Miig's Journey With Hope

     The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline is a compelling tale of survival and adaptation in times of hardship. Though riddled with themes of climate change, family, and loss, it is also important to note how Dimaline weaves a story of hope amongst despair through one particular character.

    Throughout the novel, Miigwans acts as a fatherly figure to Frenchie and the rest of the traveling group, and he often refers to them as his family. Miig acts a symbol of hope for many of the younger members of the family, but he struggles as he finds himself lacking hope himself. Miig is guided by his love for his husband, Isaac, presumed to have been killed in a residential school. Despite his grief, he carries onward with his found family, and attempts to protect them each from the same fate that his husband met. Frenchie later discovers that Miig carries a vial in which they believe to be Isaac’s remains in a sack near his heart (Dimaline 215). Though separated from his husband by death, he remains with Miig in spirit, providing him with the hope that he can guide his newer family to safety in the north.

    However, Miig is rendered nearly hopeless when he is unable to protect two of his family members. When Riri dies and Minerva is taken by recruiters, Rose and Frenchie notice that Miig has changed, with Frenchie stating, “instead we found a tired old man and a cooperative soldier all wrapped up in one Indian. It was like he had faded, somehow” (177). Miig has been tasked with a protector role as the family’s leader, and when he fails to perform this task successfully twice, he becomes quite despondent. He still expresses his faith in Frenchie to do great things, but his own self-reliance is shaken.

    Miig relinquishes his sack containing Isaac’s vial to Frenchie, and consequently relinquishes some of his duty as the leader. When new-comers are spotted, Miig remains at the camp and allows others to do the dangerous task of greeting them, as he feels he is becoming too old. Seemingly void of all hope, Miig tells Frenchie, “there’s no adventure out there left for me anymore. I’m done” (221). Though he is hopeless for his own future, he still harbors faith in Frenchie and the rest of his family being able to carry on without him.

    When all hope is lost for Miig, Dimaline shows that there may still be light. One of the new-comers is recognized by Frenchie as Isaac, Miig’s husband, who he had thought to have been deceased (229). Upon seeing his husband for the first time in years, and upon seeing him alive and well, Miig’s hope is restored. He finds a new reason to carry on and be strong as his husband may carry the “key” to a safer future. As Miig weeps for Isaac he and Frenchie both seem to realize that hope, no matter how little, is enough to keep them pushing through each day.