Maria Campbell

Métis author, playwright, teacher, Elder and community worker Maria Campbell is a lifelong advocate and contributor to Indigenous and Canadian letters, arts, and politics.

In 1973, her groundbreaking autobiographical novel Halfbreed told the compelling story of a strong-willed woman who defeated poverty, racism, and alcohol and drug addiction by the age of 33. The book – about courage, integrity, and healing – sparked public discourse and marked the emergence of Métis literature. 

Campbell’s other publications include People of the Buffalo: How the Plains Indians Lived (1976); Little Badger and the Fire Spirit (1977); Riel’s People (1978); Achimoona (an anthology, 1985); The Book of Jessica: A Theatrical Transformation (1989), co-authored with Linda Griffiths; and The Road Allowance People (1995). She has also written and directed plays, films, and videos. Campbell has been guest speaker at numerous conferences and universities across Canada, the United States and Australia on issues related to justice, women and youth in crisis, and community development. She has also been a visiting professor and writer-in-residence at various Canadian institutions.

An enduring theme of her work is the question of how people retain their identity when they have lost their homeland.