Mamaskatch
A Cree Coming of Age
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wish list failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy Now for $31.26
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
William C. Wikcemna Yamni ake Wanzi
-
Written by:
-
Darrel J. McLeod
About this listen
Growing up in the tiny village of Smith, Alberta, Darrel J. McLeod was surrounded by his Cree family's history. In shifting and unpredictable stories, his mother, Bertha, shared narratives of their culture, their family, and the cruelty that she and her sisters endured in residential school. McLeod was comforted by her presence and that of his many siblings and cousins, the smells of moose stew and wild peppermint tea, and his deep love of the landscape. Bertha taught him to be fiercely proud of his heritage and to listen to the birds that would return to watch over and guide him at key junctures of his life.
However, in a spiral of events, Darrel's mother turned wild and unstable, and their home life became chaotic. Sweet and innocent by nature, Darrel struggled to maintain his grades and pursue an interest in music while changing homes many times, witnessing violence, caring for his younger siblings and suffering abuse at the hands of his surrogate father. Meanwhile, his sibling's gender transition provoked Darrel to deeply question his own sexual identity.
The fractured narrative of Mamaskatch mirrors Bertha's attempts to reckon with the trauma and abuse she faced in her own life, and captures an intensely moving portrait of a family of strong personalities, deep ties, and the shared history that both binds and haunts them.
Beautifully written, honest and thought-provoking, Mamaskatch - named for the Cree word used as a response to dreams shared - is ultimately an uplifting account of overcoming personal and societal obstacles. In spite of the traumas of Darrel's childhood, deep and mysterious forces handed down by his mother helped him survive and thrive: her love and strength stayed with him to build the foundation of what would come to be a very fulfilling and adventurous life.
Cover design courtesy of Douglas & McIntyre, (2013) Ltd.
©2018 Darrel J. McLeod (P)2018 Audible, Inc.You may also enjoy...
-
Peyakow
- Reclaiming Cree Dignity
- Written by: Darrel J. McLeod
- Narrated by: William C. Wikcemna Yamni ake
- Length: 8 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Brutally frank but buoyed throughout by McLeod’s unquenchable spirit, Peyakow - a title borrowed from the Cree word for “one who walks alone” - is an inspiring account of triumph against unimaginable odds. McLeod’s perspective as someone whose career path has crossed both sides of the Indigenous/White chasm resonates with particular force in today’s Canada.
-
-
Compelling narrative
- By Margaret Michaels on 2022-06-20
Written by: Darrel J. McLeod
-
The Great River
- The Making and Unmaking of the Mississippi
- Written by: Boyce Upholt
- Narrated by: Gabriel Vaughan
- Length: 10 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Over thousands of years, the Mississippi watershed was home to millions of Indigenous people who regarded "the great river" with awe and respect, adorning its banks with astonishing spiritual earthworks. But European settlers and American pioneers had a different vision: the river was a foe to conquer. In this landmark work of natural history, Boyce Upholt tells the epic story of human attempts to own and contain the Mississippi River, from Thomas Jefferson's expansionist land hunger through today's era of environmental concern
Written by: Boyce Upholt
-
Him Standing
- Written by: Richard Wagamese
- Narrated by: Billy Merasty
- Length: 2 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Lucas Smoke learns the Ojibway art of carving from his grandfather, he proves to be a natural. He can literally make people come to life in wood. Then Lucas’s growing reputation attracts a mysterious stranger, who offers him a large advance to carve a spirit mask. This mask is to represent the master, but Lucas must find its face in his dreams. As his dreams become more and more disturbing, he feels himself changing. And the mask takes control of his life. Then an encounter with an old woman introduces him to the identity of the master: an ancient sorcerer named Him Standing.
-
-
A wonderful story
- By Amazon Customer on 2023-09-30
Written by: Richard Wagamese
-
Red River Girl
- The Life and Death of Tina Fontaine
- Written by: Joanna Jolly
- Narrated by: Penelope Rawlins
- Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On August 17, 2014, the body of 15-year old runaway Tina Fontaine was found in Winnipeg's Red River. It was wrapped in material and weighted down with rocks. Red River Girl is a gripping account of that murder investigation and the unusual police detective who pursued the killer with every legal means at his disposal. The audiobook, like the movie Spotlight, chronicles the behind-the-scenes stages of a lengthy and meticulously planned investigation. It reveals characters and social tensions that bring vivid life to a story that made national headlines.
-
-
Hard to Hear but Important
- By Trillium25 on 2020-07-14
Written by: Joanna Jolly
-
My Mother, Munchausen's and Me
- A True Story of Betrayal and a Shocking Family Secret
- Written by: Helen Naylor
- Narrated by: Helen Naylor
- Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ten years ago, Helen Naylor discovered her mother, Elinor, had been faking debilitating illnesses for 30 years. After Elinor’s self-induced death, Helen found her diaries, which Elinor wrote daily for more than 50 years. The diaries reveal not only the inner workings of Elinor’s twisted mind and self-delusion, but also shocking revelations about Helen’s childhood. Everything Helen knew about herself and her upbringing was founded on a lie.
-
-
Unique story
- By Roberta W on 2024-02-02
Written by: Helen Naylor
-
Life in the City of Dirty Water
- A Memoir of Healing
- Written by: Clayton Thomas-Muller
- Narrated by: Clayton Thomas-Muller
- Length: 8 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There have been many Clayton Thomas-Mullers: The child who played with toy planes as an escape from domestic and sexual abuse, enduring the intergenerational trauma of Canada's residential school system; the angry youngster who defended himself with fists and sharp wit against racism and violence, at school and on the streets of Winnipeg and small-town British Columbia; the tough teenager who, at 17, managed a drug house run by members of his family, and slipped in and out of juvie, operating in a world of violence and pain.
-
-
Both insightful snd hopeful
- By Debra Ransom on 2024-10-09
Written by: Clayton Thomas-Muller
-
Peyakow
- Reclaiming Cree Dignity
- Written by: Darrel J. McLeod
- Narrated by: William C. Wikcemna Yamni ake
- Length: 8 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Brutally frank but buoyed throughout by McLeod’s unquenchable spirit, Peyakow - a title borrowed from the Cree word for “one who walks alone” - is an inspiring account of triumph against unimaginable odds. McLeod’s perspective as someone whose career path has crossed both sides of the Indigenous/White chasm resonates with particular force in today’s Canada.
-
-
Compelling narrative
- By Margaret Michaels on 2022-06-20
Written by: Darrel J. McLeod
-
The Great River
- The Making and Unmaking of the Mississippi
- Written by: Boyce Upholt
- Narrated by: Gabriel Vaughan
- Length: 10 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Over thousands of years, the Mississippi watershed was home to millions of Indigenous people who regarded "the great river" with awe and respect, adorning its banks with astonishing spiritual earthworks. But European settlers and American pioneers had a different vision: the river was a foe to conquer. In this landmark work of natural history, Boyce Upholt tells the epic story of human attempts to own and contain the Mississippi River, from Thomas Jefferson's expansionist land hunger through today's era of environmental concern
Written by: Boyce Upholt
-
Him Standing
- Written by: Richard Wagamese
- Narrated by: Billy Merasty
- Length: 2 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Lucas Smoke learns the Ojibway art of carving from his grandfather, he proves to be a natural. He can literally make people come to life in wood. Then Lucas’s growing reputation attracts a mysterious stranger, who offers him a large advance to carve a spirit mask. This mask is to represent the master, but Lucas must find its face in his dreams. As his dreams become more and more disturbing, he feels himself changing. And the mask takes control of his life. Then an encounter with an old woman introduces him to the identity of the master: an ancient sorcerer named Him Standing.
-
-
A wonderful story
- By Amazon Customer on 2023-09-30
Written by: Richard Wagamese
-
Red River Girl
- The Life and Death of Tina Fontaine
- Written by: Joanna Jolly
- Narrated by: Penelope Rawlins
- Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On August 17, 2014, the body of 15-year old runaway Tina Fontaine was found in Winnipeg's Red River. It was wrapped in material and weighted down with rocks. Red River Girl is a gripping account of that murder investigation and the unusual police detective who pursued the killer with every legal means at his disposal. The audiobook, like the movie Spotlight, chronicles the behind-the-scenes stages of a lengthy and meticulously planned investigation. It reveals characters and social tensions that bring vivid life to a story that made national headlines.
-
-
Hard to Hear but Important
- By Trillium25 on 2020-07-14
Written by: Joanna Jolly
-
My Mother, Munchausen's and Me
- A True Story of Betrayal and a Shocking Family Secret
- Written by: Helen Naylor
- Narrated by: Helen Naylor
- Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ten years ago, Helen Naylor discovered her mother, Elinor, had been faking debilitating illnesses for 30 years. After Elinor’s self-induced death, Helen found her diaries, which Elinor wrote daily for more than 50 years. The diaries reveal not only the inner workings of Elinor’s twisted mind and self-delusion, but also shocking revelations about Helen’s childhood. Everything Helen knew about herself and her upbringing was founded on a lie.
-
-
Unique story
- By Roberta W on 2024-02-02
Written by: Helen Naylor
-
Life in the City of Dirty Water
- A Memoir of Healing
- Written by: Clayton Thomas-Muller
- Narrated by: Clayton Thomas-Muller
- Length: 8 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There have been many Clayton Thomas-Mullers: The child who played with toy planes as an escape from domestic and sexual abuse, enduring the intergenerational trauma of Canada's residential school system; the angry youngster who defended himself with fists and sharp wit against racism and violence, at school and on the streets of Winnipeg and small-town British Columbia; the tough teenager who, at 17, managed a drug house run by members of his family, and slipped in and out of juvie, operating in a world of violence and pain.
-
-
Both insightful snd hopeful
- By Debra Ransom on 2024-10-09
Written by: Clayton Thomas-Muller
-
Indian Horse
- A Novel
- Written by: Richard Wagamese
- Narrated by: Jason Ryll
- Length: 6 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Saul Indian Horse is in critical condition. Sitting feeble in an alcoholism treatment facility, he is told that sharing his story will help relieve his agony. Though skeptical, he embarks on a heartbreaking journey from the present - and into the woods of Northern Ontario, where his life began in a snowy Ojibway camp. The tale that follows is one of great pain and great determination from Richard Wagamese, an author who "never seems to waste a shot" ( New York Times).
-
-
Heart wrenching and Humbling
- By Anonymous User on 2018-11-11
Written by: Richard Wagamese
-
They Called Me Number One
- Secrets and Survival at an Indian Residential School
- Written by: Bev Sellars
- Narrated by: Bev Sellars
- Length: 7 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Like thousands of Aboriginal children in the United States, Canada, and elsewhere in the colonized world, Xatsu'll chief Bev Sellars spent part of her childhood as a student in a church-run residential school. These institutions endeavored to "civilize" Native children through Christian teachings; forced separation from family, language, and culture; and strict discipline. In this frank and poignant memoir of her years at St. Joseph's Mission, Sellars breaks her silence about the residential school's lasting effects on her and her family and eloquently articulates her own path to healing.
-
-
Thank You!
- By Julia on 2019-02-23
Written by: Bev Sellars
-
Shut Up You’re Pretty
- Stories
- Written by: Téa Mutonji
- Narrated by: Jemeni
- Length: 4 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Téa Mutonji’s disarming debut story collection, a woman contemplates her Congolese traditions during a family wedding, a teenage girl looks for happiness inside a pack of cigarettes, a mother reconnects with her daughter through their shared interest in fish, and a young woman decides to shave her head in the waiting room of an abortion clinic. These punchy, sharply observed stories blur the lines between longing and choosing, exploring the narrator’s experience as an involuntary one.
-
-
Fantastic
- By Roberta W on 2024-02-28
Written by: Téa Mutonji
-
Truth Telling
- Seven Conversations About Indigenous Life in Canada
- Written by: Michelle Good
- Narrated by: Megan Tooley
- Length: 4 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With authority and insight, Truth Telling examines a wide range of Indigenous issues framed by Michelle Good’s personal experience and knowledge. From racism, broken treaties, and cultural pillaging, to the value of Indigenous lives and the importance of Indigenous literature, this collection reveals facts about Indigenous life in Canada that are both devastating and enlightening.
-
-
Excellent information
- By Deborah E Harcus on 2023-06-15
Written by: Michelle Good
-
Jonny Appleseed
- A Novel
- Written by: Joshua Whitehead
- Narrated by: Joshua Whitehead
- Length: 5 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A tour-de-force debut novel about a Two-Spirit Indigiqueer young man and proud NDN glitter princess who must reckon with his past when he returns home to his reserve. “You're gonna need a rock and a whole lotta medicine” is a mantra that Jonny Appleseed, a young Two-Spirit/Indigiqueer, repeats to himself in this vivid and utterly compelling debut novel by poet Joshua Whitehead.
-
-
Y gay?
- By Anonymous User on 2022-12-14
Written by: Joshua Whitehead
-
The Bullet Swallower
- A Novel
- Written by: Elizabeth Gonzalez James
- Narrated by: Lee Osorio
- Length: 9 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1895, Antonio Sonoro is the latest in a long line of ruthless men. He’s good with his gun and drawn to trouble but he’s also out of money and out of options. A drought has ravaged the town of Dorado, Mexico, where he lives with his wife and children, and so when he hears about a train laden with gold and other treasures, he sets off for Houston to rob it—with his younger brother Hugo in tow. But when the heist goes awry and Hugo is killed by the Texas Rangers, Antonio finds himself launched into a quest for revenge that endangers not only his life and his family, but his eternal soul.
-
-
This is my favourite book I’ve read it like 5 times now!
- By Q on 2024-09-21
Written by: Elizabeth Gonzalez James
Related Collections
What listeners say about Mamaskatch
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Norman
- 2023-02-28
Growing up native is not easy.
This was a very difficult read. Pressures of race, religion, sexual orientation, and a difficult family situation combine to make Darrel McLeod's life a living hell. Only the knowledge that he lived to write this memoir allowed me to finish it.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Chip
- 2022-07-24
Wonderful memoir in the vein of Angela’s Ashes
I had no idea what to expect when I started this book. But I can say I thoroughly enjoyed it. The point of view and timeline jumps around a bit at times, but it can’t imagine my own memoir would be linear.
I recommend this book.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- MiSs JaMiE
- 2019-08-11
Beautiful but sad story
Excellent audio book. Very sad story but beautiful. i always prefer when authors read their own stories tho but narrator was very good!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Joan Porter
- 2019-08-23
Interesting
An intimate view of one man's coming of age as a Cree in Canada in the 50s. Well written, at times difficult to read, but well worth the struggle.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 2021-01-16
Such a great book
I enjoyed this book, the story is told beautifully, moving through time in a nonlinear fashion and so well structured that I never felt lost. It's a book of deep honesty, great emotion, hope, and lasting grief. Beautiful.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Cake
- 2019-10-02
Recommended
I really enjoyed this story, it is truly a coming of age. There is a lot of sadness as well as a lot of humour
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Gillian Brass
- 2019-07-17
Why the southern accent?
Loved the story and book overall. However, the narration kept throwing me because I don’t picture a Cree from rural Alberta sounding like a southerner from the US. And the narration lilt kept changing from southerner to a mix of something else. It seemed out of place and strange which impacted my ability to fully integrate into the story.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Julia
- 2019-09-30
Love this book
I am so proud to be Cree. This book touched me in many ways. This book hits home.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 2022-09-17
Mamaskatch
Highly recommend this book. I found it very difficult to listen to at many times throughout this story. It’s very good to see the perspective of the child who has been affected by the Residential School. I cried many tears. Thank you Darrel for sharing
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Tracy Brown
- 2022-12-07
A must read for all Canadians
Heart wrenching and highly descriptive story. Although the details of his life are raw and uncomfortable to hear, it’s an eloquently written autobiography of a hard-lived life of discrimination & multitudes of abuse.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!