The Misewa Saga (novel series)

• Morgan is the primary protagonist of the novel. She is a 13 year-old girl who's grown up in foster-care and feels disconnected from her Indigenous culture prior to coming to Misewa. She likes movies and fantasy books. She is angry and maintains a tentative relationship with her foster family.
• Eli is a 12 year-old boy who recently entered the foster-care system. He likes to draw, wears his hair in a braid, and is the foster brother to Morgan. He is Cree and feels connected to his culture.
• Katie is Morgan and Eli's foster mother who attempts to use their Indigenous culture as a way to connect.
• James is Morgan and Eli's foster father who tells jokes and fun breakfasts, which Morgan doesn't like.
• Emily is Morgan's classmate and friend. She is known for giving people nicknames and playing ice hockey.
• Mrs. Edwards is Morgan's English teacher who encourages her to try harder when writing poetry by making her re-do assignments.
• Mrs. Bignell is Morgan's art teacher who punishes her for interrupting class.
• Ochek is a fisher "humanoid" from Askí which walks on two legs and speaks. He is the provider of Misewa who befriends Eli and Morgan.
• Muskwa is a bear and the leader of Misewa. He is one of three members of Council.
• Tahtakiw is a crane who betrays Misewa by helping Napéw and creating the White Time.
• Napéw is the antagonist of the novel who came to Misewa before Eli and Morgan, stealing the summer birds for himself and setting off an eternal winter. He is described as "just an ordinary, middle-aged white man".[1]
• Arik is a squirrel who steals from Ochek's traps. When caught, she offers to help find the summer birds to save Misewa. She becomes Morgan, Eli, and Ochek's friend.
• Miskinahk is a turtle and a member of the Misewa Council.
• Oho is an owl and a member of Misewa Council.
• Mahihkan: is a wolf who supports Napéw and is an enemy to Morgan and Eli. He receives redemption by saving their lives.
• Kisémanitou is the Creator who speaks to the people and animals of Misewa during important moments.
• Mistapew is a giant who moves like a ghost and steals souls. He is known as Big Foot in Morgan and Eli's world.
• Kihiw is the elder who had their soul stolen by Mistapew.

The Big Dipper

The Misewa Saga features various themes, including those common in fantasy children's novels such as friendship, time travel, perseverance, and nature. The books also include "indigenous perspectives" as part of the text.[3] Throughout The Barren Grounds, Robertson includes many references to the Big Dipper. Most noticeably, the outline of the constellation itself is found throughout the chapters as it highlights the importance of the constellations to the citizens of the Cree Nation.[4] From the story, we are greeted by a fisher named Ochek, who is determined to bring the Green Time back to Misewa. In his attempt, he travels alongside Arik, Morgan, and Eli to find the summer birds and get them back to Misewa. Trouble soon arises when the group encounters Napéw, the antagonist, who decides that the summer birds are for himself. After stealing the birds for the rest of the Misewa community, Ochek’s tail is struck by an arrow, causing him to sacrifice himself to protect the others. After Ochek’s fall, the Creator (Kisémanitou) gracefully honors Ochek by creating him into the constellation known as the Big Dipper, Ochekatchakosuk. The importance of the star itself from the story is protection. The star represents appreciation watching over its onlookers.[4]

Robertson plays with the theme of creation and appreciation. Taking part of this, Robertson wanted to make the story of the fisher a driving point for his novel, allowing others to see and understand the importance of appreciation of what you have and what you can lose.[5] Looking at the character of Ochek, his drive to help his community was the main focus of this story. Along with Morgan, Eli, and Arik, his character had the perseverance needed to overcome the hardships of a withering community, allowing the Creator to praise him for his duties and sacrifice for others.[4]

The story of the big dipper is a critical concept to the Cree Nation. Including the constellation in his novel, Robertson wanted to bring attention to the stories Cree elders told him, but in his creative style.[5] Sources about the Big Dipper stem from Wilfred Buck, an Opaskwayak Cree Nation citizen who teaches indigenous stories about the stars.

Wilfred Buck focuses on two stories of the Big Dipper constellation, found in his book entitled Tipiskawi Kisik: Night Sky Star Stories. Both stories include Ochekatchakousuk, the one featured in Robertson’s novel, and The Great Bear Hunt and the Seven Birds.[6]

The Story of Ochekatchakousuk

Ochekatchakousuk was a fisher who was destined to bring the summer back to the northern hemisphere. Attempting to do so, Ochek was greeted with a squirrel who knew how to get summer back to the north, finding the summer birds. Leaving the north, Ochek came across the location where the birds were captive. Releasing the birds, Ochek began to flee back to the north while being chased by the captor. While on the run, Ochek climbs the trees getting closer and closer to the sky. After reaching as far as he could, the captor shoots Ochek in the tail, where Ochek then becomes part of the nighttime sky. In looking at the constellation, the tail is the handle portion.[7]

The Great Bear Hunt and the Seven Birds

The second story surrounding the Big Dipper is the Cree Nation story of The Great Bear Hunt and the Seven Birds.[8] In the Great Bear Hunt, the area is overcome with a giant bear. The bear was a destructive, ravenous beast that the other creatures feared. In an attempt to rid the bear from the community, the creatures sent seven hunters. These hunters consisted of birds who followed the bear. One animal that favored the bear’s activity was the raven. In seeing the other birds following the bear, the raven told the bear of the hunter’s actions. The bear wanted to face the hunters, and in turn, when he was unable to frighten the hunters, he fled. With the hunters chasing after the bear, they were swift enough to injure the bear as they flew up into the nighttime sky. The injuries sustained by the bear helped create the fall season of red leaves and the redbreasts of the robin. From there, the bear, along with the seven hunters, helped form the constellations we find in the sky[9].[10]

Identity

Identity is another theme explored in The Misewa Saga, especially through the character of Morgan who goes through feelings of estrangement and confusion. Those feelings are the result of being forcefully removed from her culture, as we find out she was during the dreams of her mother. That is an experience that is familiar to many Indigenous children of the Canadian Adoption system.[11] In the mid-1960s thousands of Indigenous Canadian Children were ripped from their homes and, like Morgan, placed in new homes, often with white families, in a movement named the 60s Scoop. The effects of being unwillingly removed from your culture are displayed in Morgans' angry tendencies. The loss of their cultural identity brought low self-esteem, frustration, feelings of shame, loneliness, and confusion for the victims,[12] and those feelings are explored by Robertson as Morgan becomes reacquainted with her culture.

The Barren Grounds received attention from several groups, and was nominated and selected for multiple awards:[13]

The Barren Grounds[14] and The Great Bear[15] both received favourable reviews from Kirkus.

• Penguin Random House pages for the series.

• The Penguin Random House Canada Website