Three Day Road Terms

A Cree word meaning “soul” or “spirit”. When Niska’s mother dies, Niska wraps her mother’s body and places her high in a tree “so her ahcahk is free.” By placing her mother in the tree… read analysis of Ahcahk

The Indigenous people of Canada and the United States, including the Cree and Ojibwe people. The Anishnabe speak languages belonging to the Algonquin family, although many are now extinct, which is further proof of the… read analysis of Anishnabe

“Roving bands” of Indigenous hunters who “live in the old way.” Both Niska and Xavier are awawtuk, or true “bush Indians,” and they live off the land and have very little interaction with the… read analysis of Awawatuk

One of the largest groups of Indigenous people in Canada. Xavier, Elijah, and Niska are Cree. read analysis of Cree

The Cree word for “spiritual leader” or “shaman.” Niska’s father was the hookimaw of their clan, and after his death, Niska is as well. The hookimaw has great responsibility within the tribe, such as “divining”… read analysis of Hookimaw

Spirits in Anishnabe culture. Manitous can be either good or evil. Boyden references Gitchi Manitou, the primary spiritual force in Anishnabe culture, several times in Three Day Road. The windigo, on the… read analysis of Manitous

A sweat lodge filled with steam by pouring water over hot rocks. Niska’s mother teaches Niska to construct a matatosowin, and Niska in turn teaches Xavier. Both Niska and Xavier build matatosowins to… read analysis of Matatosowin

The Indigenous people of Canada and the United States. The Ojibwe, also known as the Chippewa, are of the Anishnabe people. Niska’s mother is Ojibwe, and Xavier and Elijah meet a fellow Anishnabe, an Ojibwe… read analysis of Ojibwe

A Cree term for “aurora borealis,” or Northern Lights. Many Anishnabe believe that the Wawahtew are the spirits of their ancestors, dancing and celebrating. read analysis of Wawahtew

A Cree term for the white European trappers, traders, and settlers encroaching on Indigenous lands. The wemistikoshiw “instill in the Cree a greed for furs that nearly wipes out the animals,” and when the land… read analysis of Wemistikoshiw

A legend in Anishnabe culture of an evil spirit, or manitou, that is usually depicted as a large beast. The windigo eats only human flesh, and its spirit can infect others and quickly spread… read analysis of Windigo