Chapter summaries Firekeeper's Daughter Angeline Boulley

Firekeeper’s Daughter Chapter 32: Funeral, Hockey, and Little People

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

Three days after her overdose death, Robin Bailey’s funeral is held at St. Mary’s. Daunis sits in her grandfather’s pew and reflects on Catholic–Ojibwe divides, remembering GrandMary’s dismissive attitude toward converted Indians. During the mass, Daunis thinks about Robin’s broken clavicle two years ago and wonders how her opioid addiction started. Robin’s death galvanizes the town: a benefit hockey game is planned for Friday, and Daunis agrees to play on the Sault High team alongside former teammates. After skipping the luncheon, Daunis takes Granny June to the Elder Center and buys semaa for Leonard Manitou. She wants to ask him about the Little People, hoping the story might reveal a clue about Travis’s death. Leonard eventually shares a memory from when he was five, lost in the woods and guided by Little People through a rock tunnel. He also tells Daunis about his cousin who sniffed gasoline and claimed the Little People cried for him before disappearing. Daunis relates this to Travis. Meanwhile, Auntie confronts Daunis outside the Elder Center, accusing her of making stupid decisions and suggesting she is involved with Jamie. Daunis deflects, and the argument widens a rift between them.

Key Events

  • Robin Bailey’s funeral mass takes place at St. Mary’s; Daunis muses on how some Nishnaabs blend Catholicism and Ojibwe tradition.
  • Daunis recalls her own shoulder injury, Auntie’s refusal of oxycodone, and wonders if Robin’s opioid addiction began with a similar prescription.
  • A benefit hockey game for Robin’s memorial foundation is announced; Daunis will play on the Sault High team.
  • Daunis goes to the Elder Center with Granny June; she buys semaa and plans to ask Leonard Manitou about the Little People.
  • Auntie confronts Daunis in the parking lot, accusing her of lying, running with a bad crowd, and possibly being involved with Jamie. Daunis retorts that she thought she could trust her aunt.
  • Daunis speaks with Leonard Manitou, who tells her his childhood story of being lost in the snow, guided by Little People through a subterranean tunnel, and later saved by his father.
  • Leonard recounts that his cousin, a gasoline sniffer, said the Little People cried for him before vanishing. Daunis connects this to Travis.

Character Development

  • Daunis grapples with guilt and secrecy. She feels she must hide her undercover work from Auntie, even though it strains their relationship. She also shows compassion by seeking Leonard’s story and trying to understand Robin’s hidden story.
  • Auntie is protective and suspicious. She confronts Daunis, revealing that TJ Kewadin has told her he does not trust Jamie. The argument shows her love but also her frustration at being shut out.
  • Leonard Manitou shares a vivid, cherished memory of the Little People, offering a benevolent counterpoint to Travis’s terror. His story underscores the importance of oral tradition and Indigenous ways of knowing.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

  • Grief and community: Robin’s funeral brings the town together; the benefit hockey game and donations demonstrate collective healing.
  • Tradition versus assimilation: Daunis reflects on the tensions within Catholic–Ojibwe identity, as embodied by GrandMary’s hierarchy.
  • The Little People: They are presented as mischievous but ultimately protective. Leonard’s story and his cousin’s gasoline-sniffing illustrate how these spirits react differently to harmful behavior—with sorrow rather than anger.
  • Silence and secrets: Daunis withholds the truth from Auntie, believing it protects her. The chapter emphasizes the cost of these silences.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter deepens the investigation’s emotional stakes. Robin’s funeral reminds readers that addiction destroys individuals and families. Daunis’s fight with Auntie signals that undercover work is eroding her closest relationships. Leonard’s account of the Little People provides a potential link to Travis’s death and reinforces the novel’s use of Ojibwe spirituality to interpret modern crises. It also clarifies that the Little People are not malevolent by nature, raising questions about what Travis encountered.

Study Questions and Answers

  1. Why does Daunis find the Catholic prayers comforting at Robin’s funeral, given her earlier rejection of church?
    Daunis is surprised by the comfort, suggesting that the familiar rituals provide a sense of continuity and community during grief, regardless of her personal disagreements with the institution.

  2. What does Auntie’s confrontation reveal about her concerns for Daunis?
    Auntie fears Daunis is making reckless choices (playing hockey, associating with a different crowd) and suspects Jamie is a bad influence. Her reference to what TJ said indicates she is still in contact with Daunis’s ex, which deepens Daunis’s sense of betrayal.

  3. How does Leonard’s story about the Little People differ from what Travis described?
    Leonard recalls the Little People as helpful guides who led him home and only cried for his gasoline-sniffing cousin. Travis, by contrast, seemed terrified of them. This discrepancy hints that the Little People may behave differently toward those who harm themselves or others.

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