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New Brunswick·Ann's Eye

Indigenous singer who came out as trans reflects on her journey

Mattie Comeau came out as a transgender woman at the age of 33.

Mattie Comeau of Elsipogtog First Nation sings with The Hello Crows

CBC News ·
A woman with wavy brown hair and wearing a black top stands on green grass and smiles.
Mattie Comeau is a transgender musician from Elsipogtog First Nation, which is about 90 kilometres, by vehicle, north of Moncton. (Ann Paul/CBC)

This is part of a series called Ann's Eye, featuring the work of Ann Paul, a Wolastoqey content creator. You can see more Ann's Eye pieces by clicking here.

For Mattie Comeau, a Mi'kmaw singer-songwriter from Elsipogtog First Nation, also known as Big Cove, the most joyful part of coming out as a transgender woman is getting to be herself.

WATCH | There's happiness on the other side of vulnerability, says Mattie Comeau:

Indigenous singer describes happiness after coming out as transgender

4 months ago
Duration 2:15
Mattie Comeau, a Mi'kmaw singer-songwriter from Elsipogtog First Nation in New Brunswick, came out last year as a transgender woman. She speaks with CBC contributor Ann Paul about her journey to authenticity.

Comeau, who sings with the Indigenous band The Hello Crows, came out when she was 33 years old. A year later, she's proudly living her authentic life. Scroll through the photos and watch the video to find out more about Comeau's journey.

A person wearing a flannel shirt sings into a microphone while strumming a guitar in front of a brick wall.
While Comeau came out at 33, she said she knew who she was for a year or two before that. She's shown here, with her permission, before her transition. (Ann Paul/CBC)
A person with shoulder-length, wavy brown hair sits with a guitar on their lap.
Comeau said the biggest challenge in coming out was letting go of the notion that she had to look like a traditional woman to be valid as a transgender woman. (Ann Paul/CBC)
A person sings into a microphone and strums a guitar in an orange-lit room.
Comeau plays with The Hello Crows, alongside Judie Acquin, Dylan Ward and Quinn Bonnell. (Ann Paul/CBC)
A woman with long brown hair and wearing a flower-patterned dress stands smiling in front of a microphone, holding a guitar.
Comeau's advice for Indigenous trans folks is to do some research, especially in this territory. 'It is well documented that there was no gender binary amongst our people at contact. People chose their community role and genderqueer folk were treated with the same respect as any other member,' she says. (Ann Paul/CBC)

Ann's Eye

Photographer Ann Paul brings an Indigenous lens to stories from First Nations communities across New Brunswick. Click here or on the image below to see more of her work. 

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