Angeline Boulley talks Accountability and How it Influences Her Writing

Daybreak Star Radio’s Aiyana got the opportunity to sit down with author Angeline Boulley of the Sue Saint Marie Tribe of Chippawa Indians to discuss books and what is coming up next. Though she has always been skilled at writing, Angeline did not begin writing her first book until she was forty-four and took the next ten years to perfect Firekeeper’s Daughter before sending it out for publication. The idea for this book, however, came years earlier when Angeline was in high school.

During her senior year, a new boy joined her best friend at a different high school. One month before graduation there was a drug bust and it was revealed that the new boy was actually an undercover cop. This sparked the idea in Angeline about what would have happened if she had met him, or better yet if he had needed her help.

Angeline reveals that she has been a different writer for each of her books and therefore has had a different writing process. Firekeeper’s Daughter was mainly written in the early morning before her family woke up for the day. For Warrior Girl Unearthed her schedule was more open, but she found that her creativity struck most at night. She is currently working on her third book and has found that she spreads her writing out bit by bit during the day, writing some in the late morning and then again towards the evening.

When it comes to writer’s block, Angeline is no stranger, but she has found her own work around. For each of her books she has a journal where she plots out her book, notes her research and draws diagrams. When writer’s block hits, she goes back to her journal and reacquaints herself with her story and where the characters are at that point. If she is really stuck, she simply skips the chapter and moves on to help get her mind moving again.

In her books, much of her Ojibwe language is used. When she began the process of publication there was discussion around having a glossary of the words, but Angeline pushed against it. She wanted to center Ojibwe, and not mainstream society. Given context clues, a glossary wouldn’t be needed. This allows readers to sink more into her story and pay attention to the context happening around a conversation. She wants people to know that Indigenous people are still here in the world, living dynamic lives and having their own stories to tell.

For young Indigenous storytellers, Angeline urges you to write freely, write about whatever you want to write about. Writing is an expression of freedom. Find when your peak creative time is and carve out space to write. Do gut checks and use editing as a way to decide what cultural aspects you want to include within your story. People who come into the communities to try and mine our data and teachings and then tell our stories in their way, they don’t have that same accountability. Stories about our communities have to be told from that community. That is how you get authenticity.

Check out Firekeeper’s Daughter and Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley, and keep an eye out for her third book, coming soon!