Bad Cree Overview and Themes

Overview of Bad Cree

• Author: Jessica Johns
• Publication Year: 2023
• Genre: Horror, literary fiction, Indigenous storytelling
• Narrator: Mackenzie, a young Cree woman
• Setting: Edmonton and rural Alberta, Canada
• Key Themes: Grief, intergenerational trauma, cultural reconnection, the power of dreams, familial bonds

Key Characters

• Mackenzie (Mack): Protagonist, struggling with grief after sister Sabrina's death, experiences vivid, disturbing dreams.
• Sabrina: Mackenzie's deceased older sister, whose death profoundly affects the family; her presence lingers in dreams.
• Mom: Mackenzie's mother, supportive figure providing practical and emotional guidance.
• Kokum: Wise elder, helps Mackenzie reconnect with Cree identity through stories, rituals, and traditional knowledge.
• Jill, Tracey, and Tasha: Mackenzie's cousins, offering support through the struggles with dreams.
• The Crows: Supernatural entities in Cree spiritual beliefs, appearing in Mackenzie's dreams, representing both danger and ancestral wisdom.

Major Events and Plot Summary

• Opening: Mackenzie's disturbing dreams begin with a severed crow head in a snow-covered forest, leading to the blurring of dreams and reality. Grief over Sabrina's death and isolation in Edmonton follow.
• Return Home: Mackenzie returns to the rural Alberta family home, seeking reconnection with Cree roots and addressing her grief.
• Family's Shared Grief: The family shares similar strange experiences and dreams. Flashbacks highlight Sabrina's protective role in Mackenzie's life.
• Kokum and Cree Teachings: Kokum offers guidance through Cree myths and rituals, explaining crows' dual role as danger and wisdom.
• Supernatural Activity Escalates: Mackenzie's dreams become more vivid and threatening, with physical manifestations like crow feathers appearing in the waking world.
• Confronting the Crows: Mackenzie realizes the crows represent both ancestral connection and unresolved family trauma. Memories reveal a suppressed argument with Sabrina.
• Climactic Ritual: A cleansing ritual is performed to confront spiritual disturbances, involving shared stories and memories of Sabrina.
• Resolution: Mackenzie reconnects with family and Cree identity, incorporating cultural practices, and confronting fears. The supernatural elements recede, yet their power remains a reminder.

Themes

• Grief and Healing: The process of family members coping with loss and communal support.
• Dreams and Reality: Dreams serve as a link between physical and spiritual worlds, reflecting Mackenzie's internal conflicts.
• Cultural Reconnection: Importance of embracing Indigenous identity and traditions.
• Intergenerational Trauma: The impact of historical oppression on the family's experiences.
• The Power of Nature: The natural world as both dangerous and wise.

Symbols

• Crows: Represent death, guidance, and ancestral connection, expressing both fear and cultural ties.
• Dreams: Mackenzie's subconscious processing of grief and her connection to the spiritual realm.
• Forest: Represents the unknown aspects of Mackenzie's psyche and her healing journey.
• Feathers and Dream Objects: Physical manifestations of the dream world, signifying the blurred boundaries between reality and the spiritual.

Possible Essay/Exam Questions

• Dreams as a narrative device exploring grief and identity.
• Family's role in Mackenzie's journey.
• Symbolism of crows representing danger and wisdom.
• Intergenerational trauma and solutions presented.
• Kokum's teachings and impact on Mackenzie's identity.
• Balance of horror and healing in the narrative.

Key Quotes

• Mackenzie on dreams: "In my dreams, I was never alone. But that didn’t make it any less terrifying." (connection to the spiritual realm and fear).
• Kokum's wisdom: "The crows are here for a reason. They’re messengers, not monsters." (importance of cultural interpretation of spiritual symbols).
• Mackenzie on family: “It was only when I was with them that I felt like I could breathe again.”(importance of familial bonds in healing).

Explore the haunting and compelling narrative of Bad Cree by Jessica Johns. This quiz delves into key characters, themes of grief and cultural identity, and the supernatural elements influencing Mackenzie's journey. Engage with the rich tapestry of Indigenous storytelling set against the backdrop of Edmonton and rural Alberta.