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Wab's Coming-To-Story
Wab's Coming-To-Story most likely takes place in 2042 because she tells the story about 6-8 months after we're formally introduced to her by Frenchie as an 18-year-old woman. Wab mentioned that she was 10 during this time in her life that she speaks of. Logically 2050 minus 8 years, would bring us to around 2042/43. -
Miigwans Coming-To-Story
In relation to Wab's coming to story, in Miig's story, the schools/recruiters were already searching for Indigenous people. Because of this, it's possible that both stories could've taken place during the same year or the next. Granted, Miig and Isaac were farther away from the city so his coming to story most likely happened after Wab's since it would've taken a while for recruiters to search outside the city that Wab was in. -
Frenchie and Mitch are separated
The book picks up at the time when Frenchie and his brother Mitch are hiding out in an abandoned tree house. All of a sudden, recruiters start to investigate the property. They discover that someone’s hiding in the treehouse. Because of this, Mitch sacrifices himself to the recruiters to spare Frenchie. Frenchie watches his brother get dragged away violently, and even witnesses them break his bones as he gets pulled into the recruiters' van (Dimaline, pg. 4, 2017). -
Frenchie Ventures Alone
After he escapes, Frenchie finds some water in a barrel that he can drink. Funny enough, he gets confronted by this family of guinea pigs who’ve evolved to survive in this dystopian climate, and he goes onto explain the terrible conditions the world is in. -
Frenchie's Found
Frenchie was on the brink of death. He had a toothache, he was lost, alone, without water, and cold (he wasn't cold enough to freeze so that makes us believe it could've been in October... it wouldn't be spring because Frenchie later says that he's been suffering for 5.5 years which would lead up to that approximate date). Before everything came to an end, Miig found Frenchie, took him in, and nourished him to help him feel alive again. -
Period: to
Time Jump
Part of the book where a chunk of time passed. This is indicated from when Frenchie was first found by Miig. By following the growth of Riri, we know time passed. He said "There was a child, not much older than a baby" (Dimaline, p. 16, 2017), and then when he formally introduced Riri on page 21, he said she was now a child (Dimaline, p. 21, 2017). We know Frenchie was talking about Riri because he later said "Riri had just been a baby when I'd join the camp" (Dimaline, pg. 27, 2017). -
Story: Part One / Rose Joins
Miigwans is telling the story about dreams and the water wars. Then all of a sudden, Rose gets pulled out of the bush and eventually joins the group. -
After Rose Joins
Up to this point, Rose joins the group and Frenchie mentions that Rose has been with them for about 3 weeks now (Dimaline, p. 32, 2017). Because of this, it's reasonable to think that the story is currently taking place mid-late May. -
Fall 2050
Frenchie wakes up sweating and by a shake from Zheegwon urging him to get up because they had to go. Frenchie mentions that he'd hit a growth spurt this past summer implying that they were in early fall (Dimaline, p.40, 2017). -
Hunting Time
"I woke up with stiff muscles and frozen toes [...] (Dimaline, p.43, 2017)." Frenchie then went onto say that it rained more since the North started melting. Because of this, they were probably in late fall/early winter when it was cold enough but not too cold that it snowed. This is also the same time when Frenchie almost killed a moose. -
A Plague of Madness
This section of the story, the group is discussing the dreamless people and if they're truly bad people. Wab famously asks, "Do you think circumstances make people turn bad? Or that people make circumstances bad to begin with?" (Dimaline, p. 53, 2017). Around this time, Frenchie brings up the Moose he almost killed, again. Hence this point in time must be close to the last since the Moose is still in his memory. -
The Four Winds
Time would've passed between this and the Plague of Madness because Frenchie opens up in the chapter saying "We headed northwest, up towards the shallows of James Bay [...] (Dimaline, p.56, 2017)." This could imply that they've been travelling for a long time. This is also the same time (or the next day) that Wab finally told her Coming-To-Story. -
Story: Part Two
It's possible that Miig either told Part Two of the story the same day Wab told her story, or the next day. Either way, they're still at The Four Winds. Miig talks about how people who couldn't dream, freaked out. To solve the problem, they accepted Indigenous volunteers to do a dream test (Dimaline, p. 89, 2017). Everything went downhill from there. -
Back In The Woods
Miig said that this was the last snow of the season (Dimaline, p.92, 2017). He then concluded that they're in April now. In addition, the group is still reminiscing over The Four Winds resort which means that they were there not too long ago (Dimaline, p.93, 2017). -
Miigwans Tells His Coming-To-Story
Most likely took place the next couple days since the story continuous seamlessly. -
Finding Direction
This takes place the same day or the next day as the chapter starts off with Miig talking to Frenchie as if picking up from their previous conversation (Dimaline, p.108, 2017). -
The Potential of Change/The Other Indians
Frenchie starts off by saying "Miig was wrong about that last gust of winter. A week later and we were on our fifth day of constant snow (Dimaline, p.111, 2017)." This shows that this chapter took place exactly a week after Miig claimed that winter was basically over, and that they were in April. Furthermore, they had also found two others by noon the same day-- they ended up betraying them (Dimaline, p.118, 2017). -
The Way It All Changed/Riri's Death
The others that they slowly started to trust, betrayed them before the sun rose the next day. They called the recruiters. With them fighting, one of them ended up killing themselves and Riri by jumping off a cliff (Dimaline, p.134, 2017). After that, Frenchie impulsively killed the other betrayer (Dimaline, p.137, 2017). -
The Long Stumble/Frenchie's Depression/Miig's Story
The story passes 2-3 days of the group running and mourning Riri's death. Frenchie commented, "The next two days and nights were much the same (Dimaline, p.140, 2017)." At this time, Frenchie can't get the thought of Riri and him killing a man get out of his head. He contemplates waiting for the recruiters in place. He even wishes he had an extra bullet so he could kill himself. Miig re-tells his story about losing Isaac to comfort and teach Frenchie about loss (Dimaline, p.140, 2017). -
Rogarou Comes Hunting/Minerva's Kidnapping
"We were on day eight since Riri [...] (Dimaline, p.146, 2017)." -- The group found a barn to sleep in for the night. Minerva insisted on staying on the ground floor of the barn... little did the group know that she did this on purpose so that she could sacrifice herself for the others. They woke up to Minerva being dragged away. "Then they dragged out Minerva, who stayed silent, whose smile was the last thing we saw as they turned through the doorway [...] (Dimaline, p.151, 2017)." -
On The Road/Found
Frenchie says that it's getting warmer, and you can't see your breath anymore. It's probably the end of May (Dimaline, p. 155, 2017). When they're confronted by others that found them at their tents, Frenchie says that they've had a hard life for the past 5.5 years (Dimaline, p. 163, 2017). Little did they know that these Indigenous people were helping them to safety-- for Frenchie, they helped him find his dad (Dimaline, p. 168 & 169, 2017). -
The Miracle of Minerva/Loss
Miig & co found out that Minerva was still alive. She actually had a master plan to take down the recruiters with her special humming and presence. She was able to do this because she dreamed in her language (Dimaline, p. 170-173, 2017). The found this out the same day the other Indigenous people found them. At the end of "Loss", Frenchie finds out that Rose wants to leave and now he's torn whether to follow her or stay with his dad who he just reconnected with. -
Word Arrives In Black/Frenchie & Rose Fight
Two days after they joined the camp, and the day after Frenchie feels challenged by Derrick-- Frenchie questions Clarence (Derrick's uncle) on how they can make their homeland a home again. To which he replies, "[...] we can start healing the land. We have the knowledge, kept through the first round of these blasted schools, from before that, when these visitors first made their way over here like angry children throwing tantrums (Dimaline, p.193, 2017)." Also, Frenchie & Rose get into a fight. -
Lost, Found, Lost
The next day, Frenchie and co wake up early to get ready to rescue Minerva. As they approach the attack point to intervene the truck with Minerva in it, several of them get injured and Minerva ends up being shot and killed by one of the drivers. "He [Miig] yanked the door open, and she [Minerva] fell into his arms [...]. He caught her and sank to the ground (Dimaline, p.210, 2017)." -
Kiiwen
After Minerva dies, the group mourns. Two days later when they buried Minerva, Rose and Frenchie cut their hair to send off with her (Dimaline, p. 212, 2017). Ten days later, they found a new area to set up camp in. -
Wab's Pregnant/Post-Minerva
Frenchie went onto explain that summer was merciless the next two weeks and that Wab was expecting a baby with Chi-Boy (Dimaline, p.213, 2017). The community tried their best to be positive by starting a youth council, learning words in Cree, and craft more Keys (Dimaline, p. 214, 2017). -
Miig is Reunited With Isaac
The seven stumble upon Isaac and his companions but are unsure of who they are at first. After eventually gaining trust, they start to ask Isaac questions to draw him out. Frenchie asked, "'What language do you dream in?' [...] 'I dream in Cree' (Dimaline, p.228, 2017)." At that moment, they found the same hope they had in Minerva. Frenchie caught eye of Isaac's tattoo and realized it was Isaac. They rush back to the camp and reunite Isaac and Miig. -
Rose Leaves... Frenchie Follows
Unfortunately, Rose wanted to leave to start a new life. Frenchie was torn whether to stay with his dad or follow Rose. After Rose leaves, Frenchie decides that home is with her and tells his dad he has to go. "He [Frenchie's dad] paused until I lifted my head and looked at him. He was crying too, already saying goodbye (Dimaline, p. 217, 2017)." He eventually met up with Rose and seven others (Derrick, Clarence, the twins, and Bullet). This most likely happens in the next couple days.