Warrior Girl Unearthed

Content Warning: This section discusses anti-Indigenous and anti-Black racism; the kidnapping, murder, and rape of Indigenous women; sexual abuse and “grooming” of underage people; and mistreatment of human remains.

Perry, whose given name is Pearl Mary Firekeeper-Birch, is the novel’s central protagonist and narrator. Bold, blunt, and rebellious, she doesn’t initially have an internship because she “skipp[ed] the interview to go fishing” (6). She teases Lucas about this: “‘Too bad. So sad. Gonna fish with my dog and my dad,’ I riff to the tune of M.I.A.’s ‘Bad Girls’” (6), referencing a popular rap song with the refrain “live fast, die young, bad girls do it well” (7), which Perry repeats as she drives off.

Perry and Pauline are identical twins and call each other “Egg” to reference how they started off as one ovum, but they’re very different. Perry doesn’t aspire to go to university or score a prestigious job like Pauline does. Although she acts brash about people comparing them, she’s insecure about it. When Leer-wah traps her, Perry flashes back to third grade, when she heard a teacher distinguish her and Pauline by calling Pauline was “the smart one” (354). While Perry doesn’t care about being book-smart, she’s extremely knowledgeable about Indigenous knowledge and traditions.