Hunting by Stars

Miig, the father figure of French’s family, says, “Story is a home, it’s where we live, it’s where we hold everything we’ll truly need to survive—our languages, our people, our land” (21). Based on the author’s definition of Story, examine the deeper meaning of Miig’s statement, using examples from the text as supporting evidence.

In a decision that comes to haunt him, French aids in the capture of Sunny and Therese in order to survive and maintain his cover. How does this experience profoundly alter his outlook on his current course of action, and why?

Dimaline uses the term “Natives” or “Native peoples” to describe the Indigenous communities in her book, instead of Native Canadians. Why does she make this choice? Base your answer on your own understanding and on the author’s interviews.

In Chi-Boy’s coming-to story, the benign-seeming grandparents in the farmhouse turn out to be virulent racists. Using examples from the text, examine how the author emphasizes the lesson that extraordinary evils can hide beneath ordinary disguises.

Examine the symbolism behind the Jingle Dress that Rose hopes Ishkode will wear one day.

Identify and analyze at least three ways in which the author uses her near-future dystopia to criticize current and past political trends, social issues, and environmental policies.

Canada’s notorious residential schools are often referenced in the novel. In Dimaline’s cyclical imagining of history, the schools are repurposed as marrow harvesting facilities. Using online and textual research, analyze the history of these residential schools and examine how they are repurposed as symbols in Dimaline’s fictional world.

Miig notes that although Native peoples are classified under one umbrella by settlers, they actually belong to many unique nationalities and cultural traditions. The text also mentions several Native languages, such as Cree, Mohawk, and Anishinaabemowin. Using these examples as a starting point, research the Indigenous and First Nations communities of Canada and analyze the ways in which the author works to honor such cultures in the text.