#athabascan poetry

[abellinthecupboard]

There is No Word for Goodbye

Sokoya, I said, looking through 　　　the net of wrinkles into 　　　wise black pools 　　　of her eyes. What do you say in Athabascan 　　　when you leave each other? 　　　What is the word 　　　for goodbye? A shade of feeling rippled 　　　the wind-tanned skin. 　　　Ah, nothing, she said, 　　　watching the river flash. She looked at me close. 　　　We just say, Tłaa. That means, 　　　See you. 　　　We never leave each other. 　　　When does your mouth 　　　say goodbye to your heart? She touched me light 　　　as a bluebell. 　　　You forget when you leave us; 　　　you're so small then. 　　　We don't use that word. We always think you're coming back, 　　　but if you don't, 　　　we'll see you some place else. 　　　You understand. 　　　There is no word for goodbye.

— Mary Tallmountain

When the Light of the World Was Subdued, Our Songs Came Through: A Norton Anthology of Native Nations Poetry (2020)

[goneahead]

@jareckiworld I don’t know any Gwich’in poems, but there is a well-known San Francisco poet with Athabascan roots. Mary Tall Mountain was Scottish and Koyokun. (The Koyokun and Gwich’in both speak Athabascan languages and live in the Northwest quarter of North America)

note: sokoya is Athabascan for aunt

There Is No Word for Goodbye

Sokoya, I said, looking through

the net of wrinkles into

wise black pools

of her eyes.

What do you say in Athabaskan

when you leave each other?

What is the word

for goodbye?

A shade of feeling rippled

the wind-tanned skin.

Ah, nothing, she said,

watching the river flash.

She looked at me close.

We just say, Tlaa. That means,

See you.

We never leave each other.

When does your mouth

say goodbye to your heart?

She touched me light

as a bluebell.

You forget when you leave us,

You’re so small then.

We don’t use that word.

We always think you’re coming back,

but if you don’t,

we’ll see you some place else.

You understand.

There is no word for goodbye.

~~Mary Tall Mountain

Margaret Nazon — The Tadpole Galaxy  (velvet with beading (glass, plastic and organic material), canvas backing, 2016)

[librarysciencegirl-blog]

Bibliographic Data

Frost H. (2008) Diamond Willow. New York, NY: Frances Foster Books. ISBN 978-0-374-31776-3

Plot Summary

Diamond Willow tells the story of a12 year old girl that is part Athabascan. Her father is a dog musher. Willow helps her father take care of the dogs. She loves her dog and longs to be able to prove to her parents that she responsible enough to take the dogs out on her own. Willow learns that one horrible mistake can cause a disastrous series of events to happen. Willow is protected and watched over by her ancestors that are in animal form.

Critical Analysis

The design of the book of poems are in the shape of diamonds to make a connection with the title, which is an important artifact (stick) in the story, as well as the main character’s name. The diamond shape of the poems and the discovery of the hidden messages makes for an interesting read.  The hidden messages give us an incident into Willow thoughts. Older kids would be able to relate to this book. Just like Willow, they want their parents to see that they are growing up and no longer want to be treated like a little kid.  The addition and regular text format of the spirit animals placed throughout the collection of poems seem be unnecessary and distract from the flow of the poems. Other than the diamond shaped poems, I don’t think the content was an attention grabber that would make kids want to read other books by this author. In the beginning, author’s notes are provided that give background information that aides in the understanding of the poems.  

Review Excerpt(s)

“The first-person, present-tense narrative is typeset in diamond shapes echoing the pattern of diamond willow wood. Bold-faced words at the heart of each diamond hold an additional nugget of meaning. As a dog and dogsled story, this has appeal and wears its knowledge gracefully. Considerably less graceful is Frost’s inclusion of animal guides who are the spirits of Willow’s deceased relatives and who function as fairy-godmother figures to assist her; the blend of realism and magic-cum-religion stretches credulity just a little too far.” - Deirdre f. Baker, Horn Book Magazine (July 1, 2008)

“Set in a remote part of Alaska, this story in easy-to-read verse blends exciting survival adventure with a contemporary girl’s discovery of family roots and secrets…. Frost, who spent years teaching in Alaska, blends the young teen’s viewpoint with a strong sense of place and culture. The casual diamond shape of the poems reflects how precious jewels of wisdom can grow around painful scars. Willow’s bond with Roxy is the heart of the tale.” —Hazel Rochman, Booklist (June 1, 2008).

“Frost casts a subtle spell through innovative storytelling. Her poems offer pensive imagery and glimpses of character, and strong emotion. This complex and elegant novel will resonate with readers who savor powerful drama and multifaceted characters.” -Marilyn Taniguchi, School Library Journal (June 1, 2008).

2009 Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award

2008 Mitten Award--Michigan Library Association

The Lion and the Unicorn Award for Excellence in North American Poetry: 2009 Honor Book

2009 Winner of Best Books of Indiana, Children and Young Adult Book

Connections

·         The students can discuss character traits of the main character                   providing text evidence

·         Students can create Diamante poems

[defalternative]

#HappyIndegenousPeopleDay #Friend Princess Peter-Raboff is a poet, filmmaker and cultural/environmental activist. Born in Bethany, Israel and raised in Alaska, she embraces her mixed Gwich’in Athabascan and Jewish heritage. Influenced by her writer parents, the late Ernest Raboff, and her mother, Adeline Raboff, she was raised to appreciate the antidotal nature of poetry and words. Peter-Raboff has a B.A. in International Relations from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., is a 1999 Sundance Fellow (Screenwriter, Director, Producer), and most recently an Emerging Voices/Rosenthal Fellow through PEN USA. PEN Center USA strives to protect the rights of writers around the world, to stimulate interest in the written word, and to foster a vital literary community among the diverse writers living in the western United States. As an Actress and Director she is known by Princess Lucaj. Princess Lucaj is Neets’aii Gwich’in and the Executive Director of the Gwich’in Steering Committee. As a child, Princess Lucaj was mystified by the oil wells she saw while visiting Los Angeles and the La Brea Tar Pits. She imagined they were dinosaurs and wondered what they could be up to. Her mother explained: A long time ago, Mother Earth buried toxins deep in the ground to keep them from harming people. But now people are digging them up. Since then, Lucaj, a member of the Gwich’in tribe of northern Alaska, said she has been plagued by the realization that “we are not living in harmony with the Earth.” #IMAGE> Photo by Ryan Red Corn. #ReadMORE> http://www.yesmagazine.org/people-power/the-oil-fight-in-the-arctic-alaska-tribe-wants-16-billion-barrels-to-stay-in-the-ground-20161010 #VIDEO>https://youtu.be/NopuBqlt0Oo