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.