The Thanksgiving Classic

The ‘Thanksgiving Classic’ symbolizes transgression against community. Ten years before the main narrative, Lewis, Ricky, Gabe, and Cassidy trespassed into an area reserved for Blackfeet elders. There, they shot and killed elk. They then had their hunting privileges revoked, and Lewis and Ricky even left the reservation. Meanwhile, the reference to Thanksgiving evokes the history of oppression and genocide committed by white settlers against Native Americans, which in turn evokes the continuing oppression against Natives that defines much of the story.

Elk

In the novel, elk symbolize the need to live in harmony with nature, and to respect nature for the sake of ecological sustainability. Ten years after the four hunters illegally kill elk, they are haunted (and hunted) by a vengeful elk spirit. These dynamics may possibly symbolize the dangers of humanity living unsustainably. If humanity does not find a way to live...