Lee Maracle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lee Maracle
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Maracle in 2009
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| Born | Marguerite Aline Carter July 2, 1950 North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
| Died | November 11, 2021 (aged 71) Surrey, British Columbia, Canada |
| Spouse | Raymond Bobb Dennis Maracle |
| Children | 3, including Columpa Bobb and Sid Bobb |
| Relatives | Chief Dan George (grandfather) |
Bobbi Lee Maracle (born Marguerite Aline Carter; July 2, 1950 – November 11, 2021) was an amazing Indigenous Canadian writer and teacher. She was a member of the Stó꞉lō nation. Lee Maracle wrote many books, stories, and poems. Her work often focused on the lives of Indigenous people, especially women, in North America today. She also taught at many universities.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Marguerite Aline Carter was born on July 2, 1950, in North Vancouver, British Columbia. Her nickname was "Lee." She was the granddaughter of Tsleil-Waututh Chief Dan George. Her mother, Jean (Croutze) Carter, mostly raised her.
Lee Maracle left school after grade 8. She traveled around North America, from California to Toronto. She did many different jobs, like making films and doing stand-up comedy. When she came back to Canada, she went to Simon Fraser University. In the 1970s, she joined the Red Power movement in Vancouver. This movement worked for the rights of Indigenous people.
Her Books and Stories
Lee Maracle's writing explored the experiences of Indigenous women. She wrote about challenging unfair ideas about women and different cultures. Her first book was her own life story, called Bobbi Lee: Indian Rebel. It came out in 1975. This book was one of the first books by an Indigenous writer published in Canada. It celebrates how Indigenous people have survived and stayed strong.
In 1988, she wrote I Am Woman. This book looked at how feminist ideas apply to Indigenous women. Her short story collection, Sojourner's Truth (1990), showed the daily lives of Indigenous people. It described how they dealt with a culture that focused mainly on European ideas. In 2019, she published a poetry book called Hope Matters. She wrote this book with her daughters, Columpa Bobb and Tania Carter.
Teaching and Academia
Lee Maracle helped start the En'owkin International School of Writing in Penticton, British Columbia. She was also the cultural director for the Centre for Indigenous Theatre in Toronto, Ontario, from 1998 to 2000.
She taught at many universities. These included the University of Toronto, University of Waterloo, and Southern Oregon University. She was also a professor of Canadian culture at Western Washington University. Later, she lived in Toronto and taught at the University of Toronto First Nations House. She was also a writer-in-residence at the University of Guelph.
Her Family Life
Lee Maracle was part of the Stó꞉lō nation. She also had Salish and Cree family roots. Some people also described her as Métis. She was married to Raymond Bobb and later to Aiyyana Maracle. With Raymond, she had two daughters, including Columpa Bobb, and one son, the actor Sid Bobb.
Lee Maracle passed away on November 11, 2021. She died at Surrey Memorial Hospital in Surrey, British Columbia.
Awards and Special Recognition
Lee Maracle received many awards for her important work. In 2018, she was named an officer of the Order of Canada. This is one of the highest honors a Canadian can receive. In 2017, she won the Bonham Centre Award from the University of Toronto. She also gave the 2021 Margaret Laurence Lecture, sharing her thoughts on "A Writing Life." In 2020, she was a finalist for the Neustadt International Prize for her book "Celia's Song."
See also
- List of University of Waterloo people
