She’s a big woman with square shoulders. She’s plump and her skin is as brown as the earth. But what strikes you the most about her is her eyes. They’re deep black, like the water at the foot of a cliff at the moment the sun goes down. Her hair is done up in two buns over her ears. She wears a beret and a flowered dress that falls down to the tops of her moosehide moccasins.

Manie has a lot of influence in the community. She’s known for her courage and her good judgment, but people still don’t listen to her the way they would if she were a man.

And she’s worried about these strange men. She asks the hunters about it, but nobody knows what’s going on. Why are these men hanging around the reserve? What are they doing? Why haven’t they introduced themselves?

It’s all very suspicious. We know the white men are clever, and they never do anything without a reason.

“Planting a stake here and there doesn’t hurt anyone,” some people say. “The forest is big. It belongs to everyone.”

The orders are to wait and see, but Manie isn’t satisfied. She wants to know what’s going on. She tells me to keep a close eye on the strangers and report back to her.

There are six of them in all, and they arrive early every morning in yellow pickups. As soon as they get out of their trucks, they get together for a smoke. Then the boss shouts, “Okay, boys, let’s go! It’s seven o’clock!” and the men gather up their equipment and disappear into the woods.

In the afternoon, they come back to the same place for another cigarette. Again the boss cries, “Okay, boys, let’s go! It’s five o’clock.”

They are very punctual and well disciplined.

All day long they go through the same routine, lining up and planting their stakes. The wood is very white and looks freshly cut. The stakes seem harmless, except for the part that sticks out of the ground. It is painted red, like blood.

The men are working smack in the middle of the McConninis’ camp. Won’t the family be surprised when they come back from the winter hunt and go to put up their tent. They sure aren’t going to want to live with a red stake planted in the middle of their house. Mr. and Mrs. McConnini are going to be mad.

One day I decide to come out of hiding. I’m tall and easy to spot, but the man carries on as if I’m not even there. I figured he would stop working when he saw me pop out right beside him, but he doesn’t do a thing. He doesn’t even say anything. I could be a rock, or a tree.