Personal Choice Book Essay: Firekeeper’s Daughter Angeline Boulley’s Firekeeper’s Daughter follows the life of an Ojibwe teenager named Daunis, who lives on Sugar Island, an Indian reserve. Daunis is the child of an Indian father and a Caucasian mother, who broke up months before she was born. As the book begins and then progresses, things seem to be getting worse and worse for her. The story is set about six months after Daunis’ uncle, David, died under mysterious circumstances. Her grandmother is in a coma at the hospital, getting worse and worse each day. Early in the book, Daunis faces another tragedy when her best friend, Lily, is murdered. While under the influence of a handful of dangerous and illegal…show more content… Methamphetamine, one of the drugs Travis was addicted to, is a big problem in Daunis’ community. Many people are locally manufacturing an even more dangerous version of the drug, nicknamed “crystal meth.” Because of this, the FBI secretly infiltrates Sugar Island and recruits Daunis to provide their team with inside information about the production and marketing of the drug. Because she was raised very religiously, Daunis struggles with betraying her community by gathering information about the people she loves most, but she desperately wants to solve the problem that has killed her best friend and so many others. Daunis’s strong culture helps her maintain her relationships within the community while ensuring the FBI has all the information they need. Firekeeper’s Daughter highlights our deep need for culture. Culture is a valuable resource, providing religion, interaction, and care for others. These vital
