With a Name Like Chief

Reflections on Recovery and Identity Through the Seven Sacred Teachings

Kevin Chief author Stu Slayen author Leticia Spence illustrator

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Portage & Main Press

Published:15th Oct '26

£14.99

Available to order, but very limited on stock - if we have issues obtaining a copy, we will let you know.

With a Name Like Chief cover

In this honest and hopeful memoir, Kevin Chief shares the struggles and triumphs of his journey from growing up in Winnipeg's North End to becoming a respected leader, politician, and advocate.

Community leader and former Manitoba MLA, Kevin Chief shares his story of strength, resilience, recovery, and identity.

In With a Name Like Chief, Kevin frankly and honestly recounts growing up in poverty in Winnipeg’s North End, navigating the challenges of growing up in a single-parent home with his alcoholic father, becoming an MVP basketball star and captain of his university team, overcoming his own alcohol addiction to find recovery, and being elected to the Manitoba legislature twice.

Along the way, Kevin shares how many educators and mentors helped him succeed, as well as insights into how the Seven Teachings of the Anishinaabe have guided his addiction recovery and helped him gain a sense of his identity.

This memoir will resonate with readers interested in stories about personal growth and the transformative power of community. Foreword provided by Phil Fontaine, OC, OM.

While it might seem like this book should be fairly melancholic, every page is steeped in gratitude. This is not a difficult book to devour in a day or two, but it will likely linger in the minds and hearts of readers for days or weeks afterward. The heaviness of the subject matter is well-balanced by Chief’s positive tone, while the short, easy-to-read chapters and plain language belie the depth of his observations and life lessons.

* Winnipeg Free Press *

Among 49th Shelf's New Life Stories: Biography and Memoir List.

* 49th Shelf *

Among National Post’s Three new Canadian memoirs that will restore your faith in humanity List

* National Post *

This is a visceral and inspiring memoir exploring Indigenous identity and the arduous path to recovery. Growing up in Winnipeg’s North End, Chief navigated the complexities of his father’s alcoholism and his own MVP basketball career before confronting his addiction. Utilizing the Seven Sacred Teachings—humility, wisdom, respect, honesty, truth, courage, and love—as a framework, he reflects on his journey toward sobriety and reclaiming his Anishinaabe heritage. ­VERDICT This honest account of resilience is an excellent read for teens seeking ­authentic narratives on ­overcoming trauma.

* School Library Journ

ISBN: 9781774921968

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: 317g

200 pages