Seven Fallen Feathers: Racism, Death, and Hard Truths in a Northern City

From the founding of Thunder Bay, many white residents discriminated against Indigenous people within the city, and it was split into “white” and “Ojibwe” sides. Racism and apathy toward Indigenous communities still occurs today. Thunder Bay, which has a population of around 120,000 residents, has the highest hate crime rate in Canada. In addition, a third of Indigenous murders in Ontario occur in the city. As the book illustrates, all seven Indigenous children encountered racist attitudes from the city’s white residents. Thunder Bay is a dangerous place for the Ojibwe people, especially Ojibwe children. The Ojibwe have tried to file reports about hate crimes, but the police rarely conduct thorough investigations related to the treatment of Indigenous peoples. Given the city’s high levels of racism and apathy, Indigenous people living in Thunder Bay have a deep mistrust of the city’s institutions, particularly the police and justice system.

Talaga emphasizes that Thunder Bay is radically different than the communities the Indigenous people leave behind: “Back home, there are no traffic lights or crosswalks. No McDonald’s or Loblaws. Most communities have only one shop—the Northern Store, a catch-all selling everything from high-priced groceries to batteries and rubber boots” (19).