Moon of the Crusted Snow

The novel begins with Evan hunting a moose. In what ways is Evan connecting with his Anishinaabe identity when harvesting the moose?

How has your perception of land-based knowledge changed from before reading the novel to after reading it?

On page 107, Justin Scott says that he knows how to live on the land. On page 124, Justin goes hunting with Evan, Dan, Isaiah and Jeff. How would you compare and contrast Justin’s way of living on the land with Evan’s?

Have your group reflect on how Indigenous landbased knowledge has been impacted by the imposition of settler society and values.

The community was forced to make a number of tough choices as supplies dwindled and the power stayed off. How well do you think they managed the crisis? Are there things you would have done differently if you were put in the same situation?

The community’s elder – Aileen Jones – has an important conversation with Evan to begin section two. What does she mean when she says her people have had apocalypse “over and over”? How does her perspective differ from the younger people on the reserve?

The perseverance of the “Anishinaabe spirit of community” is highlighted by the narrator on page

Does this spirit of community persevere through the power outage? How is it challenged, and how do people attempt to keep it going?

Discuss the different roles of the female characters throughout the story. How does Robin react as the crisis develops?

Were you satisfied with the conclusion of this book? Did anything surprise you over the last handful of chapters? How will the future play out for this community in particular?