Jamie is one of two protagonists in Lost in the Barrens. He is the explorer archetype, displaying traits of curiosity and a drive for adventure as well as the motivation to embark on the unknown. However, like many literary explorer archetypes, he is plagued by restlessness and a dangerous need to satisfy his whims, and he defies authority and wisdom in pursuit of adventure. His need to explore dooms Awasin and himself to a winter in the Barrens though his curious mind also offers ideas that help stave off starvation and hypothermia.

Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, Jamie travels through Manitoba to The Pas to live with his uncle, Angus Macnair, an arctic fur trader who lives in a small cabin on Macnair Lake. After a year with Angus, Jamie is strong, muscled, and tanned by sun and wind. He has blue eyes and unruly fair hair. He is physically and temperamentally his best friend Awasin’s opposite.

Jamie is impulsive and imprudent, quicker to action than to thought. He convinces his friend Awasin to go along with his rash decisions, often putting the more risk-averse Cree boy in harm’s way. At the same time, however, Jamie recognizes Awasin’s superior knowledge of the wild and respects his friend as the de facto leader of their misadventure.