Firekeeper's Daughter

Plot Summary: Daunis Firekeeper is still mourning the death of her uncle and helping her mother with her GrandMary who has suffered a stroke. Then Daunis witnesses the murder of her best friend Lily by Lily's ex-boyfriend. Daunis learns that the murder is connected to the cooking and distribution of methamphetamines in Indigenous populations around the great lakes. Jamie, posing as her boyfriend, and another man posing as his uncle, are Federal agents sent to investigate the drug ring. They ask Daunis to be a Confidential Informant. Daunis uses her understanding of Ojibwe culture and lore to help them break up the drug operation. She learns what it means to be an Ojibwe woman as she works through struggles in her own life and the case. 

Daunis Firekeeper is half Anishinaabe, from her father's side, and white on her mother's side. Although she lives with her mother, she has a connection to her father's family. For a large section of the book, she is not a registered member of the tribe, but she is knowledgeable in the teachings of her tribe because of her Aunt Teddie. She is one of the bravest and determined characters I've ever read.

Author Background: Angeline Boulley is a registered member of the same tribe that Daunis' Firekeeper family belongs to, The Sault St. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. She worked as the Director of the Office of Indian Education, a part of the United States Department of Education (Good Reads, n.d.). She also served as an Educational Director for the Sault St. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. She also served on the Board of Bay Mills Community College. She says that her influences include other Native women and her father, a firekeeper in the Ojibwe/Anishinaabe tribe (Boulley, n.d.).

Critical Evaluation: Firekeeper's Daughter has mostly positive reviews for good reason. Stories involving Native people are commonly set in the 1800s. Many of the reviews explicitly stated that a modern-day story with Indigenous characters is sorely needed (Good Reads, n.d.). I agree. And while I enjoyed the story, the best part of the book was learning about Anishinaabe culture. 

Speed-Round Book Talk or Short Book Trailer: Daunis Firekeeper is asked by her boyfriend, who is a secret agent, to help bring down a drug ring that is the cause of deaths and addiction in her tribe and city.

Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation: An important plot point of Firekeeper's Daughter is the making and selling of methamphetamine. There is death and violence in relation to the drugs. Drug abuse in a major issue in many communities. It especially affects communities of color. Showing the culture of the Anishinaabe and how their teachings can help defeat modern issues like drug abuse is important. Showing a Native woman as the main character also needs to be shown.

Reason for Inclusion: The teachings of the Anishinaabe in the book need to be shown and known about. Some people and writings have talked about Native peoples in the past tense as if they are not around anymore. Modern issues, such as the drugs, need to be addressed. They can't be if they are hidden and swept under the rug.

References

Boulley, A. (n.d.) About Angeline. https://angelineboulley.com/aboutangeline. 

Good Reads. (n.d.). Firekeeper's Daughter. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52346471-firekeeper-s-daughter. 

Science Museum of Minnesota. (2021, November 15). Ojibwe jingle dresses from past to present. [YouTube]. Ojibwe jingle dresses from past to present - YouTube.

Vice News. (2018, March 15). A Native American tribe is using traditional culture to fight addiction. [YouTube]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VIsTcrvwqg.

Vukelich, J. (2022, June 2). The 'good life' Mino-bimaadiziwin ᒥᓄ ᐱᒫᑎᓯ ᐧᐃᓐ. [YouTube]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSMfbW1BPcI. 

Vukelich, J. (2021, November 21). What does it mean to have a 'good heart' in Ojibwe? Ojibwe word of the day Mino de'e. [YouTube]. (1) What does it mean to have a 'Good Heart' in Ojibwe? Ojibwe Word of the Day Mino-de'e. - YouTube.