Far North

The raven is a symbol of survival in the novel. In the beginning, Gabe is reprimanded for throwing a stick at a raven that is trying to eat their moose meat. Although Raymond doesn’t fully understand why hurting a raven is bad, he learned from a young age to respect ravens. When Johnny struggles to find a moose while hunting, they hear a raven cawing. They see this as a sign of good luck. Ravens indicate that meat is nearby and are known to help hunters find food. Ravens are clever and want hunters to find meat so that they can eat it. When Johnny hunts for a moose, Raymond tells Gabe that “ravens were known to lead hunters to game, knowing that they would get their share from what the hunter couldn’t use” (108). This proves to be true when Raymond uses “raven magic” to find a moose later in the novel (160). Gabe and Raymond start to lose hope that they will be able to find a moose without Johnny’s help, but Raymond starts to hear and see a raven. Although Gabe doesn’t see the raven, they follow what Raymond sees to a moose. Once Gabe understands the importance of ravens to the Dene culture, he starts to see them as a symbol of hope.