Tribal leadership on the Ojibwe reservation in Rice’s novel involves a chief who is supported by the input of a close group of band council members and aided by the wisdom of the community elders. At the beginning of the novel, Terry Meegis is the chief of the community. Terry is a man comfortable with the status quo, and he is well liked by the community. People respect him for his position rather than his own qualities. However, as the winter wears on without power or connection to the outside world, Terry’s leadership is put to the test, challenged by more competent council members, such as his cousin, Walter, and by Justin Scott, whose brawn, charisma, and aptitude for violence position him as a strongman figure. Moon of the Crusted Snow reveals how leadership and society are reshaped during times of crisis, for better or worse.

Evan Whitesky is a keen observer of community politics, even though his job for the maintenance department is not a position of great authority. He begins to notice cracks in Terry’s leadership from the first town meeting following the infrastructure outages. He notes the crowd’s reaction to Terry’s explanation of the situation: “The crowd’s restlessness grew.