Cherie Dimaline is a registered and claimed member of the Metis Nation of Ontario, and it is this identity that is the foundation of her writing. Her stories blend fantastical elements with hard-hitting realities, and the central tenet of both her life and her writing is community, most particular, the intersection of her Indigenous roots and the women she grew up learning and hearing stories from (most notably her Mere, or grandmother).
Dimaline’s most-known work is The Marrow Thieves, which is a sci-fi-ish YA book that explores the continued colonial exploitation of Indigenous people. In this and many of her other books, she takes the Indigenous experience and adds a new twist: in The Marrow Thieves, Indigenous people are hunted and used for their bone marrow, as that is the key to non-Indigenous folks connecting with their dreams after an ecological disaster. When talking about this book in an interview, Dimaline said: “An Indigenous publisher had asked me to write a short story in the apocalypse or dystopian genre, and when I sat down to think about it, I could not think of anything worse than what had already happened.” Referring to both the overall way native people have been treated in North America (and, honestly, everywhere colonialism has taken root), and most particularly to the residential schools that existed all over Canada and the US, Dimaline’s work shares the pain and anguish, as well as the connection and beauty, that is inherent in Indigenous life in a colonial society.
Plus, her books are just plain fun; VenCo imagines a female-centered witchy coven, battling against a patriarchal secret society hell-bent on the coven’s destruction. Themes of connection are strong in this book (and all of Dimaline’s work); connection to other women, connection to native land, connection to tradition and magic and storytelling.
Perfect for this time of year, when the veil seems to thin and we are all hunkering down for a long and chilly winter, Dimaline’s writing is both a little bit scary and a lot bit thought-provoking. As is our November colorway, Marrow Thieves, which is inspired by that book’s cover. Wind this skein up, snuggle in, and lose yourself in Dimaline’s writing this month.
Books by Cheri Dimaline:
- The Marrow Thieves
- VenCo
- Empire of Wild
- Funeral Songs for Dying Girls
Want more like this? Here are some other authors we suggest you read/listen to:
- Michelle Porter
- Kaylynn Bayron
- Michelle Good
- Kim Johnson
