Moon of the Crusted Snow Themes

In Moon of the Crusted Snow, an isolated First Nation community survives a harsh winter by reconnecting with their traditional knowledge of the land. When a mysterious blackout occurs during a harsh winter, members of a remote Anishinaabe reserve suddenly find themselves without the modern conveniences they’ve come to rely on in recent years. The community soon realizes the blackout is widespread, ongoing, and it’s debilitated nearby towns and cities (which have devolved into…

Waubgeshig Rice’s Moon of the Crusted Snow is an allegory for First Nation people’s experiences under colonial oppression. Set on a remote Anishinaabe reserve in Northern Canada, the plot revolves around a widespread power outage that throws the region into chaos during a brutally frigid winter. Outsiders begin seeking refuge on the isolated reserve, but they soon exploit the Anishinaabe’s hospitality, incite violence, and cause suffering—prompting the Anishinaabe to flee. The Anishinaabe community’s spiritual guide…

Moon of the Crusted Snow offers a cautionary tale against toxic masculinity. The story depicts an Anishinaabe community struggling to survive through a harsh winter during a blackout. Some members of the community (notably protagonist Evan Whitesky’s family) respect the wisdom of their eldest community member, a wise old woman named and Aileen Jones. Others defer to a younger, stronger, and more aggressive man named Justin Scott. Scott’s authority relies on…