We are so excited to announce that the first book in our book club, (book for the month of June), will be ‘Love After the End’ by Joshua Whitehead!

This novel is an anthology of short stories written from the perspectives of LGBTQ2S+ Indigenous individuals, all of which are centered within universes of ‘utopias and dystopias’. This book is able to expand the realms of ‘Indigiqueer’ fiction, while bringing in a multitude of fresh and unique commentaries on what it means to be Indigenous in an ever-evolving world.

‘Love After the End’ was edited and written by Joshua Whitehead, but also includes contributions from Nathan Adler, Darcie Little Badger, Gabriel Castilloux Calderon, Adam Garnet Jones, Mari Kurisato, Kai Minosh Pyle, David Alexander Robertson, Jaye Simpson, and Nazbah Tom.

Joshua Whitehead is a Two-Spirit member of the Peguis First Nation, and has previously published books such as ‘Johnny Appleseed’ and ‘Full-metal Indigiqueer’. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Calgary, all the while working on his soon-to-be-released book, ‘Making Love with the Land’. Whitehead is known for his advocacy in regard to Indigenous peoples, as well as to those who identify as LGBTQ2S+.

Celia Marais: Commentary

After finishing ‘History of the New World’, I was left with a feeling of stunned appreciation. Not only was this one of the first times I had ever read about Indigenous characters within the realm of science fiction, this story also left me with a lot to think about.

Throughout the short story, questions are raised regarding whether or not colonization was integral in human exploration, if Indigeneity is one of the most unnecessarily underrepresented perspectives in climate change activism, and the degree to which governmental systems would be bettered + balanced if Indigeneity was placed in a position of high value - and traditional values were upheld without repression from external forces. While this story itself is short, it is able to seamlessly tackle the aforementioned topics in a way that is digestible yet comprehensive.

I felt as though the literary narrative was able to deconstruct so many layers of colonial perspectives on exploration and conquest, all the while meshing together the interconnected nature of Indigenous societies and Earth.

Not to mention how wonderful the LGBTQ2S+ representation was! Something I found particularly valuable was that this short story highlighted LGBTQ2S+ perseverance and success, as opposed to trauma and suffering. While it is subtle, I felt as though this was so much more refreshing and empowering - as directly contrasted to the frequent public trauma exploitation of LGBTQ2S+ individuals in media.

In conclusion, this short story was able to navigate the fluidity that exists between ‘Indigiqueer’ individuals and their connection to Earth, all the while evaluating complex concepts regarding Indigenous futurism and what this means in the context of a rapidly changing climate and planet.