BETWEEN THE PIPES

A wholesome story about self-acceptance.

Cree teenager Chase has two close friends, Kevin and Jade. His homophobic hockey teammate Leo continually picks on him for hanging out with Kevin, calling them boyfriends. School is hard enough already—add in feeling different from the other boys, and for Chase, it’s too much. He distances himself from Kevin and starts hanging out more with Jade, even trying to kiss her just to fit in. When the hockey team learns that a scout is coming to see them play, Chase decides to focus wholeheartedly on sports. As he pushes his friends away and lashes out at his grandmother, isolating himself, everything comes to a boiling point. The story focuses on Chase’s internal conflict: He dreams of a giant, imposing bear (which an elder explains is a symbol that can inspire “us to face our greatest enemy—ourselves”) as well as of worst-case scenarios in which he’s bullied by his teammates and coach. In reality, only Leo is outwardly hostile, and his school offers support for queer students, including running a gay-straight alliance and hosting a Two-Spirit filmmaker from Manitoba’s River Winds Nation; it’s largely Chase’s internalized homophobia that holds him back. The straightforward story, which prominently features shades of pink in the illustrations, also includes positive depictions of Indigenous culture, through acts of smudging and Cree vocabulary.

Highlights the importance of community and cultural connection as roots for embracing one’s identity.