Xavier Bird

This character is also known as X by his comrades and Nephew by Niska. His Cree name is Oniimowi Pineshish, which means Little Bird Dancer. Xavier is the main character in this novel and most of the narration is through his eyes. He is a Cree man whose mother abandoned him when he was very young. When he was around five years old, his aunt comes and takes him to live in the bush. He is a natural born hunter and becomes very skilled in the ways of living in the wilderness. Xavier is also the last in the line of a family of windigo hunters.

He brings his best friend, Elijah Whiskeyjack, to live with him and his aunt. The two boys go off to war together and fight side by side throughout all of World War One. Throughout the war, Xavier discovers that his friend...