Braided Hair (Symbol)
Frenchie and his peers long to connect with the cultural identity that most of them have lost. One way they attempt to do this is by braiding their hair as their ancestors did. Braiding becomes a powerful symbol of the desperate effort to preserve their lineage, as Frenchie says that he braids his hair to “remind myself of things I couldn’t quite remember, but that, nevertheless, I knew to be true."
The Moose (Symbol)
Even though Frenchie decides not to kill the moose, “[i]n a way, I got that moose” because “[h]e visited me in my dreams.” In this way, the moose comes to symbolize a respectful relationship with nature. Frenchie feels it would be unjust to kill this grand animal only to waste a large portion of its meat. He chooses to respect nature rather than waste its resources. In so doing, he chooses to be different from those—like the Recruiters—who extract resources from the land and from Native peoples in a short-sighted, destructive manner. As a result of his respectful decision, Frenchie “gets” the moose in a different way, since the animal visits him in his dreams, perhaps to share insights.
Jingles (Symbol)
When the Recruiters take Minerva, the group finds improvised jingles that Minerva made from can lids. These jingles used to hang from women’s dresses to make noise during powwows. But in their present situation, the only way to survive is to remain as silent as possible. Yet Minerva made the jingles to hold on to her beloved culture. They also symbolize the hope of a future in which they will once again be able to fully practice their culture and to dance and make noise joyfully. Even if Minerva does not get the opportunity to see this future, she is nourishing this hope for future generations. As Chi-Boy remarks: “Sometimes you risk everything for a life worth living, even if you’re not the one that’ll be alive to live it.”
Coming-to Stories (Motif)
Throughout the novel, the main characters share what are called coming-to stories. There are narratives about how each character escaped persecutors and came to live in the bush with the rest of the group. They are also decisive stories about loss, trauma, and survival, in which each character loses what is most important to them. This loss and the experience of violence mark each character forever. Yet through great struggle and persistence, they survive, forming a new, found family and coming to be who they are today. It is important to note Miig’s insistence that each person choose themselves when to tell their coming-to story, since “[e]veryone’s creation story is their own.”
The Wiindigo People (Allegory)
The Wiindigo people are said to be cannibals, “those who need to eat but can only eat human flesh.” Yet while the characters mention the Wiindigo people in passing, they never actually encounter them. In this sense, they serve more as an allegory for “the Other Indians” they do encounter: Travis and Lincoln. These are Anishnaabe people who work for the Recruiters and are willing to betray their fellow Native people for their own personal benefit.
