The Memoirs of Miss Chief Eagle Testickle: Vol. 1: A True and Exact Accounting of the History of Turtle Island - Hardcover

by Kent Monkman (Author), Gis鑞e Gordon (Author)

INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER

From global art superstar Kent Monkman and his long-time collaborator Gis鑞e Gordon, a transformational work of true stories and imagined history that will remake readers' understanding of the land called North America.

For decades, the singular and provocative paintings by Cree artist Kent Monkman have featured a recurring character--an alter ego of sorts, a shape-shifting, time-travelling elemental being named Miss Chief Eagle Testickle. Though we have glimpsed her across the years in films and on countless canvases, it is finally time to hear her story, in her own words. And, in doing so, to hear the whole history of Turtle Island anew. The Memoirs of Miss Chief Eagle Testickle: A True and Exact Accounting of the History of Turtle Island is a genre-demolishing work of genius, the imagined history of a legendary figure through which profound truths emerge--a deeply Cree and gloriously queer understanding of our shared world, its past, its present, and its possibilities.

Volume One, which covers the period from the creation of the universe to the confederation of Canada, follows Miss Chief as she moves through time, from a complex lived experience of Cree cosmology to the arrival of European settlers, many of whom will be familiar to students of history. An open-hearted being, she tries to live among those settlers, and guide them to a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of all beings and the world itself. As their numbers grow, though, so does conflict, and Miss Chief begins to understand that the challenges posed by the hordes of newly arrived Europeans will mean ever greater danger for her, her people, and, by extension, all of the world she cherishes.

Blending history, fiction, and memoir in bold new ways, The Memoirs of Miss Chief Eagle Testickle are unlike anything published before. And in their power to reshape our shared understanding, they promise to change the way we see everything that lies ahead.

Author Biography

KENT MONKMAN is a Cree visual artist who works with a variety of mediums, including painting, film/video, performance, and installation. His work has exhibited extensively across Canada and internationally. His current exhibition, Shame and Prejudice: A Story of Resilience will tour across Canada until 2020.

GISELE GORDON is a writer and media artist. Her solo media work includes the feature-length documentary, The Tunguska Project, and the video installations Crosscurrent and The Land that Dreams.

MONKMAN and GORDON have collaborated for two decades on writing and media art, including over a dozen short films, many of which feature Miss Chief Eagle Testickle.