’ I
• ì
ïb? ftartUttìt ffibsemer
C
By Rose High Bear
of Wisdom of the Elders (WOT E)
August 11, 1999
Focus
u l t u r a l
The Cultural Diversity series is
for the preservation of tradi­
tional and indigenous cultures
and the ageless wisdom held
dear by their people.
t
D
Page 7
iv e r s it y
mercifully and m ercilessly hundreds of
fire beneath the fish rack s at river’s
the Yukon River, with her Dutch h us­
scending syllable and sound, her re­
miles dow nstream through the valley
edge as their m en and children depart
b a n d , W illiam V a n d e r P o o le , the
deem ing qualities shone through and
beneath the A laska M ountain R ange
and return - day after day - fishing,
territory’s new constable. H edidn’t know
had a quiet, but com m an ding effect on
where she enters the Bering Sea.
hunting, gathering. Th ey b rin g their
Dene tradition, that the woman doesn’t
following her m uckluk steps.
Raven, another ancient inhabitant
O n this clear warm day in May, the
grandchildren to the shore and raise
remaining villagers know what to do.
them to learn o f this way so they can
leave her ancestral village.
G randm other w as am on g 170 na­
They’ve predicted this time of ice breakup
know this pow er that gives the people
tives who fluently spoke Ingalik d ia­
river and H is people from generation
for thousands of years. They take the last
life and then swiftly takes it away.
lect of A thabascan. When her hus­
to generation im parting love, wisdom
of the K uskoquim watched over the
of their belongings to higher ground and
Dene ancestors - ancient migrating
b an d forbid her from teaching her
and hard lesson to all of H is children.
he thunderous crack of spring ice
inhabitants of the sub-arctic kept our
language and culture to the fam ily, she
T h is black-winged creature, shrewd
T
patiently wait to behold what the river has
resonates from the riverbank - a sound
heritage pure for centuries as we shared
w as obedient, but rarely used his lan­
trickster, yet chosen to speak for C re­
in store for them this season.
T h e flood o f ice an d gu sh in g water
this vast tundra wilderness with few
gu age, the English language. Su p p res­
ator, perched in the tree above the
villagers have already traveled by dogsled
outsiders. The grizzlies and dall sheep of
sion of indigenous heritage, though a
cemetery and eloquently eulogized my
races past below them an d the people
the mountains, the migrating caribou
Grandm other in 1983, as she began her
gradu ally feel relieved that, this tim e,
com m on occurrence this last century
G ran dm oth er has been com p assio n ­
and the wolves of the foothills, and the
throughout the N orth A m erican con­
final journey hom e to the Spirit World.
ate with her children. O nly the lowest
moose and of course the m osquito na­
tinent, did not succeed in takin g the
sub-arctic water, ice, silt and debris to
portions o f the village have been af­
tion, that lived along the forested waters.
Indian out of this grandm other. Tran-
twist its deadly way through the lower
fected an d very little riverban k is lost.
These were our closest neigh­
reaches o f this small deserted Dene vil­
Fam ilies living in lower p arts o f O ld
bors. By the turn of the century
lage, imperiling foundations o f humble
M cG rath will return from sprin g hunt­
we live in, only the most coura­
dwellings and all else that lies in its path.
ing cam p without heavy loss from this
geous of missionaries, the most
Spring flooding. It is part of the
year’s breakup. T h e ice jam s will gradu ­
ambitious of traders, and the
rhythm of life on the eroding, con­
ally clear and soon the returning fam i­
most enthusiastic of the min­
stantly changing banks of this great
lies will set up river cam p once again.
ers had ventured this far into
sub-arctic river, the Kuskoquim . O ur
By early Ju n e , the people will be put­
elders com e to know the river, their
ting out fish traps, sm ok in g fish, gath ­
our homeland.
My full-bloodied Alaskan
grandm other, as she endlessly weaves
ering roots, berries an d m edicines,
Dene grandmother - Sophie -
her way past our village. They spend
and fortifying winter dw ellings and
migrated to O ld M cGrath in
their days listening to her, watching
food caches - in preparation for a hard
the early part of this century.
her, traveling on her, and feeling her
w inter that com es too soon.
She traveled by dogsled from
that signals the alert to evacuate. Most
to spring hunting cam ps, leaving only a
handful to witness this year’s breakup.
They’ve prepared for the raging flood of
m any m oods and seasons. She flows
T h e gran dm oth ers vigilantly tend
T h is is the resum e of my G ran d ­
mother.
S ummer E vents
her birthplace, Anvik, up on
Flatlands
Thursday, July 15
Theresa Demerest & Good Company
Thursday, July 22
Songwriters in the Round with Craig Carothers
Sunday, July 25 at 7:30pm • $7.00 admission
The Jack McMahon Band
Thursday, July 29
S o p h ie
F r e d e r ic k s
V a n d e rp o o l
was a w e ll-
known elder
who had 53
grandchildren.
She is part of a
m emory
of
how
th in g s
used to be that
is remembered
less by the
young,
but
treasured by
those of us
who lived dur­
ing those days
and grow, from
time to time,
nostalgic when
we see how
much
the
w orld
has
changed since
then.
The Jessie Samsel Band
Thursday, August 5 at 7pm
Retta & the Smart Fellas
Thursday, August 12
UNCF Fundraiser with Tom Grant
Tuesday, August 17
I& I
Thursday, August 19
McMenainins Kennedy School
N F I t r i l . P o rtl.iiid O rr p n n • (SO'S) 2 4 9 -3 9 8 3