Half-Breed

This account, written by a young Métis woman, opens the door to a little-known world that coexists alongside Canadian society. Maria Campbell shares with the reader the joys, the sorrows, the love and the tragedies of her childhood in northern Saskatchewan.

One of the "Road Allowance people," Maria was a strong and sensitive child who lived in a community robbed of its pride and dignity by the surrounding white world. At 15, she tried in vain to escape by marrying a white man only to find herself trapped in the slums of Vancouver - a drug addict, prone to suicide, close to death. But she survives, inspired by her Cree great-grandmother, Cheechum, who gives her confidence in herself and in her people.

Campbell offers us an understanding of the Métis people and of the racism and hatred they face. Her story cannot be denied and it cannot be forgotten. It stands as a challenge to any Canadian who believes in human rights and human dignity.