The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline

Title: The Marrow Thieves

Author: Cherie Dimaline

Assigned Genre: Diverse Culture

Publisher: 2017 Cormorant Books Inc.

Length: 231 pages

Completed Reading: October 8, 2021

Summary

In The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline, readers are invited into the perspective of Frenchie, a 16-year-old Indigenous youth who has lost his family and is on the run for survival. The novel takes place in Canada as Frenchie, attempting to escape being taken captive into Indian Residential Schools, searches to find himself in whatever pieces are left of his heritage.

Teaching The Marrow Thieves 

Theme Tracing

The novel is infused with a heavy portrayal of the search for self and cultural identity. In the story, we see Frenchie learn of various aspects and qualities that are true to Indian culture as they appear throughout the text. Students can be prompted to organize themes of culture and identity through the use of graphic organizers (one of my favorite instructional tools).

To add rigor, while still providing the scaffolds of the organizers, I would ask students to trace motifs that are evident in the novel and express why that motif should be considered with a theme of identity and or culture as they are situated in the text.

Supplemental Materials

As I read the novel, I found myself connecting with a recurring motif of ancestry as it appeared through the story. As I followed Frenchie’s search to find himself, to stay connected to his culture, I found great irony in the events that unfolded. I imagined Frenchie’s father, his ancestors, protecting him; carrying him through his fight for survival even as he feels neglected and abandoned.

Below is a photo of a verse from the popular poem ‘Footprints in the Sand’ by Mary Fishback. The poem can be used as a supplemental text to partner with the book while tracking the theme of ancestry.

A prompt for presenting the poem as a supplemental text would be:

• Consider the motif of ancestry as it appears throughout The Marrow Thieves. Review the poem ‘Footprints in the Sand’ by Mary Fishback. How does the poem relate to the text? Explain your answer.

Personal Connections– Reader Response Strategy

Another aspect of the novel that I connected with was Frenchies relationship with his hair. In an effort to stay true to his culture, Frenchie wears long hair as a sign of masculinity and strength. We see him care for his hair throughout the novel as it serves as a reminder for Frenchie to remember where he comes from.

The photo below represents staying strong through adversity like we see Frenchie do in the novel. The Recruiters are determined to annihilate Indigenous culture and Frenchie is determined to keep his culture alive, even if only through his hair.

I personally connect with this as hair is a major symbol in the black community as well. Like Frenchie, I’d always worn my hair long as a cultural symbol. Where I grew up, it was like a prize to be a black girl and have long hair. It was a symbol of feminity; a symbol of beauty and proof of being well kept. After all, my mother would always say, “A woman’s hair is her glory”.

——- I’ve cut off ALL of my hair. I’m still feminine. I’m still beautiful. I’m still well kept.

So,

Toast with two fists. One for me, and one for Frenchie.