The novel was written as a testimony to the Potawatomi traditions, stability, and continuity in a rapidly changing society.
Today, Queen of the Woods is read as Simon Pokagon's desire to mark the cultural, political, and social landscapes of the time, as well as a memorial to the past and a monument to the future, in which he saw the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians as distinct and honored people.
[1] Queen of the Woods begins as Simon Pokagon returns from Twinsburg, Ohio, where he went to school for several years.
Lonidaw dies from grief as Pokagon watches the fireflies gather to guide his wife to her spirit home.
As a result of these tragedies, and remembering his commitment to his wife to fight against alcohol for the rest of his life, Pokagon tries to carry on.