“I was told you were dead, Auntie,” he says. As Xavier see Niska, he falls to the ground. He has been badly injured in the war, and his left leg has been amputated. Instead, Niska’s nephew, Xavier, steps off the train. When the train arrives in Moose Factory, Elijah is not onboard. Niska is not used to seeing so many wemistikoshiw in one place, and as she walks down the street, they point and stare at the “Indian animal straight out of the bush.” As Cree Indians, Niska raised Xavier, and often Elijah too, in “the old way,” away from Moose Factory and the wemistikoshiw (European people). Niska comes to Moose Factory to take Elijah home to the bush. Elijah and Xavier enlisted in the war together, and while Niska received word that Xavier was killed in battle, Elijah will be returning on the train today. Niska hides in the woods outside of Moose Factory for days waiting for Elijah Whiskeyjack (her nephew, Xavier’s, best friend and the “closest thing” Niska has to a relative), to return home from World War I.
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