Firekeeper’s Daughter

by

Angeline Boulley

Jamie Johnson Character Analysis

Jamie is a junior officer with the Bureau of Indian Affairs assigned to go undercover as a high school senior in the Sault as part of a meth investigation. He poses as Ron’s nephew. Jamie immediately attracts attention in the Sault because he’s handsome, a skilled hockey player, and has a mysterious scar on his face—one that Auntie insists is too straight to be accidental. Daunis is genuinely attracted to him, though their budding relationship becomes complicated when Jamie reveals he’s an undercover agent. It gets even more complicated later, when Ron reveals that it was Jamie’s idea to get close to Daunis to boost his career. Still, Jamie and Daunis have a lot in common and have genuine feelings for each other. Like Daunis, Jamie is Native, though he’s never been involved in his Cherokee community due to having been adopted out as a baby. As time goes on, Daunis comes to realize that though she loves Jamie and knows he loves her, they must find their ways separately—and Jamie must figure out who he is before he’ll be capable of having a healthy, loving relationship. Though Jamie reveals that he’s actually 22, Daunis learns nothing else real about him, not even his real name.

Jamie Johnson Quotes in Firekeeper’s Daughter

The Firekeeper’s Daughter quotes below are all either spoken by Jamie Johnson or refer to Jamie Johnson. 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:
Justice Theme Icon
).
Chapter 14 Quotes

Maybe it isn’t about helping the FBI, but about protecting my community. Can I do one without the other? If I don’t sign on, they will find someone else to be their confidential informant.

Jamie is right—I know science and Ojibwe culture. I also know that I am strong enough to do this. There is one more thing I know…My definition of being a good Secret Squirrel is not the same as theirs.

Maybe there isn’t one investigation taking place, but two.

Theirs. And mine.

I sign the agreement.

Related Characters: Daunis Fontaine (speaker), Uncle David, Jamie Johnson, Ron Johnson
Page Number: 131
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 18 Quotes

“The FBI had been investigating meth activity. The incident in Minnesota was unusual enough for the FBI to look into the different substances being added during production.”

“Do you know how the kids are doing now?” I hope their community has good resources to help them.

When Jamie admits he doesn’t know, it reinforces how different we are. The FBI is interested in learning what caused the group hallucination. I want to know if the kids are okay.

Related Characters: Daunis Fontaine (speaker), Jamie Johnson (speaker)
Page Number: 157-158
Explanation and Analysis:
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: Daunis Fontaine (speaker), Jamie Johnson, Grant Edwards, Heather Nodin
Page Number: 197
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 28 Quotes

“Hold on. When you say ‘we,’ you don’t mean you and me. You mean the FBI,” I say, mouthing the initials while pretending to rub my nose so no one can read my lips. “Jamie, don’t you remember what my aunt told us about making some workers stay late to fix the owl T-shirts? They learned about the problem and had ownership in the solution? We have to fix it. The community, not the”—my hand hides my mouth from the room again—“FBI.”

Related Characters: Daunis Fontaine (speaker), Auntie Teddie, Jamie Johnson, Ron Johnson, Robin Bailey
Page Number: 258
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 36 Quotes

When Lily told Travis that she was done for good, he pulled out a gun. Love is not control. If he had truly loved Lily, he would have wanted her to have a good life. Even if it wasn’t with him. Instead, he did the opposite of love. Travis steadied the gun in his hand and thought only of himself.

Related Characters: Daunis Fontaine (speaker), Lily, Travis Flint, Auntie Teddie, Jamie Johnson
Page Number: 331
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 37 Quotes

Somehow, Travis had come across a love medicine. The kind of bad medicine that Auntie warned me against asking too much about.

When Lily refused to try the love medicine, Travis must have added it to a batch of meth […]. What he thought was a love medicine was actually the opposite of love. Real love honors your spirit. If you need a medicine to create or keep it, that’s possession and control. Not love.

A couple of weeks later, on a rez in Minnesota, a group of kids tried it […]. Every single one got sick. Not lovesick for some girl they’d never met, but infected with an insatiable desire for more meth.

I can do my part to protect our medicines, while trusting that there are those in the community who are doing their part to preserve and protect many different medicine teachings.

Related Characters: Daunis Fontaine (speaker), Lily, Travis Flint, Auntie Teddie, Jamie Johnson, Ron Johnson
Page Number: 334-335
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 40 Quotes

“I’m not just some emotional entanglement,” I say. “Jamie and I can handle being part of the investigation and having something that’s not so neatly defined.”

Ron shakes his head. He’s frustrated, I think, but what else can he say about it?

“Daunis, you do get that there is no actual Jamie Johnson, right? There is just a rookie officer who will do anything it takes to redeem himself after his first UC assignment went to hell. Including using you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Jamie was the one who proposed that he get close to you.”

Related Characters: Daunis Fontaine (speaker), Ron Johnson (speaker), Lily, Travis Flint, Jamie Johnson
Page Number: 366
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 55 Quotes

I am so tired. The weight of my expendability is crushing.

Not everyone gets justice. Least of all Nish kwewag.

Related Characters: Daunis Fontaine (speaker), Jamie Johnson, Ron Johnson, Grant Edwards
Page Number: 473
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 56 Quotes

He cries. I don’t soothe him. He needs to feel this, and I need to hear it. Investigations involve real people. Informants face real risks. Developing real feelings for me doesn’t wash away that he was willing to use me, a girl he didn’t know, to pursue a case and get a career boost.

Related Characters: Daunis Fontaine (speaker), Jamie Johnson
Page Number: 475
Explanation and Analysis:
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Jamie Johnson Quotes in Firekeeper’s Daughter

The Firekeeper’s Daughter quotes below are all either spoken by Jamie Johnson or refer to Jamie Johnson. 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:
Justice Theme Icon
).
Chapter 14 Quotes

Maybe it isn’t about helping the FBI, but about protecting my community. Can I do one without the other? If I don’t sign on, they will find someone else to be their confidential informant.

Jamie is right—I know science and Ojibwe culture. I also know that I am strong enough to do this. There is one more thing I know…My definition of being a good Secret Squirrel is not the same as theirs.

Maybe there isn’t one investigation taking place, but two.

Theirs. And mine.

I sign the agreement.

Related Characters: Daunis Fontaine (speaker), Uncle David, Jamie Johnson, Ron Johnson
Page Number: 131
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 18 Quotes

“The FBI had been investigating meth activity. The incident in Minnesota was unusual enough for the FBI to look into the different substances being added during production.”

“Do you know how the kids are doing now?” I hope their community has good resources to help them.

When Jamie admits he doesn’t know, it reinforces how different we are. The FBI is interested in learning what caused the group hallucination. I want to know if the kids are okay.

Related Characters: Daunis Fontaine (speaker), Jamie Johnson (speaker)
Page Number: 157-158
Explanation and Analysis:
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: Daunis Fontaine (speaker), Jamie Johnson, Grant Edwards, Heather Nodin
Page Number: 197
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 28 Quotes

“Hold on. When you say ‘we,’ you don’t mean you and me. You mean the FBI,” I say, mouthing the initials while pretending to rub my nose so no one can read my lips. “Jamie, don’t you remember what my aunt told us about making some workers stay late to fix the owl T-shirts? They learned about the problem and had ownership in the solution? We have to fix it. The community, not the”—my hand hides my mouth from the room again—“FBI.”

Related Characters: Daunis Fontaine (speaker), Auntie Teddie, Jamie Johnson, Ron Johnson, Robin Bailey
Page Number: 258
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 36 Quotes

When Lily told Travis that she was done for good, he pulled out a gun. Love is not control. If he had truly loved Lily, he would have wanted her to have a good life. Even if it wasn’t with him. Instead, he did the opposite of love. Travis steadied the gun in his hand and thought only of himself.

Related Characters: Daunis Fontaine (speaker), Lily, Travis Flint, Auntie Teddie, Jamie Johnson
Page Number: 331
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 37 Quotes

Somehow, Travis had come across a love medicine. The kind of bad medicine that Auntie warned me against asking too much about.

When Lily refused to try the love medicine, Travis must have added it to a batch of meth […]. What he thought was a love medicine was actually the opposite of love. Real love honors your spirit. If you need a medicine to create or keep it, that’s possession and control. Not love.

A couple of weeks later, on a rez in Minnesota, a group of kids tried it […]. Every single one got sick. Not lovesick for some girl they’d never met, but infected with an insatiable desire for more meth.

I can do my part to protect our medicines, while trusting that there are those in the community who are doing their part to preserve and protect many different medicine teachings.

Related Characters: Daunis Fontaine (speaker), Lily, Travis Flint, Auntie Teddie, Jamie Johnson, Ron Johnson
Page Number: 334-335
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 40 Quotes

“I’m not just some emotional entanglement,” I say. “Jamie and I can handle being part of the investigation and having something that’s not so neatly defined.”

Ron shakes his head. He’s frustrated, I think, but what else can he say about it?

“Daunis, you do get that there is no actual Jamie Johnson, right? There is just a rookie officer who will do anything it takes to redeem himself after his first UC assignment went to hell. Including using you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Jamie was the one who proposed that he get close to you.”

Related Characters: Daunis Fontaine (speaker), Ron Johnson (speaker), Lily, Travis Flint, Jamie Johnson
Page Number: 366
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 55 Quotes

I am so tired. The weight of my expendability is crushing.

Not everyone gets justice. Least of all Nish kwewag.

Related Characters: Daunis Fontaine (speaker), Jamie Johnson, Ron Johnson, Grant Edwards
Page Number: 473
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 56 Quotes

He cries. I don’t soothe him. He needs to feel this, and I need to hear it. Investigations involve real people. Informants face real risks. Developing real feelings for me doesn’t wash away that he was willing to use me, a girl he didn’t know, to pursue a case and get a career boost.

Related Characters: Daunis Fontaine (speaker), Jamie Johnson
Page Number: 475
Explanation and Analysis: