Kiss of the Fur Queen

Reviewers have called the descriptions of Champion and Gabriel’s births two of the most beautiful depictions of childbirth in recent fiction. What in your opinion makes these descriptions so special? What do they illuminate about Cree cosmological concepts of childbirth and conception?

Jeremiah is known as Champion, Champion-Jeremiah, and Jeremiah at different stages in the text. How do the three identities differ from each other?

Why is the novel titled Kiss of the Fur Queen? Based on textual evidence and your own research, explain the Fur Queen’s importance in the lives of Abraham, Jeremiah, and Gabriel. Is she related to the trickster character Maggie? Why does Maggie say her name “used to be Fred but it bored the hell out of [her] so [she] changed it” (231)?

Write a brief essay on Father Lafleur. Consider his connection with the Weetigo, the way the novel describes his physicality, and his teachings about Heaven and Hell. You can also explore why he is always referred to as “Father” despite the magnitude of his terrible crimes.

Gabriel and Jeremiah discuss the Cree story of how the weasel got a new fur coat. According to Jeremiah, “you could never get away with a story like that in English” (118). What do you think Jeremiah means by the statement? Describing the story in your own words, discuss the elements that set it apart from folktales from other cultures you might have read or heard.

Why does Jeremiah initially dislike Amanda Clear Sky? Why does attending the powwow with her make him so uncomfortable? Do you think Jeremiah has internalized some of the negative notions around his heritage?

How do Eemanapiteepitat and its residents change over the course of the novel? Using three separate instances from the text, show how the setting of Eemanapiteepitat changes over the years. Is this change desirable?

Would you agree that deathbed scenes have a special significance in the novel? If so, discuss why and how, using the deaths of Abraham and Gabriel as examples.