Dragonfly
by Annette Vermette

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Maya couldn’t quite put into words the feelings she was experiencing as she and her father walked along the tree edge looking for berries and nutrients from the plants. Was it the fact that she had missed the soft, moist earth beneath her feet? She considered that the Universe was guiding her towards a renewed way of living. Twenty-seven-year-old Maya has been released from prison for the third time since she was seventeen, and this time she knows things have got to change. From her family cabin in the woods of Northern Ontario, she starts to process and heal from past wounds. For the first time in her life, she becomes aware of the systemic injustices that lead to the criminalization and imprisonment of Indigenous women like herself, and to know that she is not alone is at once comforting and deeply troubling. She is introduced to community members who assist her on her healing journey; she takes an interest in her cousin’s legal woes, but in the wake of so much trauma, Maya becomes fearful. Curious rustlings play at the edges of her consciousness, and she can’t shake the feeling that she is being watched, that helping other women may come at a price. An ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a profound meditation on trauma, ancestral wisdom, familial bonds, and empowerment in the face of adversity, Dragonfly reminds us of all the lessons nature and history can teach us. Most importantly, Vermette assures us that on the other side of tremendous suffering, there is always a renewed way of living.

annettevermetteauthor.ca

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As a social worker in numerous communities in Northern Ontario, Annette Vermette has been instrumental in guiding Indigenous women to seek non-traditional methods of defending themselves when confronted with the law. Her writing is informed by her two degrees—social work and Indigenous studies—her work experience, and her Métis heritage. Annette lives in Sudbury, where she and her spouse work together as a team renovating houses, which they always aim to restore to their original glory. Other creative projects include sewing, quilting, gardening, and decorating. She lives with her spouse and two cats, who have a calming effect on her spirit, and who bring her much laughter and insight. Her adult children live nearby, and her grandchildren are her pride and joy.

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Contributors

Author

Annette Vermette

Cover Design by

Jessica Somers

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