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Mike Edwards
One of the novel’s antagonists, Grant Edwards is Mike’s dad and a wealthy attorney in Sault Ste. Marie. He also runs the Booster Bus, as he’s a huge Supes fan. Daunis has always found him a little smarmy and not very nice (she’s seen him berate Mike in public for not saving goals). But his behavior escalates in the novel’s present—especially once he insists that Daunis calls him Grant instead of Mr. Edwards. He spends weeks invading Daunis’s personal space and creepily staring at her, though Daunis struggles to avoid him as she believes that he’s part of the meth cell. Finally, at Shagala, Grant tricks Daunis into coming back to his hotel room and then rapes her. During the assault, he reveals that “hockey girls” are his “weakness” and that he also had a sexual relationship with Robin (whether or not that relationship was consensual is never made explicit, but Daunis assumes it wasn’t). He also implies that he got Robin addicted to opioid painkillers and offers to get some for Daunis. It ultimately turns out that Grant isn’t involved in the meth cell, and he’s never prosecuted for raping Daunis due to the fact that he’s white and raped Daunis, an enrolled tribal member, on tribal land. He and his wife, Mrs. Edwards, divorce once Mike disappears.
Grant Edwards Quotes in Firekeeper’s Daughter
The Firekeeper’s Daughter quotes below are all either spoken by Grant Edwards or refer to Grant Edwards. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 22
Quotes
“She used to be Heather Swanson,” I say. “Everyone knew her dad was Joey Nodin, but he denied it. Supposedly he threatened Heather’s mom when she asked for child support. But once the casino opened and the Tribe started paying per cap, Joey claimed paternity and enrolled Heather in the Tribe. People say Joey paid her mom’s shady boyfriend to set her up for a drug bust so she would lose custody. The custodial parent gets the kid’s minor money.”
Related Characters:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 26
Quotes
Each tribe has the sovereign right to determine who is a member. My best friend couldn’t get enrolled because of the way the Sugar Island Ojibwe Tribe’s enrollment office calculated Indian blood quantum: fractions of Indian blood based on lineage. Granny June’s first husband was from a First Nations band in Canada, so Lily’s pedigree didn’t meet the standard. Too many ancestors from across the river, not the right kind of Indian blood. Granny filed an appeal with Tribal Council, telling them, No one told me I wasn’t supposed to snag on that side of the river. We were here before that border existed. Every one of yous got cousins over there. But Council rejected her appeal for Lily’s membership application.
Chapter 55
Quotes
I am so tired. The weight of my expendability is crushing.
Not everyone gets justice. Least of all Nish kwewag.
Chapter 57
Quotes
As my aunt tells the story, a large basket is passed around the inner circle. I take a yellow pansy and pass the basket to Auntie. I watch as women approach the fire, each one offering a pansy.
As I release the pansy, I think about what Grant Edwards did to me and say my silent prayer. There is comfort in watching the smoke rise to the full moon.
When I return to my seat, Granny June holds my hand.
“Liliban was thankful each year that you weren’t here,” she says.
“Wait. She was here?” My heart breaks.
“Yes, my girl. Ever since she came to live with me.”
I cry for my best friend and the secrets she wanted to protect me from.
Get the entire Firekeeper’s Daughter LitChart as a printable PDF.
Grant Edwards Quotes in Firekeeper’s Daughter
The Firekeeper’s Daughter quotes below are all either spoken by Grant Edwards or refer to Grant Edwards. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 22
Quotes
“She used to be Heather Swanson,” I say. “Everyone knew her dad was Joey Nodin, but he denied it. Supposedly he threatened Heather’s mom when she asked for child support. But once the casino opened and the Tribe started paying per cap, Joey claimed paternity and enrolled Heather in the Tribe. People say Joey paid her mom’s shady boyfriend to set her up for a drug bust so she would lose custody. The custodial parent gets the kid’s minor money.”
Related Characters:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 26
Quotes
Each tribe has the sovereign right to determine who is a member. My best friend couldn’t get enrolled because of the way the Sugar Island Ojibwe Tribe’s enrollment office calculated Indian blood quantum: fractions of Indian blood based on lineage. Granny June’s first husband was from a First Nations band in Canada, so Lily’s pedigree didn’t meet the standard. Too many ancestors from across the river, not the right kind of Indian blood. Granny filed an appeal with Tribal Council, telling them, No one told me I wasn’t supposed to snag on that side of the river. We were here before that border existed. Every one of yous got cousins over there. But Council rejected her appeal for Lily’s membership application.
Chapter 55
Quotes
I am so tired. The weight of my expendability is crushing.
Not everyone gets justice. Least of all Nish kwewag.
Chapter 57
Quotes
As my aunt tells the story, a large basket is passed around the inner circle. I take a yellow pansy and pass the basket to Auntie. I watch as women approach the fire, each one offering a pansy.
As I release the pansy, I think about what Grant Edwards did to me and say my silent prayer. There is comfort in watching the smoke rise to the full moon.
When I return to my seat, Granny June holds my hand.
“Liliban was thankful each year that you weren’t here,” she says.
“Wait. She was here?” My heart breaks.
“Yes, my girl. Ever since she came to live with me.”
I cry for my best friend and the secrets she wanted to protect me from.
