In 1974, Paulette Jiles was sent by the CBC to work as a journalist in Big Trout Lake, a village in remote northern Ontario without radio or television. North Spirit is based on the seven years that Jiles spent working with the northern Cree and Ojibway peoples, who call themselves Anishinabe. Jiles explores the turning point of the Anishinabe, when new technology is beginning to clash with traditional culture. With the beautiful writing that Jiles is known for, North Spirit reveals the enduring legacy of northern mythology.