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Zheegwon
The Chief is a middle-aged Indigenous man living in a decrepit house in the Canadian wilderness. He is Nam’s uncle. After betraying many fellow Native people on his former reservation, the Chief fled from Recruiters with Nam in tow. Since then, he has collected six Wives—liberal White women who morally oppose marrow harvesting practices—who view him as a medicine man and prophet. The Chief shares his stash of antibiotics with Derrick but only to gain access to his and Rose’s blood, which he and the Wives consume in the hopes it will restore their fading dreams. Having been subjected to the Chief’s abuse for their entire life, Nam drugs and kills him before fleeing the house with Rose and Derrick.
The Chief Quotes in Hunting by Stars
The Hunting by Stars quotes below are all either spoken by The Chief or refer to The Chief. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 18 Quotes
“Do you not feel that as the chosen people, the ones who have lost nothing important, nothing we can’t find elsewhere, we should help those who are truly without?”
[…] “My dreams are full of lakes and the small islands that skip across them like a heartbeat. They are all that I am. They are my land. Yours are different, I’m sure. If you’re from the north, they are all the colors of freeze, as deep and devastating as their stories. In the south, they are red sand and hills cut from the glass formed under a red sun. Our lands are who we are. That’s not something easily replaced.”
He smirked, and she raised her voice to finish. Despite the subject matter, it felt luxurious to be loud outside for once. “And what have the colonizers lost, exactly? The ability to steal? Their loss is not our responsibility.”
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Chapter 21 Quotes
“It’s about hope.”
“Hope?”
They placed the cup on the floor and sat on the edge of the mattress. “People can’t dream because their way of life is gone and they can’t accept it. They lived through pandemics, but they didn’t not really. He wants to give them hope that there is a different way.”
“What does that have to do with us?”
“We are the different way.”
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The Chief Character Timeline in Hunting by Stars
The timeline below shows where the character The Chief appears in Hunting by Stars. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 16
...Peeking again, she sees a young Native person (Nam) and a shirtless Native man ( the Chief ). Rose knows that being Indigenous doesn’t necessarily mean they’re safe: Riri, the family’s youngest...
(full context)
...asking “Owl woman” to express her gratitude. A thin blonde woman thanks the man ( the Chief ) for providing for them. She also thanks her sisters and Nam (the young Indigenous...
(full context)
The young Indigenous person (Nam) helps Rose carry Derrick into the house. The Chief pulls Rose’s curly hair and asks where she’s from “originally.” She doesn’t answer, but her...
(full context)
Chapter 18
Rose quickly realizes the Chief rules the house (his “church”) as a tyrant, frequently sermonizing on his own gifts as...
(full context)
According to Nam, the Chief really does have antibiotics he stole from the reservation’s health center. Derrick only receives medicine...
(full context)
...has tangled, making her movements uncertain and distracted. She wakes on the third night in the Chief ’s house and finds herself covered in threads. Thirsty, she heads for the kitchen, but...
(full context)
The next day, the house is much cleaner thanks to the rain. The Chief invites Rose to accompany him to the garden, where he prattles about Creator’s gifts. Having...
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...scab on the crook of his arm, making Rose think they’re taking something from him. The Chief appears suddenly, saying they only take as much blood as they need.
(full context)
Chapter 21
...strapped to her bed’s metal frame with belts. After she and Derrick were caught talking, the Chief and his Wives knocked Rose unconscious. She calls out for Nam, who brings her water,...
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Nam comes every day to siphon Rose’s blood. The Wives and the Chief tried doing it, but Rose berated them. She hopes the Chief’s ancestors curse him and...
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The Chief views Derrick’s improved condition as a miracle from Creator, providing them with a long-term supply...
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Chapter 22
...the living room. Nam and Rose release Derrick and head for the door. Nam knows the Chief won’t wake up. Tired of having their dreams stolen in myriad ways, Nam took measures...
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Nam recalls how the Chief (who they called “Uncle Bear”) used to sneak into their bedroom at night, implying sexual...
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Chapter 28
...the rescue mission. Nam loves the woods but seems restless, especially when Rose brings up the Chief potentially pursuing them. One morning, they hear a car, meaning the road is nearby. Rose...
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