Iron Lake features the complicated cultural mix of northern Minnesota in its fictional community around the small town of Aurora and the Iron Lake reservation, located inland from Duluth, just south of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, and surrounded by the Superior National Forest. Krueger’s novels are known for their knowledgeable portrayal of the Anishinaabe communities of Minnesota. Krueger centers the Anishinaabe people and traditions in Minnesota culture and also highlights their continuing struggles with historical racism and ongoing prejudice.

There are seven sovereign Anishinaabe tribal nations in Minnesota: the White Earth Nation, the Leech Lake Band, the Red Lake Nation, the Grand Portage Band, the Mille Lacs Band, the Fond du Lac Band, and the Bois Forte Band. According to the US census, in 2018 there were nearly 60,000 Anishinaabe people in Minnesota; the traditions and culture of this community resonate throughout the state. Krueger includes traditional Anishinaabe knowledge and practices throughout Iron Lake, in which protagonist Cork O’Connor reconnects with his Anishinaabe heritage. The Windigo—a mythical creature from Anishinaabe folklore—is a constant motif in the novel. Cork’s mentor and confidante, Henry Meloux, is an Anishinaabe elder and part of Midewiwin, the Grand Medicine Society.