Tracks

When Fleur throws him out after his affair with Sophie, Eli comes to Nanapush’s house to stay. Nanapush has scant sympathy for Eli’s problems because the whites are buying up reservation land at a speedy pace. Disgusted by Eli’s self-centeredness when the whole reservation is in danger of being bought out from under Chippewa who do not understand what they are signing away, he nevertheless gives Eli advice: to wait until the Matchimanito family is starving and needs him to hunt, and that then Fleur will take him back.

Eli eats all of Nanapush’s winter supplies and lays about the cabin bemoaning his situation. After two days without any food, Nanapush puts his gun in Eli’s hand. Then, he lies down and uses the old ways, the old medicine, to guide Eli in his hunt. It is a perfect day for hunting moose. Nanapush visualizes each step of Eli’s hunt, and Nanapush’s voice guides Eli. Eli brings down a moose and butchers it to pack it out of the bush. He completely wraps himself in cuts of meat from the moose, until he becomes a steaming, red man.