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Nokomis
Daunis is a member of the Sugar Island Ojibwe tribe.
Ojibwe Quotes in Firekeeper’s Daughter
The Firekeeper’s Daughter quotes below are all either spoken by Ojibwe or refer to Ojibwe. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
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.
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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.
Chapter 26
Quotes
I have wanted this ever since I understood that being Anishinaabe and being an enrolled citizen weren’t necessarily the same thing.
My mind races, remembering Granny’s unsuccessful efforts to get this for Lily.
I can become a member. Except…It changes nothing about me.
I am Anishinaabe. Since my first breath. […]
My whole life, I’ve been seeking validation of my identity from others. Now that it’s within my reach, I realize I don’t need it.
“Miigwech.” I take a deep breath. “But I don’t need a card to define me.”
“I know you don’t, Daunis. But think about,” Auntie says. “This is a gift from your dad.”
[…]
Granny says, “Your decision isn’t just about you. It’s for your children. Grandchildren.”
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.
Get the entire Firekeeper’s Daughter LitChart as a printable PDF.
Ojibwe Term Timeline in Firekeeper’s Daughter
The timeline below shows where the term Ojibwe appears in Firekeeper’s Daughter. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 2
...that the girls aren’t enrolled. Daunis and Lily are just descendants of the Sugar Island Ojibwe Tribe, as Lily doesn’t meet the minimum blood-quantum requirement and Daunis’s dad isn’t on her...
(full context)
Chapter 9
...light skin and money will protect her—Auntie can’t hope the same for her Black and Ojibwe daughters. Daunis feels ashamed.
(full context)
Chapter 12
...that they saw Daunis’s science fair project about traditional chokecherry pudding’s medicinal properties; she knows Ojibwe culture and science. They believe the manufacturer is similar, though they know it’s not Daunis—she...
(full context)
