.

Me gustó el diálogo que sostiene Joshua durante toda la conversación enorgulleciéndose de sus orígenes indígenas y su queerness como un aspecto de su vida que lo define y moldea como individuo y escritor. Hay una necesidad enorme de abrazar estas dos cualidades para llegar a la aceptación total de nuestra vida. Es exactamente igual a ser prieto y joto en México, tienes muchas cosas en tu contra al no formar parte de un estereotipo de homosexualidad o lesbianismo que encaje en lo cis, blanco, eurocentrista, post-colonialista y aspiracionista, todos aspectos con los cuales parecemos estar obsesionados en la actualidad en México.

Siento que, me faltó un poco (mucho) de contexto para poder entender por completo la entrevista/conversación ya que se habla en su mayoría de Jonny Appleseed, novela de Joshua y no sabía hasta hoy que existía, pero me inspiró a leerla.

Por otra parte, me encantó el concepto visual; los colores, las fotografías, la disposición y orden del texto. Wow.

[Jaclyn Hillis]

I really enjoyed the format of this interview; it being mixed media with photographs and stand out quotes. The part that stood out to me the most was him talking about translation, especially when it comes to Cree words.

“The role of translation, specifically for Indigenous languages, does a disservice. In Cree, to translate "tânsi" to "hello" .. well, it does mean that, but it's also asking how you are and how you have been and sometimes where you're from. Those things get lost if we offer a direct translation. Depending on the conjunctions or inflections, the meaning of the word changes.”

“My decision not to translate also asks readers to put in some work and meet Indigenous literature part way,” and I love this so much. I don’t mind doing the work if I don’t know what something means, but I’m also okay not knowing sometimes too. I love when the author gives us unfiltered pieces of themselves and their culture, and it always elevates the reading experience for me.

Whitehead discusses a lot of his other works in this interview, particularly Jonny Appleseed. I have yet to read any of his work but I still appreciated the insight into his creative thoughts and processes, and I’ll definitely be reaching for them sooner than later.

[Book.ishJulie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Without a doubt, Joshua Whitehead writes beautifully, so I couldn't wait to get my hands on Indigiqueerness: A Conversation About Storeytelling (in dialogue with Angie Abdou).

This book is described as "part dialogue, part collage, and part memoir" (aupress.ca) and as "the DVD extras to his memoir" (Clayton Andres via GoodReads) and I can't think of better ways to sum this one up! Whitehead says this book is "a companion piece to Making Love With The Land," so it truly makes sense how these two connected in my mind. I think if you've read anything by Whitehead, this is one that can't be missed!

It's such a quick read, but it really packs a punch. It answers questions, filling in a few blanks, but still leaves an air of mystery that sums up Whitehead. There's answers, but also more questions. I really do think it's best to have previous knowledge starting this book, and suggest reading Whitehead's work in published order.

With each book I read of Whitehead's (Jonny Appleseed, Making Love With The Land and now this one), more layers are added, and each one is exquisite.

In the last section Whitehead comments about the direction Indigenous literature is heading, and this book truly represents that non-clichéd path.

Thank you ZG Stories for the complimentary copy to read and review.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really meaningful conversation between Joshua Whitehead and Angie Abdou about his writing process, experiences in publishing and storytelling, journey to being a successful writer and where he thinks indigenous writing is heading in the future. I thought his musings were beautifully expressed and inspiring, I loved his reasons for imbuing Johnny Appleseed with pop culture references and I found this book to be little but mighty. I actually haven’t read anything else by Joshua Whitehead yet, I’ve been meaning to, and this gives me a kick to get to it. I only wish this had been longer. I’m not a huge fan of little gift size type books, anything this small I personally feel should be worked on and extended into a full length book, but I think that’s just a personal preference. At 93 pages I feel like we’re just scratching the surface of his mind and I could read at least 200 more pages about his thoughts on storytelling, indigenous art and queerness, just saying.

Loved it for as long as it lasted. Wish I could have loved it for longer 🥰.

[Bethany Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evolving from a conversation between Joshua Whitehead and Angie Abdou, Indigiqueerness is part dialogue, part collage, and part memoir. Beginning with memories of his childhood poetry and prose and travelling through the library of his life, Whitehead contemplates the role of theory, Indigenous language, queerness, and fantastical worlds in all his artistic pursuits. This volume is imbued with Whitehead’s energy and celebrates Indigenous writers and creators who defy expectations and transcend genres.

This. Was. Incredible!!! I love love love hearing, seeing, reading authors talking about their craft and how they come up with their stories. This peek behind the curtain with Joshua regarding his process and specifically the behind the scenes bits about Jonny were blowing my mind. The photos included were so incredibly cool. I also really loved how he wants the reader to put some effort into learning more about indigenous people, language, and culture.

I seriously cannot wait to read more of his incredible writing. Everything I read is captivating. Fully, fully recommend this one.

[Alejandra Guaqueta · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautiful conversation about Joshua’s approach to writing, the role of Indigenous language in the book, and the relationship and interplay between the writer and Jonnie—who they are, and how they exist in relation to each other.

I love the deep respect Joshua has for language: how he plays with it, and how he intentionally keeps some words in their original form to avoid that feeling of loss in translation. I was especially moved by his reflection on dreams as ancestral knowledge being passed down.

I also loved the way queerness is presented not through trauma, but as an experience in itself—valid, complex, and fully lived. It exists not only in urban spaces but also in rural ones, highlighting the value of nature, connection with the earth, solitude, and introspection as essential parts of the queer experience.

Lastly, the alchemical relationship with his character is deeply moving: the way pain is transformed into beauty and love, or sometimes simply held and accepted as it is. You can see and feel that there is a lot of magic surrounding his creative process.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

|| INDIGIQUEERNESS ||
#gifted/@zgstories /@au_press
✍🏻
"I take it as my job to eat these theories - eat gender theory and queer theory and decolonial theory and post-colonial theory - and dissolve it all in my belly and spew it onto the page as fiction and poetry and non-fiction. Thats more accessible."
•
This was such a lovely and meaningful conversation. Whitehead opens up about his work, life and identity. One of my favorite Indigenous writers, I enjoyed hearing of his childhood, early writing, books that inspired and resonated with him and his journey as a Two-Spirit Indigiqueer writer. Highly reccomend, and if you haven't read his book Jonny Appleseed what are you waiting for!

For more of my book content check out instagram.com/bookalong

[Sam Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS WAS AMAZING, AND NOW I'M MORE IN LOVE WITH ZG STORIES AND JOSHUA WHITEHEAD!

Last year, I got the chance to listen to an audiobook of Whitehead's Making Love with the Land, which is a collection of essays and stories detailing how mental health is portrayed and understood with indigenous groups both past and present day.

When I got this cute little zine of sorts in the mail from Athabasca University Press, ZG Stories, and Joshua Whitehead, I fell out. Getting an inside scoop into this fabulously talented author's writing process all while being an indigenous queer person in a constantly evolving and regressing space, is so incredible.

Indigiqueerness is out now and I highly encourage you to check out the rest of his work in the meantime.

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really cool book; I really enjoyed the interview/conversational format as well as the pictures included throughout. There is a real connection and understanding that is offered here and it creates an interesting dynamic between author and reader. This book offers a really interesting insight into some aspects of Indigenous culture and Two-Spirit. This book also offers a lot of awareness into Joshua's works and I thought this book did a great job of exploring and explaining these themes and ideas to the reader in a way that is enjoyable and accessible whether you're familiar with these works or not. There is a real elegance and beauty to Joshua's perspectives that really sets a fascinating tone for this book (and left me excited to read more of their catalog).

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciated the author’s discussions on Indigenous and queer themes and identities in literature and how the genre has impacted people, including the author. I thought it was interesting how the author tied it back to their own works, I just think I was missing a lot of context bc this was the first thing I’ve read by Joshua Whitehead. I do want to pick up some of his other works to greater understand what he was talking about. I did really like the photography included in the book and the author’s personal anecdotes. I read this as the digital version but I think it’s worth it to read a physical copy.

[Kaitlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Indigiqueerness gives a great insight into Joshua Whitehead’s journey with storytelling, while focusing in on his book Jonny Appleseed. It does help to have read that one already, though I think what is discussed transcends parts of that book.

It does delve into the story, the process, the character, the elements, but it is moreso about Joshua’s experience with creation and altering other works to create Jonny Appleseed or taking poetry and moving it into novellas and essays, etc.

As an aspiring queer Indigenous author, I loved learning his experience and where he has gone and where he’s leading with his work.

[DarkPumpkinSpice (Helene)]

This was a book that could be chosen in the Heritage month category of the Goodreads challenge (Indigenous literature). Now, I will not lie, I don’t know much about Indigenous literature and decided to pick a very short book because I am swamped with work at the moment.
This is non fiction and exactly as the title describes it: a conversation with an Indigenous author. I discovered I actually knew very little about the subject and I am happy to report that I really want to read more about certain themes and broaden my understanding and knowledge. Goal attained!

[Irene · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ This book broadened my understanding of Indigeneity in ways Indigenous literature often does, but a little differently. The author writes his characters as homages to real queer Indigenous people in rural Canada, which helped me learn new perspectives and understand that there are people living these experiences. The dialogue-only format makes it a unique read, though at times a bit wordy for me because of that structure (& probably because I’m not familiar with the author’s books).

[kayt · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I hope – and what I see happening – is that we can move beyond the expectations of testimony or confession that for so long Indigenous writing has had to meet, or at least it has had to comply with this expectation in order to go mainstream.

frankly i will never stop saying ‘anything by joshua whitehead’ every time someone asks me for a book recommendation

[sophie]

joshua talking about eating bannock and jam until his stomach hurt after his grandmother passed away made me SOB. also, the entire blend of his childhood stories and memories in not only a rural area but as a rural Indigenous TS kid was so beautifully written. as an interview-styled book, whitehead still gives us a STORY