Bad Cree

“Am I a bad Cree?” questions Mackenzie, the protagonist in Jessica Johns’ gripping debut novel. Published by Scribe Publications in February 2023, Bad Cree is a story about a young Cree woman who is plagued by unresolved trauma stemming from the loss of her sister’s death and the subsequent journey of self-discovery to find the answers she yearns for.

When Mackenzie wakes up with a severed crow’s head in her hands, she (rightfully) panics. Every night, dreams haunt her, and every day, an ominous murder of crows gather and lurk above her. The psychology of dream and memory blur when Mackenzie begins to recall the tragic untimely death of her sister Sabrina at the family’s lakefront campsite. In one worrying dream, Mackenzie almost drowns and wakes to find her phone saturated. Perplexed that she “took” her phone into the dream, she is left even more puzzled when the phone begins working again, and she receives a mysterious text message from someone claiming to be Sabrina.

After much urging by Joli, Mackenzie’s best friend, she seeks guidance from her mother and aunties. “Listen, my girl. This is serious. These dreams, the crows. It’s all telling you something. You need to listen,” is Aunty Doreen’s advice. The thought of returning home terrifies Mackenzie, but she doesn’t want to put her family in danger.

Bad Cree eloquently weaves Cree culture throughout the book, and it is fascinating to learn about their innate connection to land, nature, spirituality and the afterlife. Jessica Johns, a Nehiyaw aunty and member of Sucker Creek First Nation in Treaty 8 territory in Northern Alberta, brings to life this culture so vividly. Through unpretentious and emotive prose, Jessica Johns crafts a story of love, loss and grief. Her writing has been featured in many literary magazines, and her short story Bad Cree, was the winner of the 2020 Writers’ Trust McClelland & Stewart Journey Prize.

Bad Cree is a terrific page-turner and a book that won’t disappoint. It is available now and can be purchased below.

Bad Cree
Available now