Times have changed and people have begun to realize the damage caused to the First Nation's culture and traditions. On Wednesday June 11, 2008, the Prime Minister of Canada, the Right Honourable Stephen Harper, made a Statement of Apology to former students of Indian Residential Schools, on behalf of the Government of Canada. 


Joseph Boyden shows the hardships Elijah, Xavier, and Niska face in Three Day Road, highlight the history of First Nations people and how these people were mistreated by Canadians. 

In the past, Niska was tricked by a French hunter into trusting him. As a result of this experience, Niska distrusts wemistikoshiw (white people) and is wary around them.

Niska’s past experiences with wemistikoshiw (white people) has made her wary of them since they have brought so much pain for her and her family.
Niska's father was taken by the wemistikoshiw police and died of starvation while in jail. The wemistikoshiw do not understand the traditions of the First Nations. In their culture, killing a windigo is not considered murder, in fact, it must be done for the greater good of the clan.

Niska's Adolescence


Going Home…

Dedicated to our leaders that have passed….
My heart is heavy,
My tears are real.
Lost another one,
And have to deal.
Our warriors are strong,
Many moons today.
Our ancestors fly high,
Wisdom keepers, they say.
I will remember you,
And pay my respect.
Listen and feel your wisdom,
Being humble, not to expect.
Now is your time,
To go home…
I pray for you,
And leave you alone.
To walk amongst the ancestors,
The destination…
Respectfully, I say…
Aho, all my relations…

By Jim Poitras

Source: http://jimpoitras.ca/poems/
Xavier was raised to be a hookimaw (windigo killer) and when Elijah became windigo, he had no choice but to murder his best friend.


Xavier turns to morphine to cope with the traumatic experiences of war. The medicine brings him relief from the nightmares and guilt over his actions during the war.

Xavier's Suffering


Xavier suffers through the memories from war. After being surrounded by death and pain when at war, the guilt of killing people still haunts him. 


Elijah's morphine addiction furthers his progression into becoming windigo. Joseph Boyden shows the European culture as bad and evil and portrays the First Nations culture has good and pure. Elijah surrenders his First Nations identity, and his descent into madness shows the reader the effect European culture had upon First Nations. 

In Three Day Road, the European culture is what triggers Elijah’s journey to becoming windigo and give up the First Nations culture. In a sense, Boyden is linking the immoral acts with the Europeans who influence Elijah and show him the joy in killing.

 Boyden depicts First Nations traditions and culture as good and pure, while showing the European culture as corrupt. This is shown clearly in Elijah, who eventually becomes a windigo. 
Elijah desperately tries to fit in with the European soldiers, so he learns their language and takes part in their activities. His obsession with death and killing brings him closer to the wemistikoshiw (white people), leaving behind his Native identity. 

Elijah's Descent into Madness


The lines between what is moral and immoral get blurred and Elijah becomes obsessed with death and killing. Elijah confides to Xavier late at night and says “I am better than Peggy. He cannot take a scalp. He cannot do what I do” (Boyden 246). Every time he hunts Elijah uses a hunting knife to take a piece of his victim's scalp.





In Three Day Road, Joseph Boyden illustrates the hardships First Nations people experience through Elijah’s descent into madness, Xavier’s suffering, and Niska’s adolescence. 

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