The Everlasting Road

Contents Cover Title Page Copyright Dedication Epigraph Anishinaabe Terms and Pronunciation Guide Author’s Note Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Chapter 42 Chapter 43 Chapter 44 Chapter 45 Chapter 46 Chapter 47 Acknowledgments Resources Landmarks Cover Cover Title Page Table of Contents Start Copyright Print Page List i ii iii iv v vi vii viii ix 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Copyright © 2023 by Wab Kinew
 Tundra Books, an imprint of Tundra Book Group, a division of Penguin Random House of Canada Limited
 All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
 Publisher’s note: This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
 library and archives canada cataloguing in publication
 Title: The everlasting road / Wab Kinew.
 Names: Kinew, Wab, 1981- author.
 Identifiers: Canadiana (print) 2021035223X | Canadiana (ebook) 20210352248 | ISBN 9780735269033 (hardcover) | ISBN 9780735269040 (ebook)
 Classification: LCC PS8621.I54 E94 2022 | DDC jC813/.6—dc23
 Published simultaneously in the United States of America by Tundra Books of Northern New York, an imprint of Tundra Book Group, a division of Penguin Random House of Canada Limited
 Library of Congress Control Number: 2021949358
 Edited by Lynne Missen
 Cover art copyright © 2023 by Chippewar
 Cover designed by Lisa Jager
 www.penguinrandomhouse.ca
 
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 To the students atPelican Falls First Nations High School:
 You inspired me to write the first book in this series, Walking in Two Worlds.
 Having the opportunity to write and publish a novel was the realization of a long-standing dream of mine, and you helped me to achieve it.
 So to you I say “miigwech,” and…
 Ando-bawaajigek—seek your dreams!
 
 
 “Just keep going. No feeling is final.”
 —RAINER MARIA RILKE, BOOK OF HOURS, I 59
 
 
 Anishinaabe Terms and Pronunciation Guide
 Ahow kaa’anishinaa ndinawemaaganiidog. Niiyogiizhik indigo. Pizhiw gosha ndoodem (AH-how caw-nish-in-NAH in-din-uh-WAY-mah-gun-ee-toke. NEE-yo-gee-shick in-di-GO. pi-SHEW go-SHAW in-DOH-dem): O, all of those whom I presume to be my relatives, I invoke you. My name is Four Skies and I am a member of the Lynx Clan.
 Ahow Wiisinidaa! (AH-how wee-sin-it-TAH): Let’s eat!
 Anishinaabe (a-nish-in-NAH-bay): Ojibwe or Indigenous
 Anishinaabe Akiing (a-nish-in-NAH-bay AH-king): Anishinaabe territory
 Anishinaabeg (a-nish-in-NAH-bake): Plural of Anishinaabe.
 Doodemi’aatig (TOE-tem-ee-ah-tig): A wooden-pole grave marker bearing the 
 AUTHOR’S NOTE
 This novel makes reference to many Anishinaabe cultural teachings. However, the details and descriptions have been changed slightly to preserve the sanctity of the authentic Anishinaabe traditions. If these scenes resonate with you, or you are an Anishinaabe person looking to reconnect with your culture, please consider these scenes as partial encouragement to offer tobacco to an Elder or spiritual person you know in your nation or territory who can provide you with real-world guidance. These teachings