Scars
Scars are powerful symbols of the mental scars and anguish many Aboriginal people had to contend with because of mistreatment and placement in so-called Residential Schools. This shows that physical scars can also be mental scars, too.
Residential Schools
Likewise, residential schools are powerful symbols of the abuse many Aboriginal people in Canada had to endure because of overt racism and discriminatory governmental policies. To that end, Aboriginal children were placed in residential schools as a way to get them to acculturate to Canadian culture.
PowWows
The various PowWows (or tribal meetings) many of the characters in the novel go to are symbols of the last bastion of Aboriginal culture. Because of the residential schools, much of the culture of the past was obliterated washed away, and replaced with the culture of white people. These PowWows allow Aboriginal people to experience some of their culture unencumbered by racist rules.
Eating food
Perhaps the most common motif in the novel is characters eating food. Throughout the novel, readers experience the characters eating food, indulging when they otherwise couldn't, and giving them energy and life.
