Two old women
Subtitle: an Alaska legend of betrayal, courage, and survival
By: by Velma Wallis ; illustrations by Jim Grant
Edition: 1st Perennial ed.
Publisher: Perennial; Harper Perennial
Published: 2004
Place of publication: New York, NY
Language: eng
Number of pages: 140
ISBN-13: 9780060723521
Copyright date: 1993
Subjects: Gwich'in Indians; Folklore; Athapascan Indians; Legends
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.
Table of contents: title: Dedication; title: Acknowledgements; title: Introduction; title: Hunger and cold take their toll; title: "Let us die trying"; title: Recalling old skills; title: Painful journey; title: Map; title: Saving a cache of fish; title: Sadness among the people; title: Stillness is broken; title: New beginning; title: About the Gwich'in people.