Star Wars: A New Hope inspires Chippewa author's development of new hero

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Angeline Boulley will be in Vancouver on Sept. 6 during Truth and Reconciliation month for an event to celebrate her new novel Sisters in the Wind.

An emotional novel about belonging and survival, Sisters in the Wind tells the story of Lucy Smith — a teenage girl in the foster system who discovers her Ojibwe identity, a sister she never knew she had, and a family that had been kept from her.

Boulley — who’s an enrolled member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians and penned the New York Times bestsellers Firekeeper’s Daughter and Warrior Girl — will be doing a public book launch event, which includes a conversation between Boulley and Shannon Ozirny, at the Museum of Vancouver on Sept. 6 at 3 p.m. (tickets are $29.50).

Postmedia caught up with Boulley, who lives in Michigan, and asked her a few questions about her new book.

Question: Where did this story come from?

Answer: I wanted to tell a story about why the Indian Child Welfare Act matters and what happens to Indigenous children and teens when the law isn’t followed. I was inspired by the 2023 U.S. Supreme Court case Haaland v. Brackeen, which had challenged the Indian Child Welfare Act, designed to preserve Indigenous families. Although the court upheld the law, it will not be the last time tribal sovereignty is attacked.

Q: There are a handful of really strong storylines in this novel, what was your starting point for the story?

A: It started with Jamie, a character from my debut novel Firekeeper’s Daughter. He mentioned having been adopted and having no connection to his Native American family. I wanted to tell his story but from the perspective of a new protagonist with connections to Sugar Island.

Q: Lucy is someone the reader really wants to cheer for. Where did she come from? What do you love about her?

A: In the opening scroll of Star Wars: A New Hope (Episode 4), there is a brief mention about rebels acquiring the top-secret blueprints for the Death Star. Andor and Rogue One tell the story about who, how, and why the plans ended up with Princess Leia. All that great storytelling from one line!

In Firekeeper’s Daughter, there is a mention of a half-sister living away from the reservation. I liked the idea of building a remarkable protagonist from that one line. Lucy is clever and brave. She tries to keep from getting close to anyone, while at the same time yearning for family.

Q: The aging out of kids from foster care isn’t addressed very often, can you speak to why you wanted to talk about this issue? 

A: Transitioning from childhood to adulthood is difficult for most teens. But to approach adulthood without a support system increases the risks for these vulnerable teens to become prayed upon. I wanted to centre a teen making this transition out of foster care and into adulthood to show readers the difficulty of this moment and give a voice to these teens.

Q: What do you hope readers take away from Lucy’s story?

A: The Indian Child Welfare Act is regarded as the “gold standard” for preserving families. It seeks to place children with family and maintain ties with the extended community. I want people to take away that children and teens have better outcomes when the ICWA is followed.

Q: Writing is such a solitary pursuit. What is it like for you to go out and talk to audiences about a new book and your work?

A: I love being able to finally talk about the story! The characters feel real to me, so when a reader is excited to talk about them it’s the coolest experience for an author.

Dgee@postmedia.com