Darrel J. McLeod

Darrel J McLeod is Nehiyaw (Cree) from Northern Canada, Treaty 8.
(July 13, 1957 – August 29, 2024)

His first memoir Mamaskatch: A Cree Coming of Age won the 2018 Governor General’s prize for non-fiction and was shortlisted for many other prestigious prizes, as was its sequel, Peyakow: Reclaiming Cree Dignity. Darrel’s first novel, A Season in Chezgh’un was published in September 2023. McLeod has been a French immersion teacher, School Principal, Director of a curriculum center, Executive Director of Education and International Affairs at the Assembly of First Nations, and Chief Negotiator for the Government of Canada. Darrel is fluent is French, Spanish as well as English, and is studying Cree. He lives near Sooke and winters in Puerto Vallarta. He is also an accomplished jazz singer.