Tammy Keeash Character Analysis in Seven Fallen Feathers

Tammy Keeash was just 17 years old when she was found dead in one of Thunder Bay, Ontario’s rivers in the spring of 2017. Tammy’s death made local news and soon sparked a national conversation as to why so many Indigenous youths were dying in Thunder Bay—and why the police force there was doing little to investigate or connect their deaths.

Tammy Keeash Character Timeline in Seven Fallen Feathers

The timeline below shows where the character Tammy Keeash appears in Seven Fallen Feathers. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Colonialism, Cultural Genocide, and Racism Theme Icon

Indigenous Youth, Education Reform, and Support Networks Theme Icon

The students’ names are Tammy Keeash and Josiah Begg; they were 17 and 14 when they died. Tammy was a... (full context)

Generational Trauma and Circular Suffering Theme Icon

Tammy’s death was immediately listed as “consistent with drowning”—again, police quickly claimed that there was “no... (full context)

Tradition, Prophecy, Spirituality, and Hope Theme Icon

But Tammy’s death marked a change: it made the national news, and Indigenous people began taking to... (full context)

...chief coroner stepped in to request the assistance of the York Regional Police to investigate Tammy and Josiah’s deaths. It wasn’t the RCMP, but it did offer “a bit of hope.” (full context)