COMIC RELIEF: JULIE DOUCET | COLTEN BOUSHIE INSPIRES FILM Spring 2020 | Vol. 34 No. 1 COMBINGCOMBING THROUGH THROUGH BLACKBLACK BEAUTYBEAUTY CULTURECULTURE THE WITCHY POLITICS OF TAROT $6.75 CAD/USD Publications Mail Agreement No. 40008866 Aren’t they worth it? Canadian families spend almost one-quarter of their income on child care. Enough is enough. We need affordable, accessible, quality child care for all. PSAC Full Fall-17.indd 1 2017-08-18 10:36 AM SPRING 2020 | VOLUME 34 NO. 1 news HOW KENYAN GIRLS CHANGED THIER WORLD . 6 by Amanda Le Rougetel NEEDS OF YOUNG WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES OVERLOOKED . 7 by Sandhya Singh FILM EXPLORES LEGACY OF COLTEN BOUSHIE . 9 by Doreen Nicoll 9 features COMBING THROUGH BLACK BEAUTY CULTURE . 12 Black hair is political. Whether it’s intention- ally worn as a political statement, or it becomes political based on assumptions of a white- dominant culture, Black hair is never just hair. Cheryl Thompson’s book Beauty in a Box: Detangling the Roots of Canada’s Black Beauty Culture is a fascinating story of history, culture 16 and Black feminist politics. by Cicely-Belle Blain WITCHES OF THE WORLD UNITE . 16 There’s a witchy aesthetic sweeping through feminist circles, and according to astrologers, tarot practitioners and members of a witch collective, it’s no surprise, given these times of impending climate crisis and ever-expanding enclosures of capitalism. by Andi Schwartz DIRTY PLOTTE . 22 The Frenetic Feminism of Julie Doucet Quebec comic creator Julie Doucet has carved out a legacy as an artist who kicked open doors 22 to explore gender and satirize social taboos. by Nyala V. Ali HERIZONS SPRING 2020 1 arts & ideas MAGAZINE INK MANAGING EDITOR: Penni Mitchell BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Ghislaine Alleyne, Penni Mitchell, Kemlin Nembhard, Valerie Regehr EDITORIAL COMMITTEE: Ghislaine Alleyne, Gio Guzzi, Penni Mitchell, Kemlin Nembhard ADVERTISING SALES: Penni Mitchell (204) 774-6225 ACCOUNTANT: Sharon Pchajek DESIGN: inkubator.ca RETAIL INQUIRIES: Disticor (905) 619-6565 PROOFREADER: Sarah Ens 38 WEB DEVELOPER: Shawn Sanders COVER PHOTO: Valentin Russanov/iStock MUSIC REVIEWS ............................... 28 HERIZONS is published four times per year by HERIZONS Night in the Park, Kiss in the Dark by Caveboy; Magazine Inc. in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. One-year Hey, I’m Just Like You by Tegan and Sara; I Disagree subscription price: $27.14 plus $1.36 GST = $28.50 in Canada. Subscriptions to U.S. add $6. International subscriptions add $8. by Poppy Cheques are payable to: HERIZONS, PO Box 128, Winnipeg, MB, by Alison Lang and Kate Sloan Canada R3C 2G1. SPRING READING .............................. 30 Phone Orders: (204) 774-6225 Subscribe online at www.herizons.ca Rue des Rosiers by Rhea Tregebov; The Hard Tomorrow by Eleanor Davis; Feel Free by Zadie SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES: [email protected] EDITORIAL INQUIRIES: [email protected] Smith; Paper Houses by Dominique Fortier; My Year ADVERTISING INQUIRIES: [email protected] of Living Spiritually by Anne Bokma; A Song for You: WEBSITE: www.herizons.ca My Life with Whitney Houston by Robyn Crawford; HERIZONS is indexed in the Canadian Periodical Index and heard The Selfie Generation: How Our Self-Images Are on Voiceprint. Changing Our Notions of Privacy, Sex, Consent, and GST #131089187. ISSN 0711-7485. Culture by Alicia Eler; Four Unruly Women by Ted McCoy; Thicket by Melanie Janisse-Barlow The purpose of HERIZONS is to empower women; to inspire hope and foster a state of wellness that enriches women’s lives; to build awareness of issues impacted by gender; to promote the strength, FILM REVIEWS . 38 wisdom and creativity of women; to broaden the boundaries of What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael; Retrospekt; feminism to include building coalitions and support among other We Are Not Princesses marginalized people; to foster peace and ecological awareness; and to expand the influence of feminist principles in the world. by Maureen Medved HERIZONS aims to reflect a feminist philosophy that is diverse, understandable and relevant to women’s daily lives. Views expressed in HERIZONS are those of the writers and do not columns necessarily reflect HERIZONS’ editorial policy. No material may be reprinted without permission. Due to limited resources, HERIZONS does not accept poetry or fiction submissions. GIVING BIRTH WHILE INDIGENOUS ................ 5 by Lianne Leddy Funded by the Government of Canada TRUTH AND WRECKCONCILIATION ............... 11 With the generous support of by Judy Rebick the Manitoba Arts Council. Publications Mail Agreement No. 40008866. Return Undeliverable #METOO: IT’S A MOVEMENT, NOT A VERB ......... 27 Addresses to: PO Box 128, Winnipeg, MB, Canada R3C 2G1. by Kate Sloan Email: [email protected] Herizons is printed using union RESPONSE TO COVID CRISIS MUST labour at Sun Media, Commercial INCLUDE GREEN PLAN .......................... 40 Print, Winnipeg, on Forest by Penni Mitchell Stewardship Council®-certified paper. 2 SPRING 2020 HERIZONS contributors ANDI their lived experience as a Black, has written for Herizons on issues SCHWARTZ queer artist, community builder, related to race, gender, disability Andi Schwartz intersectional feminist and Black and workers’ rights. Originally is a writer, editor liberation activist. from Guyana, Sandhya makes and Gender and her home in Ottawa. She writes Women’s Studies PhD candi- about a new study on girls and date. Her writing has appeared LIANNE young women with disabilities in in Xtra, Herizons, GUTS, Flare, LEDDY this issue. Shameless and more. She lives Lianne Leddy in Toronto with her fur babies, (Anishinaabe) Franny and Zooey. Don’t miss is an assistant DOREEN her article on feminism, tarot and professor of Indigenous studies NICOLL magic in this issue. at Wilfrid Laurier University. She Doreen Nicoll writes about environmental and has written for gender issues as they pertain to The Anvil, Raise BONNIE Indigenous communities. You can the Hammer, Rabble and NOW SHERR KLEIN read Lianne’s column “Giving Birth Magazine. A high school teacher, Bonnie Klein is a While Indigenous” on page 5. Doreen is a community activist feminist film- working to end poverty, hunger, maker, author and the commodification of water and disability rights activist. Her most LIN gendered violence. Doreen writes recent film is Shameless: The ART GIBSON about Tasha Hubbard’s personal of Disability (2006). Bonnie was Lin Gibson is and evocative film nîpawista- invested as an Officer of the Order a freelance mâsowin: We Will Stand Up in of Canada in 2012. Her review of editor, writer and this issue. Rhea Tregebov’s novel Rue des literacy tutor who has worked Rosiers is in this issue. in social services and in the film and television industry. A former SYLVIA Winnipegger, Lin lives in Toronto, SANTIAGO CHERYL where she spends time at her Sylvia Santiago is THOMPSON local coffee shop, and hanging out a school librarian Cheryl Thompson with her dog, Lola. by day, a writer is an assistant by night and a music enthusiast professor at all the time. Her writing has been Ryerson University in the School NYALA V. published in subTerrain, Ricepaper, of Creative Industries. She ALI Frogpond and A Hundred Gourds. is author of Beauty in a Box: Nyala V. Ali Sylvia’s review of Zadie Smith’s Detangling the Roots of Canada’s is a freelance latest book, Feel Free, appears in Black Beauty Culture. Cheryl’s editor and this issue. review of The Selfie Generation: comics journalist. She holds an How Our Self-Images Are MA in cultural studies from the Changing Our Notions of Privacy, University of Winnipeg, where WENDY Sex, Consent, and Culture she has taught about comic and JUDITH appears in our reviews section. graphic novel adaptations. Nyala’s CUTLER work has been published in the Wendy Judith Winnipeg Free Press and on the Cutler is a teacher, CICELY-BELLE Eisner-nominated online magazine writer and lesbian-feminist BLAIN Women Write About Comics. activist residing on Salt Spring Cicely Belle Blain Island (Tsawout First Nation). is a diversity She co-authored Writing Alone and inclusion SANDHYA Together: Journalling in a Circle of consultant, activist and writer. A SINGH Women for Creativity, Compassion co-founder of Black Lives Matter Sandhya Singh and Connection and contributed Vancouver, Cicely-Belle’s work is a freelance to and edited Finding Home: is informed by their professional writer, editor and Collected Stories of Salt Spring and academic background and communications consultant. She Island Circles of Women. HERIZONS SPRING 2020 3 Isn’t it about time you subscribed to Herizons? NEW: Digital Archives Herizons delivers: Subscribe online to Herizons today and receive instant access to Herizons Digital Archives. Interviews with leading Read 25 years of Canadian feminist activism feminists, musicians recorded in the pages of Herizons since 1992. and authors www.herizons.ca Inspiring feminist news and informed analysis Or mail in your subscription order to PO Box Columns on social 128 Stn. Main, Winnipeg, MB, R3C 2G1. 1 year $28.50 justice issues 2 years $45.99 3 years $59.99 (save 30%) Must-read books and more Over 25 years as a respected feminist forum in Canada Herizons Subscribe for Herizons (full page).indd 1 2019-09-13 3:09 PM FIRST WORD BY LIANNE LEDDY GIVING BIRTH WHILE INDIGENOUS When my daughter was born severely underweight at In their accompanying Calls for Justice, the Inquiry almost 37 weeks’ gestation, health care professionals and demanded “an immediate end to the practice of targeting technicians asked me no fewer than four times whether I and apprehending infants (hospital alerts or birth alerts) smoked. When I said no, one person pressed further with, from Indigenous mothers right after they give birth.” The “Are you sure?” practice of birth alerts, whereby healthcare professionals Struggling to walk in my hospital robe, post- are alerted by social workers about mothers they deem to Caesarian section, wearing neither makeup nor a be high risk, is controversial.