The Marrow Thieves

Oral history is crucial to Indigenous culture. Though Anishinaabe have written language, history and culture are traditionally passed down through stories—both sacred stories passed down through generations and personal stories shared with family and friends. Stories are how Natives perpetuate their culture, which is why removing Indigenous children from their parents—as was the case with residential schools—was so devastating to the Native tribes of Canada. The novel highlights three kinds of stories: historical, traditional, and personal.

Miig serves as the keeper of the historical Story because he has access to memories and knowledge that the younger generation does not have. Frenchie says, “We needed to remember Story. It was [Miig’s] job to set the memory in perpetuity […] But every week we spoke, because it was imperative that we know” (25). Miig’s topics vary, but generally center around shared history of their tribes and of the world. Miig generally does not tell individual stories of people or sacred traditional stories. 

Minerva, however, does tell traditional stories on the rare occasions that she speaks more than a few words. While staying at the Four Winds, Minerva capriciously decides that she wants to tell an “old-timey” story, which is exciting enough that Frenchie eavesdrops despite not being invited to listen.