The Storyteller Trilogy

by Sue Harrison

  Author’s Notes

  PERHAPS THE GREATEST GIFT that any novel can bestow is when, under the guise of entertainment, it allows the reader to defy the boundaries of time and space and live the lives of its characters. This transliteration of the reader’s inner vision offers an incredible possibility: a mind open to new understanding.

  When we step away from ourselves and see through the eyes of another, we are blessed not only with a vision different than our own but also with a more accurate portrait of ourselves, of our political and social environs, and the preconceptions that color our thinking.

  While I make no claim that Song of the River will be able to do that for its readers, during the research and writing of this novel I found that I developed a better understanding of the human weaknesses which precipitate war, the prejudices we use for justification and the devastation that can be brought about by hatred.

  Even when war is reduced to the fundamental level of intervillage conflict, traditions of prejudice and mythologies of superiority are used to justify elitist and even vastly deviant behavior. In both primitive and complex societies, material comfort has a tendency to camouflage the most destructive of social ills, not those that deny us wealth and leisure but those which strike at the most basic and vital level of our existence: our souls, our consciences—the very things which make us human.

  Although there is general consensus that the ancestors of the present-day Aleut people lived on the Aleutian Archipelago thousands of years ago, archaeologists, anthropologists and ethnologists disagree as to the identity of the descendants of the Denali Complex people, those users of microblades who also lived in Alaska thousands of years ago.

  Though novelists are allowed freedoms not given to scientific researchers, please be assured that my speculation has been tempered by research into many North American and Asian aboriginal cultures, both prehistoric and historic, including Aleut, Diuktai, Nenana, Denali, Denbigh, Yup’ik, Athabascan, Cree, Eyak, Tlingit, Tsimshian, Haida, Kwakiutl, Nootka, Koryak, Even, Chukchi, Itelmen, and Yakut.

  I have long believed that one of the best ways to learn about a people is through their language. In Song of the River, I include a number of Native words, most from the Aleut and Ahtna Athabaskan languages, with spellings as standardized in the Aleut Dictionary, Unangam Tunudgusii, compiled by Knut Bergsland, and the Ahtna Athabaskan Dictionary, compiled and edited by James Kari. Both dictionaries are published by the Alaska Native Language Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks.

  Those readers familiar with my first three novels—Mother Earth Father Sky, My Sister the Moon and Brother Wind—and the Aleut words used in those texts will notice minor changes in spelling. When I wrote Mother Earth Father Sky and its sequels, Bergsland’s fine dictionary (published in 1994) was not available to me, and so I used a variety of sources for Aleut words. Because I believe Bergsland’s dictionary is and will continue to be lauded as the definitive lexicon of the Aleut language, I use his spellings in Song of the River.

  My decision to use an Athabascan language for the River People was not merely by whim, but because Athabascan peoples of Alaska evolved a riparian culture and also hunt caribou, bear and various smaller animals and birds.

  The Athabascan language family is comprised of some thirty-five languages spoken in Alaska, Canada and the southwestern and western United States. At the time of the publication of this novel, fewer than one hundred people, most over the age of fifty, speak Ahtna Athabascan, though there are more than one thousand people living who are of Ahtna descent.

  Through Song of the River and my other novels, I hope to engender an awareness of the treasure inherent in North American Native languages, and to that end, I ask that the reader accept the Native words in this novel, not with irritation or in resignation, but with contemplative wonder and joy.

  The riddles in this novel are based on the riddles of one of the northernmost Athabascan peoples, the Koyukon. Each riddle, however, is an original, none copied from any known Koyukon riddle, in recognition and respect of ownership rights.

  (For those readers who are admirers of the oddities and possibilities of language: in Chakliux’s riddle as presented in chapter eight [“Look! What do I see? It runs far, singing, and Sok’s is the first to fill its mouth with meat.” Answer: Sok’s spear], the Ahtna word for a bone-tipped, birch-shafted caribou or bear spear is c’izaeggi, from the root zaek, much similar to zaek’, which means “voice” or “spit,” and also to the word zaa, which means “mouth.” In addition to posing a riddle, Chakliux is also making a pun, thus giving an added dimension to the unraveling.)

  Two last comments: many Athabascan hunters will not use dogs to take bears. They consider such hunting an insult to the bear. Second, please do not confuse the disdain some of my characters carry for fishskin baskets to be a reflection of my own preferences. These references are meant only to illustrate the small prejudices that color our lives. Fishskin baskets, examples of which may be seen in many of Alaska’s fine museums, are incredible examples of the beauty, variety and ingenuity of items produced by Native peoples.

  Glossary of Native American Words

  AQAMDAX (Aleut) Cloudberry, Rubus chamaemorus. (See Pharmacognosia.)

  AYAGAX (Aleut) Wife.

  BABICHE (English—probably anglicized from the Cree word assababish, a diminutive of assabab, “thread”) Lacing made from rawhide.

  BITAALA' (Ahtna Athabascan) A foot-long organ located between the stomach and liver in the black bear. Among the Ahtna, it is considered taboo for anyone except the elders to eat the bitaala’.

  CEN (Ahtna Athabascan) Tundra.

  CET’AENI (Ahtna Athabascan) Creatures of ancient Ahtna legend. They are tailed and live in trees and caves.

  CHAGAK (Aleut) Obsidian, red cedar.

  CHAKLIUX (Ahtna Athabascan, as recorded by Pinart in 1872) Sea otter.

  CHIGDAX (Aleut) A waterproof, watertight parka made of sea lion or bear intestines, esophagus of seal or sea lion, or the tongue of a whale. The hood had a drawstring, and the sleeves were tied at the wrist for sea travel. These knee-length garments were often decorated with feathers and bits of colored esophagus.

  CHUHNUSIX (Aleut) Wild geranium, Geranium erianthum. (See Pharmacognosia.)

  CILT’OGHO (Ahtna Athabascan) A container hollowed out of birch and used to carry water.

  DAES (Ahtna Athabascan) Shallow, a shallow portion of a lake or stream.

  DATS’ENI (Ahtna Athabascan) Waterfowl.

  DZUUGGI (Ahtna Athabascan) A favored child who receives special training, especially in oral traditions, from infancy.

  GGUZAAKK (Koyukon Athabascan) A thrush, Hylocichla minima, H. ustulata and H. guttata. These birds sing an intricately beautiful song that the Koyukon people traditionally believe to indicate the presence of an unknown person or spirit.

  GHADEN (Ahtna Athabascan) Another person.

  HII (Aleut) An exclamation of surprise or disgust.

  IITIKAALUX (Atkan Aleut) Cow parsnip, wild celery, Heracleum lanatum. (See Pharmacognosia.)

  IQYAX(s.) (Aleut) A skin-covered, wooden-framed boat. A kayak.

  K’OS (Ahtna Athabascan) Cloud.

  KUKAX (Aleut) Grandmother.

  LIGIGE’ (Ahtna Athabascan) The soapberry or dog berry, Shepherdia canadensis. (See Pharmacognosia.)

  NAYUX (Aleut) A float made of a seal skin or seal bladder filled with air.

  QIGNAX (Aleut) Fire or light resulting from a fire.

  QUNG (Aleut) Hump, humpback.

  SAEL (Ahtna Athabascan) A container made of bark.

  SAX (Aleut) A long, hoodless parka made of feathered bird skins.

  SIXSIQAX (Aleut) Wormwood, Artemisia unalaskensis. (See Pharmacognosia.)

  SHUGANAN (Ancient word of uncertain origin) Exact meaning unsure, relating to an ancient people.

  SOK (Ahtna Athabascan) Raven call.

  TIKAANI (Ahtna Athabascan) Wolf.

  TIKIYAASDE (Ahtna Athabascan) Menstruation hut.

  TS
AANI (Ahtna Athabascan) Grizzly bear, Ursus arctos.

  TS’ES (Ahtna Athabascan) Rock, stone.

  TUTAQAGIISIX (Aleut) Hearing.

  ULAX(s.) ULAS(pl.) (Aleut) A semisubterranean dwelling raftered with driftwood and covered with thatching and sod.

  YAA (Ahtna Athabascan) Sky.

  YAYKAAS (Ahtna Athabaskan) Literally, “flashing sky.” The aurora borealis.

  YEHL (Tlingit) Raven.

  The words in this glossary are defined and listed according to their use in Song of the River. Readers interested in pronunciation guides may write to the author at: P.O. Box 6, Pickford, MI 49774.

  Pharmacognosia

  PLANTS LISTED IN THIS pharmacognosia are not recommended for use, but are cited only as a supplement to the novel. Many poisonous plants resemble helpful plants, and even some of the most benign can be harmful if used in excess. The wisest way to harvest wild vegetation for use as medicine, food or dyes is in the company of an expert. Plants are listed in alphabetical order according to the names used in Song of the River.

  ALDER, Alnus crispa: A small tree with grayish bark. Medium green leaves have toothed edges, rounded bases and pointed tops. Flower clusters resemble miniature pinecones. The cambium or inner layer of bark is dried (fresh bark will irritate the stomach) and used to make tea said to reduce high fever. It is also used as an astringent and a gargle for sore throats. The bark is used to make brown dye.

  BEDSTRAW: See Goose Grass, below.

  BLUEBERRY (bog blueberry), Vaccinium uliginosum: A low-branching, extremely hardy shrub. Leaves are medium green with rounded tips. Small, round blue-black berries ripen in August. Berries are choice for food, fresh or dried, and are high in iron.

  CARIBOU LEAVES (wormwood, silverleaf), Artemisia tilesii: This perennial plant attains a height of two to three feet on a single stem. The hairy, lobed leaves are silver underneath and a darker green on top. A spike of small clustered flowers grows at the top of the stem in late summer. Fresh leaves are used to make a tea that is said to purify the blood and stop internal bleeding, and to wash cuts and sore eyes. The leaves are heated and layered over arthritic joints to ease pain. Caution: caribou leaves may be toxic in large doses.

  CHUHNUSIX (wild geranium, cranebill), Geranium erianthum: A perennial with dark green palmated leaves and purplish flowers. It grows to a little over two feet in height. Dried leaves are steeped for tea that is used as a gargle for sore throats and a wash to dry seeping wounds.

  CLOUDBERRY (salmonberry), Rubus chamaemorus: Not to be confused with the larger shrublike salmonberry, Rubus spectabilis, this small plant grows to about six inches in height and bears a single white flower and a salmon-colored berry shaped like a raspberry. The green leaves are serrated and have five main lobes. The berries are edible but not as flavorful as raspberries, and are high in vitamin C. The juice from the berries is said to be a remedy for hives.

  FIVE-LEAVES GRASS (cinquefoil), Potentilla tormentilla; (marsh fivefinger), Potentilla palustris: These potentillas have five-fingered palmate leaves, and root at the joints. Plants of the Potentilla genus have yellow flowers—except palustris, which has purple blooms. They branch out from the root with flowers at the end of eighteen- to twenty-inch stems. Palustris leaves are used for tea (nonmedicinal). Tormentilla root is boiled and applied as a poultice to skin eruptions and shingles. It is said to be useful as a tonic for the lungs, for fevers and as a gargle for gum and mouth sores.

  GOOSE GRASS (northern bedstraw), Galium boreale: The narrow leaves grow in groups of four under the fragrant white flower sprays. Young plants warmed (not boiled) in hot water and placed on external wounds are said to help clot the blood. The dried plant, made into a salve with softened fat, was used to treat external skin irritations. Teas (steeped, not boiled) made of young leaves, seeds or roots may be diuretic. Roots produce a purplish dye.

  IITIKAALUX (cow parsnip, wild celery), Heracleum lanatum: A thick-stemmed, hearty plant that grows to nine feet in height. The coarse, dark leaves have three main lobes with serrated edges. It is also known by the Russian name poochki or putchki. Stems and leaf stalks taste like a spicy celery but must be peeled before eating because the outer layer is a skin irritant. White flowers grow in inverted bowl-shaped clusters at the tops of the plants. Roots are also edible, and leaves were dried to flavor soups and stews. The root was chewed raw to ease sore throats and was heated and a section pushed into a painful tooth to deaden root pain. Caution: gloves should be worn when harvesting. Iitikaalux is similar in appearance to poisonous water hemlock.

  LIGIGE’ (soapberry or dog berry), Shepherdia canadensis: A shrub that grows to six feet in height with smooth, round-tipped, dark green leaves. The orange-colored berries ripen in July and are edible but bitter. They foam like soap when beaten.

  PARTNER GRASS (pineapple weed), Matricaria matricarioides: Finely feathered leaves grow on stems up to twelve inches in height. The rayless yellow flower heads emit a pineapple smell when crushed. Plants are used for teas and are said to soothe stomach upsets. Caution: some people experience skin irritation from handling these plants. Large doses may cause nausea and vomiting.

  PURPLE FLOWER (purple boneset), Eupatorium purpureum: A tall (five to six feet) perennial, its clustered purple flower heads appear in September. Coarse leaves grow in groups of three or five. The root, crushed in a water solution, is said to be a diuretic and tonic as well as a relaxant.

  RYE GRASS (basket grass, beach grass), Elymus arenarius mollis: A tall, coarse-bladed grass that is dried and split, then used by Aleut weavers to make finely woven baskets and mats.

  SIXSIQAX (wormwood), Artemisia unalaskensis: Some Aleut people used the leaves of this plant as a hot poultice. See Caribou Leaves, above.

  SOUR DOCK (sorrel, curly dock), Rumex crispus; (arctic dock) Rumex arcticus: Leaves are shaped like spearheads, wavy at the edges, and fan out from the base of the plant. A central stalk grows to three or four feet in height and bears clusters of edible reddish seeds. Steamed leaves are said to remove warts. The root of these plants is crushed and used as a poultice for skin eruptions. Fresh leaves are abundant in vitamins C and A, but contain oxalic acid, so consumption should be moderate.

  WILLOW, Salix: A narrow-leafed shrub or small tree with smooth gray, yellowish and/or brownish bark. There are presently more than thirty species of willow in Alaska. The leaves are a very good source of vitamin C, though in some varieties they taste quite bitter. The leaves and inner bark contain salicin, which acts like aspirin to deaden pain. Bark can be chipped and boiled to render a pain-relieving tea. Leaves can also be boiled for tea. Leaves are chewed and placed over insect bites to relieve itching. Roots and branches are used to make baskets and woven fish weirs.

  WOUNDWORT (goldenrod), Solidago multiradiata, Solidago lepida: Serrated leaves grow in an alternating pattern up stalks that can attain three feet in height. Golden clusters of flowers top the stem in August and September. Powdered or fresh leaves and flowers were used as dressings for wounds. Tea made from flowers is said to be helpful for internal bleeding or diarrhea. Flowers are used to make a yellow dye.

  YELLOW ROOT (gold thread), Coptis trifolia: A creeping fibrous perennial root, the leaves grow in threes on foot-high stalks separate from flower stalks. Tea made from boiling the root is said to be an invigorating tonic and also a gargle for sore throats and mouth lesions.

  YELLOW VIOLET, Violaceae: Small yellow five-petaled flowers are borne on stems that grow to approximately ten inches. Flowers carry irregular dark lines at the center of each petal. Serrated leaves are heart-shaped. Both leaves and flowers are edible. Leaves are a good source of vitamin C. Leaves were mixed with fat and used as a salve on skin contusions. Caution: leaves and flowers tend to have a laxative effect.

  Acknowledgments

  NONE OF MY NOVELS could have been written without the patience, encouragement and wise advice of my husband, Neil Harrison. He is my best friend, business partner, confidant and travel companion. I also owe a great deb
t of gratitude to our children, Krystal and Neil; our parents, Pat and Bob McHaney and Shirley and Clifford Harrison; and to our brothers and sisters. A loving family is a gift I can never repay.

  To my agent, Rhoda Weyr, whom I am privileged to count as friend as well as adviser, forever my thanks. She saw possibility where others did not, and in addition to her astute business skills, continues to enrich my life as encourager, advocate and sounding board. My most sincere gratitude to Ellen Edwards, an editor blessed with skill, vision and patience. I count myself fortunate to have had her help because my work requires an inordinate amount of all three. My heartfelt appreciation also to her staff, and to Ann McKay Thoroman and her staff.

  To those friends and family members who have had the patience to read Song of the River in its various forms, many, many thanks: my husband, Neil; Pat and Bob McHaney; friend and gifted writer Linda Hudson; and my sister, Patricia Walker.

  With each of my novels, and with each of the journeys Neil and I make to Alaska, we find we are more indebted to those who share their knowledge, expertise and advice. There are never enough words to express our gratitude and the awe we feel when people open their homes and their hearts to us.

  For those families who have offered the hospitality of their homes during our Alaska travels, many thanks: Dort and Ragan Callaway and Mike and Rayna Livingston of Anchorage; Karen and Rudy Brandt; Kaydee Caraway and her family: Candie, Joe and Hollie of Anchorage and Beluga; Mark Shellinger, Superintendent of the Pribilof Islands School District (who made our visit to the Pribilofs possible, gave us a place in his home, and escorted us on incredible walking tours of the island); B.G. and Lois Olson of St. Paul Island; Bonnie, Chris and Samantha Mierzejek of St. George Island (who gave us a place in their home and treated us like family); Mike and Sally Swetzof and their daughters Crystal and Mary of Atka; Bill Walz, Superintendent of the Aleutian Region School District and his wife Lani and son Wilson of Unalaska (who engineered our trip to Unalaska and Atka and allowed us to stay in their home, including us in Unalaska’s wonderful Aleut Week); head of the Akutan Traditional Council, Jacob Stepetin, and his wife, Annette, and Pat Darling (who arranged our visit to Akutan).