What is Dimaline saying about family in this novel?

Most of the main characters in The Marrow Thieves have lost their blood relatives. Many are young people whose parents and siblings have been killed. Yet in Miig's group, each has found a new family. They are not related by blood. But they are bound together not only by their indigeneity and the need for survival, but also by relationships of care and love. French ultimately realizes that found family is just as important as blood family. When he finds his father, the group believes that he will leave them for his "real" family. But French tells them they are just as real as his blood family. Dimaline highlights this when French speaks of having two fathers—Jean and Miig—and when he is willing to leave his father to go after Rose.