Marcie R. Rendon is an enrolled member of the White Earth Anishinabe Nation, known for her work as a writer and performance artist. Her literary contributions are deeply rooted in her Anishinabe heritage, offering readers profound insights into Indigenous experiences and traditions. Rendon's writing explores the complexities of life, family, and historical narratives, bringing a unique and authentic voice to contemporary literature. Her approach is characterized by a deep connection to storytelling, informed by her studies and artistic practice.
The story centers on the wisdom passed down through generations, encapsulated in the phrase "live a good life." It explores themes of cultural heritage, the importance of family, and the guidance of elders. Through the relationship between a grandmother and her granddaughter, the narrative emphasizes the significance of living with purpose and honor, reflecting on the values that shape one's identity and choices in life.
"In Anishinaabe Songs for a New Millennium, Marcie R. Rendon summons her ancestors' songs, and her poem-songs evoke the world still unfolding around us, reflecting our place in time for future generations. Bringing memory to life, the senses to attention, she breaks the boundaries that time would impose, carrying the Anishinaabe way of life forward in the world"--
Nothing in Renee Blackbear's world had prepared her for college or for the hurt that happens in the Twin Cities.
"A snowmelt has sent floodwaters down to the fields of the Red River Valley, dragging the body of an unidentified Native woman into the town of Ada. The only evidence the medical examiner recovers is a torn piece of paper inside her bra: a hymnal written in English and Ojibwe. Cash Blackbear, a 19-year-old Ojibwe woman, sometimes helps Sheriff Wheaton, her guardian, on his investigations. Now she knows her search for justice for this anonymous victim will take her to the White Earth Reservation, a place she once called home. When Cash happens upon two small graves in the yard of a rural, "speak-in-tongues kinda church," Cash is pulled into the lives of the malevolent pastor and his troubled wife while yet another Native woman dies in a mysterious manner"-- Provided by publisher
One Book, One Minnesota Selection for Summer 2021 Introducing Cash Blackbear, a young Ojibwe woman whose visions and grit help solve a brutal murder in this award-winning debut. 1970s, Red River Valley between North Dakota and Minnesota: Renee “Cash” Blackbear is 19 years old and tough as nails. She lives in Fargo, North Dakota, where she drives truck for local farmers, drinks beer, plays pool, and helps solve criminal investigations through the power of her visions. She has one friend, Sheriff Wheaton, her guardian, who helped her out of the broken foster care system. One Saturday morning, Sheriff Wheaton is called to investigate a pile of rags in a field and finds the body of an Indian man. When Cash dreams about the dead man’s weathered house on the Red Lake Reservation, she knows that’s the place to start looking for answers. Together, Cash and Wheaton work to solve a murder that stretches across cultures in a rural community traumatized by racism, genocide, and oppression.