Darrel J. McLeod, award-winning Cree author and educator, dies at 67

Darrel J. McLeod, the Cree writer and educator whose candid memoirs enraptured readers with his honest vignettes of adversity and resilience, died this week in Victoria, B.C. He was 67. 
Douglas & McIntyre, McLeod’s publisher, confirmed his death to the Star on Friday. The publishing house did not provide a cause of death, but said McLeod died “after a very sudden illness.” McLeod’s nephew, Joey Schroeder, also shared news of his uncle’s death in a Facebook post on Thursday. 
In his pair of celebrated memoirs, McLeod painted a vivid portrait of his life, beginning with his childhood on Treaty 8 territory in northern Alberta and continuing through to his career as an educator, land claims negotiator and author. Direct and forthright, he shared stories of hope, optimism and unyielding perseverance, offering a glimpse into life as an Indigenous person growing up in rural Canada. 
“Darrel was the most humane, resilient, compassionate and deeply curious authors I’ve had the honour to know and work with for over 10 years,” said Corina Eberle, his publicist, in a statement to the Star. “Not all authors become friends. Darrel did.” 
McLeod’s debut memoir, “Mamaskatch: A Cree Coming of Age,” was acclaimed by the Canadian literary community and thrust him into the national spotlight. Published in 2018, the book detailed his life as a youth in the Prairies, including his coming to terms with childhood physical and sexual abuse. The memoir won the prestigious Governor General’s Literary Award for Nonfiction that year and was also shortlisted for the RBC Taylor Prize in 2019. 
Following the success of “Mamaskatch,” McLeod published his second memoir, “Peyakow,” in 2021. This followup book recounted McLeod’s steely determination as he reckoned with his turbulent upbringing, all while setting out on his professional career. 
In both memoirs, a recurring theme was his longing to reconnect with his Indigenous roots. “Because of the collapse of my nuclear and extended family, as well as personal and family dysfunctionality, I ended up moving through many key passages of life alone,” said McLeod in a 2021 interview with Alberta Native News. 
“It was not my intent to deal with themes as explicitly as I did, chapter by chapter,” he added, “but I ended up addressing youth suicide; the long-term impact of residential schools on one Indigenous community in B.C.; poverty; the underfunding of Indigenous social programs; racial discrimination in the workplace; the tremendous challenges faced by Indigenous youth to acquire post-secondary education and then make their way ahead in the workplace (having to work twice as hard to be considered half as good as white colleagues); government corruption; the tremendous struggle to advance Indigenous rights on the international stage; and finally, the cultivation of an attitude of optimism and joy despite all of this.”
After studying education and French literature at the University of British Columbia when he was younger, McLeod spent much of his career in education, both as a French immersion teacher and as a school principal. He also worked as a land claims negotiator for the federal government and as an executive with the Assembly of First Nations. It was only after his retirement that McLeod started to write professionally. 
“He was one of the kindest, gentlest people and always took the time to chat. Just being in his presence made you feel better,” said Deborah Dundas, Toronto Star opinions editor and longtime books editor. “He was keen to share his stories — and was very generous with his words and time. And it wasn’t always easy. When I asked him to share his thoughts when the 215 children’s bodies were found in Kamloops, he sent me personal family photos and a beautiful piece, outlining the impact of residential schools — and the genocide his people suffered.”
McLeod rarely stopped learning and evolving. After the success of his two memoirs, McLeod pivoted to fiction writing, publishing his debut novel and most recent book, “A Season in Chezgh’un,” last year. Besides writing, he was also an accomplished jazz singer and a polyglot, fluent in English, Spanish and French, and learning Cree.