This collection of 26 student writing samples from the nine schools of the Iditarod Area School District, McGrath, Alaska, includes poetry and prose reflecting nature, community life, recreation, and drug problems. Native Alaskan and Caucasian students of elementary and secondary levels are represented. (DF)

The classic Koyukon tale "K'etetaalkkaanee" recounts the epic journey of a traveler, strong in spirit power, who traverses the North. As he follows the destined path, he effects the transformation of animals, establishes customs, defines features of the physical world, and illustrates practical wisdom. The tale is recounted in Koyukon,…

The Tlingit and Haida are Native Americans who inhabit southeast Alaska and share many traditions and stories. Written by a non-native scholar, this book contains nine Tlingit and Haida tales concerned with shamans and kushtakas. Land otters were fearful hybrid beings of the spirit world. Able to live on land and in water, they had the special…

Six traditional Yup'ik stories are presented in Yup'ik along with English word-for-word translations. Five of the selections are traditional Yup'ik myths or legends called "qulirat"--stories that have been transmitted from generation to generation and often have supernatural elements. The sixth is a personal account of life in a…

Four simple "how" stories from Alaskan legend are presented in large type and amply illustrated. In "How the Caribou Lost His Teeth", Siqpik's only son is eaten by the sharp-toothed caribou, so Siqpik feeds the animal sour berries to make his teeth fall out. "How the Loon Got His Spots" relates how the raven paints…

Taken from Alaskan oral tradition, the five "how" stories are written in simple English prose. "The Four Qayaqs" explains why the porcupine has no fat on his stomach and the beaver has none on his back. "Ptarmigan and the Sandhill Crane" tells how the two very different birds come to look alike. In "Why the Dall…

Perspectives and challenges in doing alcohol and drug abuse prevention in rural Alaska are described through a fictionalized narrative of two consultants to a Native village and one person's development as village prevention specialist. Highlights include innovative programs and approaches to training and intervention that draw on indigenous…

In 1916, May Wynne, a 27-year-old teacher, traveled from Seattle, Washington, to Akiak, Alaska, to teach in a government native school. This book presents her account of the 3 years she spent in Akiak, which consisted of an Eskimo village on one side of the Kuskokwim River and a white settlement of miners, trappers, and traders on the other. Her…

The stories published in this book are the result of a collaborative effort of the elders of the village of Tununak (Alaska), the Lower Kuskokwim School District, and school staff and students. The stories were told in Yup'ik by elders at various school and community gatherings. The book is divided into seven sections: (1) hunters and animal…

Four short stories taken from Alaskan oral tradition are written in plain terms and presented in large print with illustrations on each page. "The Little Mouse" describes how a courageous mouse swims across a river only to discover it is just a man's footprint. In "The Loon and the Muskrat" two animals become possessive of the…

This elementary Filipino reader is intended for use in a bilingual education setting. Each page of text is illustrated with pen-and-ink drawings. (AMH)

Semi-dormant volcanoes, bombing by the Japanese, fierce storms, isolation, high fuel costs, and bureaucratic harassment are some of the conditions peoples of the Aleutian village of Atka, Alaska, have had to contend with in years past. In this illustrated booklet, printed in both Western Aleut and English, Lydia and Moses Dirks, lifetime residents…

Villagers on the Aleutian island of Akutan must share their island with a volcano, an active, smoking one that soils clothes hanging on the clothesline and in winter blackens the snow. Winters are particularly hard on the island. Strong winds blow and as ice clogs the creek the town's electric supply is cut off in February and March. Akutan is a…

A collection of 49 Eskimo narrations forming part of the authentic oral traditions formerly passed on by village elders to succeeding generations are presented in a bilingual format of Yupik and English. These stories and teachings are by and about the Central Yupik people of southwestern Alaska, the largest cultural group native to the state. For…

This elementary reader in Western Aleut is intended for use in a bilingual education setting. Each page of text is illustrated with pen-and-ink drawings. (AMH)