Pushing the Bear: A Novel of the Trail of Tears

Content Warning: The source text addresses themes of genocide, displacement, and cultural erasure. In addition, both the source text and this guide contain references to sexual assault and racist ideologies against Indigenous people.

Maritole is the protagonist and primary narrator of the novel. She fits several roles in her community and is a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister, and an aunt. She also serves as a caretaker for elders in her community, such as the Widow Teehee. For Maritole, her community and family roles are the most important aspects of her life. At the beginning of the novel, she worries about performing her daily chores despite the threat of the soldiers. As she states, “Now the soldiers had found us […] I had to wash the baby’s clothes. I was going to take the corn to the mill. A basket of apples and peaches from our trees waited by the wagon” (4). The frantic recounting of her chores and responsibilities, juxtaposed with the looming arrival of the soldiers, conveys her deep recognition of The Importance of Community. She recognizes the threat of the soldiers and the forced removal of her people, but her immediate thoughts are still focused on the mundane tasks that she needs to complete.