Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
Short Essay
Introduction:
Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley is a young adult thriller about Daunis Fontaine, an 18-year-old Ojibwe girl who becomes involved in an FBI drug investigation. When a dangerous new drug called meth-X spreads through her community, Daunis risks her safety to uncover the truth behind it.
The Start of the Investigation:
After her best friend Lily’s tragic death, Daunis learns that Jamie, the boy she likes, is actually an undercover FBI agent. He tells her that her Uncle David had secretly been helping the FBI before he died from a meth overdose. They were studying a new form of meth causing strange hallucinations. The FBI suspects someone from the Ojibwe community is making this new drug.
Going Undercover:
Daunis agrees to work with the FBI and pretends to be Jamie’s girlfriend to gather information. She learns about meth production and returns home to attend local hockey events, where she starts to suspect that players and their families may be involved. As the investigation deepens, Daunis finds Heather’s dead body, and more young people die from meth use. She realizes the drug problem is much larger than anyone thought.
Discoveries and Truths:
Daunis finds her uncle’s missing notebook and realizes the strange effects from meth were not caused by mushrooms. Travis had added love medicine, and the Little People from Ojibwe tradition were truly warning those who used the drug, not just appearing as hallucinations.
She also notices large sums of money in her and her brother Levi’s account, raising suspicion that he may be tied to the meth ring. Later, she uncovers proof that money is being moved through Panama, confirming a major meth operation.
The Meth Cell Revealed:
Daunis is eventually kidnapped by Levi’s mom Dana and discovers that Mike, a hockey teammate’s son, is the real leader of the meth cell. Dana and Coach Bobby are also involved. They want Daunis to help make meth, but with help from Ojibwe Elders, she escapes and alerts the police. Many people are arrested, but Mike and Grant, two key criminals, escape justice.
Conclusion:
In the end, Daunis nearly dies from her injuries but survives. Though the FBI closes the case, she realizes that justice is incomplete. She decides to move forward by learning traditional medicine to help her community heal. Through the investigation, Daunis exposes the truth behind the meth cell and finds strength in her Ojibwe identity and resilience.