Metis woman gained fame as author
Halfbreed was start of career
When Maria Campbell dropped out of school at the age of 12, it was the first in a series of life-changing moments that would lead her down a difficult path.
Despite the challenges that followed, Campbell went on to write one of the most highly regarded works of Metis literature.
One of the first books to challenge stereotypes of indigenous women, Campbell’s memoir, Halfbreed, documents the discrimination and poverty she faced growing up as a Metis woman in Canada.
Born in Park Valley, Sask., on April 26, 1940, she was the oldest of eight children. At age 12 she dropped out of school to help her father raise her siblings after her mother died. In an effort to keep her family together, she married a non-indigenous man at age 15, but the relationship quickly turned abusive and she lost her siblings to the foster care system.
Abandoned by her husband after moving to Vancouver, she fell into a life of drugs, alcohol and prostitution.
After being hospitalized for a nervous breakdown, Campbell joined Alcoholics Anonymous and then wrote Halfbreed as a way to keep off the streets.
Published in 1973, the book is now used in numerous high schools, women’s studies, indigenous studies and Canadian literature courses and it was chosen by the National Post as one of the top 20 books of the century in 1999.
Campbell went on to publish seven books, write magazine articles, films and plays, she has been a guest speaker at several conferences and universities across Canada and has been a writer-in-residence and visiting professor at various Canadian institutions, leaving an impression all along the way.
But Halfbreed remains one her most significant contributions to the country and to the education of the general public about the Metis of Canada — cited as a catalyst for the resurgence of Metis cultural pride and awareness.
She currently works as a cultural adviser and sessional lecturer at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon.
As we celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday in 2017, the Leader-Post and StarPhoenix are telling the stories of
150 Saskatchewan people who helped shape the nation. Send your suggestions or feedback to sask150 @postmedia.com.