Two old women
Subtitle: an Alaska legend of betrayal, courage, and survival
By: by Velma Wallis ; illustrations by Jim Grant.
Edition: 1st HarperPerennial ed.
Publisher: HarperPerennial
Published: 1994
Place of publication: New York, NY
Language: eng
Number of pages: 140
Subjects: Gwich'in Indians -- Folklore; Athapascan Indians -- Folklore; Legends -- Alaska
Other titles: 2 old women.
Description: Two Old Women: An Alaska Legend of Betrayal, Courage and Survival is a classic Athabascan Indian tale of survival, filled with suspense and wisdom as told by Velma Wallis, an outstanding Native American writer. Her style is a refreshing blend of contemporary and traditional, and her choice of subject matter challenges the taboos of her past. Yet her themes are modern -- empowerment of women, the aging of America, and a growing interest in Native American values. Based on a legend told and retold for many generations in the remote Yukon River region of northeast Alaska, this is the tragic and shocking story (with an unexpected upbeat ending) of two elderly women who are abandoned by a migrating band facing starvation because of unusually harsh Arctic weather and a shortage of fish and game.