Survival

Getting closer to the end of the novel I can see the theme survival being thoroughly expressed. Not only can the reader see this in the main characters but the secondary characters as well. Looking further into this I see that it is not only the war soldiers who have to survive but Niska as well.  When Niska was younger she ended up losing her family's as in her one flash back in the chapter "My father" she explains how the men took her father as he committed a crime in the white peoples mind. Then most recently when Niska is explaining stories to Xavier when he left with Elijah for the war. She was again left alone. Niska has learned to survive with the environment and the help of certain spirits. Again looking back to the chapter "Betrayal" when the French men quite literally screwed her over , she was torn and alone and lost her spirit. She prayed and prayed and washed the Suns off of her and summoned a lynx spirit to rid her of the pain that she couldn't live with. That to me was an act of survival in a emotional way. There also was mention that Niska was concerned of the survival of Xavier as his current condition, but honestly I don't see that as much as a problem as I don't believe he will make it past the three day trip.