My Conversations with Canadians (BookThug)­—the latest book by Indigenous author, poet and academic Lee Maracle—responds to questions that Maracle has faced during her prolific career, particularly at readings and conferences. Rather than directly answering the often ignorant or deliberately inflammatory remarks that have stuck with her over the years, she sprawls and meanders, drawing from personal experience, Canadian history, anecdotes and parables, current events, the wisdom of her friends and heroes, natural science and innumerable other sources, ultimately providing layered, thorough answers that are particularly relevant this year, as many Canadians consider what it means to celebrate the nation’s so-called 150th birthday. Her intended audience shifts from the individuals who initially asked the questions, to the Canadian populace as a whole, to fellow Indigenous people to whom she wishes to offer guidance. Maracle dissects the very structure of the questions she’s faced in order to illustrate ...