Character Analysis
Attean lives the good life. He's a true-blue, dyed-in-the-wool Beaver clan boy. And what exactly is the Beaver clan? It's his family's tribe of Penobscot Indians. And being Indian is no joke for Attean—when it comes to tradition and family pride, Attean might as well be waving a pennant and wearing a jersey with Beaver printed on the back.
Attean's clan informs who he is and how he acts (much like Matt's family does—be sure to read his analysis elsewhere in this section for more on that). He refuses to do anything related to women's work, including farming and skinning his own bear, because men don't do that in his clan. And his wish-of-all-wishes is to be a mighty hunter, because that's how to become a Beaver clan man. So whether Attean is deciding what to do today, or thinking on his future, the Beaver clan guides his decisions and dreams.
Attean's the grandson of Saknis, the chief of his tribe, so he's also a pretty important kid on the home front. Thanks to Saknis's training, he is a master hunter, fisherman, and can speak English—all at fourteen years old. In fact, Matt figured "it must be mighty pleasant […] to just hunt and fish all day long and not have any work to do" (11.6). But we think Matt is probably missing a few key details…
… like the fact that Attean and his sister are orphans, thanks to the brutality of white men who shot his mother as a trophy and killed his father when he sought revenge. As a result, Attean honors his grandparents as he would his own parents. Oh—and he's got some pretty major beef with white people.
Attean's disgust for white people annoys Matt, but also captivates him. Attean continually mocks and dismisses Matt's white culture—partly because he hates white people, and partly because he's a die-hard Beaver clan fan—but because Attean makes a lot of good points while doing so, Matt wants to earn Attean's trust and respect.
This whole opposites-attract vibe between Matt and Attean makes them excellent foils for each other. Matt's white; Attean is American Indian. Matt doesn't get Attean's rude attitude; Attean hates Matt's culture and what it stands for. Matt is willing to do women's work; Attean thinks that's for sissies. You get the picture. (For more on this, head to the "Character Roles" section about foils.)
So it means that much more when Attean calls Matt medabe, or "white brother" (22.27). What changed his mind about Matt? It helped that Matt aided him in taking down a bear, and it didn't hurt that Matt risked his life to save Attean's dog, but the clincher comes when Matt shows more loyalty to his father than to himself. When Matt risks his own safety and security to keep his promise to his dad, Attean—who is fiercely loyal himself—can't help but respect this white boy.
Attean knows what it means to be loyal to his father. He wants to find his manitou and become a great hunter not only because that's what men do, but because that's what his father was. His father died on the war trail, seeking to avenge Attean's mother's murder, so despite the bummer of Matt's refusal, Attean admits, "I do same for my father if he still live" (22.4). It's a pretty tender moment from our boy Attean, who generally keeps up a pretty tough front throughout the book. So at the end of the story, we know for certain that in addition to mad survival skills, Attean's also got a heart of gold.