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A collection of five short stories with illustrations that bring the stories alive. They are stories that can help anyone learn how to live and survive in the wild with Mother Nature at her best. Many of the tales are taken from the real-life adventures of the author. ... Read more

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"Life in the Far North" combines striking images and easy-to-follow text to describe the Native nations that have lived in the northernmost part of present-day North America for thousands of years. The frigid climate has impacted every element of daily life for groups such as the Inuit, Yup'ik, and Inupiat. Children will be keen to learn about: dwellings such as snow houses; hunting and fishing; the daily lives of men, women, and children; the making of crafts and clothing using natural materials; traditions and ceremonies; and how the arrival of Europeans changed the ways of life of these people. ... Read more

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The art of photography was still young when Edward Sheriff Curtis joined the Harriman Expedition in 1899. He left home a studio photographer; he returned a zealot with a mission: to document the world of the Natives throughout North America before white settlers destroyed it utterly. This book features the best of Edward Sheriff Curtis's turn-of-the-century Alaska images alongside translations of Native legends and reflections of modern-day Natives. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great book
I bought this book for my daughter's 4th grade project.
It is full of useful information and the pictures are beautiful.
My daughter found it easy to understand and enjoyed it. ... Read more

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Interventions examines how members of Native American and Canadian First Nation groups situate their art in contemporary global environments, creating a new kind of nexus between the requirements of Native communities and the forms of public display that are of interest to worldwide audiences.

Judith Ostrowitz selects several critical cases to demonstrate this strategic tacking between macro- and micro-identities. The long-term implications of the totem pole restoration projects of the second half of the twentieth century; the opening of the National Museum of the American Indian; the dance event in Juneau known as Celebration; the impact of modernism and postmodernism on Indian art; and the use of electronic media to establish Indian territory on the Internet all demonstrate facets of the purposeful and context-driven strategies of self representation designed by Native communities.

The NMAI may be the paramount example of the construction of public identity originating from Indian Country to date. Ostrowitz describes how, in the course of the museum's creation, the distinctions among many specific groups of origin were selectively blurred in service of larger goals. In contrast, the purpose of the gathering of Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian people at the biennial Celebration is to rejoice in the vitality of their traditions and distinct Native groups. Finally, postmodernism has afforded twentieth and twenty-first century Native artists the opportunity to penetrate mainstream art worlds, where experimentation is encouraged and the former criteria for the production of "Native art" is selectively referenced.

Through close readings of Native cultural productions, Ostrowitz puts Native art practices into conversation with larger issues in cultural studies. Art audiences are becoming familiar with many works that address global communities but are generated in environments affected by specific ethnic, gendered, and cultural perspectives. As the work of non-Native artists in world-system venues is now also interpreted in the context of the biographical and cultural histories of their makers, all works of art may be better appreciated as expressions of local artistic position. ... Read more

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Provides a brief history of the Inuit people and discusses their customs as a background for understanding their sculpture, drawing, and printmaking. ... Read more

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When Jewish author/storyteller Sheldon Oberman met Inuit artist/hunter Simon Tookoome, he knew the encounter was special. Still, he had no idea their meeting would result in an amazing collaboration that would span a decade. Through the use of many tape recordings and translations, Sheldon has painstakingly woven the threads of a remarkable man_s life into a book for all to treasure.With Tookoome_s drawings to enhance the text, Oberman has managed to express the cadence and voice of one of the last of the Inuit to live the traditional nomadic life in the Arctic. The Shaman_s Nephew magically transports readers to a cold climate that warms and grows more familiar with every turn of the page. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Amazing insight to a beautiful way of life nearly forgotten
This book surprised me as I first saw it as an endearing picture book talking about igloos.But when I read it, it became a real eye opener.With Tookoome's humble way of telling stories I feel that I got a very clear picture of what it was like for him to go from living the most real of lifestyles on the land, to a contrived one, being forced to live in a settlement.Tookoome tells a sad yet beautiful tale that will make you think about what white man (Kabloonaq) has done in the name of "progress", and how it has forever altered the course of how life was intended to be lived.

A superb introduction to Inuit culture.
In The Shaman's Nephew: A Life In The Far North, Inuit shaman Simon Tookoome and author/storyteller Sheldon Oberman collaborate to provide aunique translation of both Inuktitut and oral traditions. Illustrated infull color throughout by self-taught Tookoome, The Shaman's Nephew offersdistinct and animated art showcasing twenty-eight passages describingvarious and diverse aspects of Inuit life including the naming of children,child-rearing, hunting, drumming in Inuit culture, the mysteries ofShamanism, and Tookoome's own inspiration for his art. The Shaman's Nephewis highly recommended reading for students of Native American studies ingeneral, and the Inuit culture in particular. ... Read more

Product Description
A sweeping new account of Wabanaki prehistory from a native perspective. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

questionable information and not reliable
I have read this book with great interest as to the accuracy of the NOW generation of information of the 21st century on the Northeastern Woodlands Native Americans.I find this book only to be the regurgitations of previous authors of the same Native people. There are spins of the truth that have come forth that are absolutely not of any accuracy nor of proven facts.Resources of live Natives of this region, available to the authors access, have been dishonored by the complete disregard to state the truth and facts about The Abenaki and in whole the Wabankai people and their allies who are part of the whole of the Abenaki people.I find the author to have written a book, only to have his name published for selfish gains and not to inform the reader of the facts. His writings are non other than trampling on the bodies and spilling of the blood of all involved who have actively partook in the creation of this history over the many centuries, on the backs of other peoples previously published and nonpublished works.No new information has been provided.However a lot of new disinformation and confusion has made this book not worth the match to burn it with. ... Read more

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Part novel and part memoire, Not Far Away recounts the life of a female Ojibwe schoolteacher in northern Michigan as she endures the most caustic forms of racism. ... Read more

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Based on decades of research and extended collaboration with Inuit storytellers, award-winning author Howard Norman’s masterful retellings of ten Inuit tales invite readers on a unique story--journey from Siberia and Alaska to the Canadian Arctic and Greenland. Dramatic illustrations inspired by stonecut art of the Inuit people capture the beauty and mystery of these stories as they carry us--sometimes laughing, sometimes crying--from village to village over taiga, tundra, snow plains, and the iceberg-filled sea.
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Customer Reviews (1)

Brains and Beauty
Aside from the wonderfully told stories, this book is an exceptional example of bookmaking, from the white on white end pages to the frieze-like illustrations by the Dillons that tell the story along the top of the page.A great choice for a gift book. ... Read more

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In the fall of 1897, eight whaling ships became trapped in the ice on Alaska's northern coast. Without relief, 200 whalers would surely starve to death by winter's end. In a Far Country is the story of an unprecedented and epically heroic trek to save them.

Leading the rescue mission was the extraordinary missionary Tom Lopp. In rich and vivid prose, John Taliaferro tells of how Lopp and seven native Eskimo herders drove 400 reindeer over 700 untracked miles. He also depicts the personal odyssey of Tom and his wife, Ellen--their commitment to the natives and the rugged but happy life they built for themselves amid a treeless tundra at the top of the world. Their accomplishment would surely have received broader acclaim had it not been eclipsed by two simultaneous events: the Spanish-American Warand the Alaska gold rush. Despite the Lopps' determined efforts, the natives of the North were soon overwhelmed by a force mightier than the fiercest Arctic winter: the twentieth century. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Life in Alaska in the late nineteenth century was frought with constant danger and unimaginable challenges.
They certainly were a hardy lot.Those who chose to come Alaska in the latter part of the nineteenth century faced obstacles and hardships that most of us simply cannot comprehend.So why did they come?Despite the fact that the industry was in decline, fleets of whaling ships from such distant ports as New Bedford, Mass. and San Francisco, CA still made the trek to the Bering Sea each year in an effort to eke out a living.Those in the business of saving souls viewed Alaska as fertile territory to spread the Good News.And as the nineteeth century drew to a close there was yet another important reason why thousands would risk life and limb to come to theAlaskan wilderness.The Great Alaskan Gold Rush was on!"In A Far Country" is author John Taliaferro's remarkable account of the events that were unfolding in Alaska during these years.
Tom and Ellen Lopp were missionaries who came to Alaska in the early 1890's. Tom was a Presbyterian from Indiana while Ellen was a Congregationalist who hailed from Minnesota.Both were assigned to a mission at Cape Prince of Wales on the western tip of the Seward Peninsula.Only a month after meeting in July 1892 Tom and Ellen were married.As things turned out Tom and Ellen would start a family and spend the next dozen years ministering to the Eskimos at Cape Prince of Wales.The work was dirty, difficult and exhausting but proved to be extremely rewarding nonetheless.During their years at Cape Prince of Wales the Lopps opened a mission school and assisted in the effort to establish a herd of reindeer in the area.The man who had attracted both Tom and Ellen to Alaska through an advertisment in "American Missionary" magazine was one Sheldon Jackson.Jackson, who was at the time the general agent for education for the new U.S. Territory of Alaska was absolutely convinced that bringing reindeer to Alaska was the key to the regions economic future. Reindeer were indigenous to neighboring Siberia and had been used there for centuries as both a source of food and for transportation.Jackson envisioned teams of reindeer driven sleds moving people, commodities and even the mail throughout the Alaskan territory.At the same time Sheldon Jackson argued that the reindeer could replace the dwindling numbers of caribou as the primary source of food for the native Eskimo population."In A Far Country" details how large herds of reindeer would eventually be established in several areas of the Alaskan wilderness. Finally, John Taliaferro spends a great deal of time chronicling what became known as the Overland Relief Expedition.At the end of the summer of 1898 a total of 8 whaling ships who were operating in the Chukchi Sea off the northwest coast of Alaska became trapped in the ice and were unable to leave the area.It was feared that unless help arrived in time more than 200 sailors would eventually starve to death. The Overland Relief Expedition was organized and Tom Lopp was tapped to lead the final leg of this Herculian rescue effort.What an incredible adventure!
I found "In A Far Country" to be quite compelling reading indeed.The publishers quite wisely furnished a detailed map of the region at the beginning of the book and I found myself referring to it again and again. I find that inclusion of maps like this often greatly enhances my understanding of the events being discussed in the text. All in all this is a nicely written book about important history that has been largely forgotten. Recommended!

Excellent adventure
This is a little known adventure story of missionary people, personalities, government polititians, native Americans, & foreigners.It has graphic illustrations of problems and errors made when dealing with different cultures in unknown and adverse climates. I enjoyed reading it and would recommend it.

Life on the Edge of Civilization
It must have taken individuals of rare inner strength to even have the desire to go establish a Christian mission at Cape Prince of Whales, 55 miles across the Bering Strait to Russia and only 70 miles south of the Arctic Circle. Even more surprising to me was the number of women, single or married to missionaries, who went as well. Tom and Ellen Lopp were both single, that is until six weeks after they met.

This is a story of the mission at Cape Prince of Wales, the Lopp's and of a dramatic rescue where Tom and seven Eskimo herders drove a heard of reindeer some 700 miles to rescue stranded sailors whose ships had become frozen in the ice. This was a trip to rival the other famous trip in the cold, but up until now has been little known.

All in all, a most interesting book about life on the very edge of civilization.

epic adventure
This book rightly takes its place among the other tales of heroic arctic travel.It is well researched, the writing is sprightly, and the characterizations both compassionate and vivid.

The extraordinary story of the Alaskan Overland Relief Expedition of 1898
In the summer of 1890, Tom Lopp, a thirty-three-year-old Presbyterian from Indiana, and Harrison Thornton, a thirty-two-year-old Virginian, are chosen to serve as missionaries at Cape Prince of Wales, Alaska, 55 miles from the shore of Russia. They are left with supplies and a simple structure built to serve as both house and school. Their mission is to teach the Natives about Christianity, but first they must learn Inupiaq and teach the Eskimos English. Two years later, Thornton leaves to find a wife. He returns, married, on a ship carrying Lopp's future wife, twenty-four-year-old Evelyn Kittredge, a Congregationalist from Minnesota, who is assigned to share teaching duties with Tom. Perfectly matched, they marry one month later and, together, continue teaching and preaching (for ten years). The Thorntons move to a separate house, and teaching duties are split up. Meanwhile, preparations are made to establish a reindeer station at Port Clarence, sixty miles away, which should help enable the Eskimos to become self-sufficient as herders. When the contracts of the men assigned to the Port Clarence station are allowed to expire, the Lopp's are hired as superintendent (him) and teacher (her). Back at Cape Prince of Wales, Thornton's seemingly irrational worries that the Natives intend to kill him are realized when he is fatally injured during an attempted robbery. The instigators suffer the ultimate punishment at the hands of members of their own village. At the reindeer station, the size of the herd steadily increases, as does the size of the Lopp family. At page 238, the story comes full circle with a member of the Overland Relief Expedition knocking on the Lopp's door, which is how the story begins. The preceding pages cover the actions leading up to the ORE, especially background on the members of the expedition and captains of the icebound ships, as well as the politics behind the decision to guide hundreds of reindeer to Point Barrow, located at the northernmost point of Alaska, to stave off the possible starvation of crewmembers stranded by icebound ships, who are living in squalor and subsisting on rations. The successive pages describe the journey itself in great detail; the (reindeer) adventures along the way; and the fate of the stranded crewmembers (who would likely have survived without intervention), the rescuers, and the reindeer. The details of everyday life at the missions, and the interactions of the Lopp family with the Eskimos, are equally as good as the story of the expedition itself. Seth Kantner provides similar details about a family living in a remote part of Alaska during more recent times in Ordinary Wolves.
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Product Description
At the edge of a great frozen river, Kumak and his family lived in their house by the willows. Though their house was warm and cozy, Kumak was not happy. His wife was not happy. His sons and daughters were not happy. His wife's mother was not happy.

"Too small, this house," said Kumak. "I will go to see Aana Lulu. She will know what to do."

Set in an Inupiat Eskimo village in the northwest Arctic, KUMAK'S HOUSE is a folktale that conveys a humorous lesson on life with Kumak as the foil. As Kumak treks again and again to elder Aana Lulu for advice, the book's charming illustrations incite laughter and introduce children to traditional Inupiat activities and animals of the Arctic. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Village Alaska for All Ages
Living in Barrow, Alaska, the farthest north community in the U.S., I have experienced small houses in a harsh environment, like the one in the book.The book takes place in the small Northwest Alaska village of Buckland and is based on tales elders tell the young people all the time.
Kumak and his family have a comfortable little house on the edge of a frozen river, but with several generations living there, it seems crowded.
When I first met my wife Chris in Barrow, she was living alone in a 10x12 dwelling she called "The Box." And we do have a lot of larger and newer houses, but some large families and households still live in smaller houses.
Anyway, the author writes and illustrates the very wise way a local elder helps Kumak and his family deal with their perception of "a crowded house."It is a fanciful and funny at times, but there is a good lesson to be learned.
The book is listed for children age four years old and up, but I'd say it will be interesting to older children and adults ---anyone who has lived the small village lifestyle in Alaska, or who is interested in that way of life.
Now if I can just make some space in our little house in Barrow, so I can find my notes and finish my writing for the day.
Enjoy the book!
Earl Finkler

kumak's house
bravo, michael bania!,more books like this one,please. i adore this book, and so do my nine year old twin son's. the pictures in the book are beautiful, the colors reflect the exact colors in the far north (how did she acomplish that?). and the message this story shares with us is priceless, to be content with what we have, NOW. this is a book we all can learn from, and one we need to teach to our children. give this book as a gift to all the people in your life that you care about. my family is already looking forward to the next one. blessings to you michael bania, your a winner.

Kumak's House
My three year old was engrossed as I read this book to her.I couldn't turn the pages too fast because she was busy examining all the details in the illustrations.At the same time, my 11 year old 7th grader who was born reading wanted to see the illustrations also.He did not leave his chair til I had finished the book.Mythree year old immediately wanted me to read the book to her again.It is a pleasure to be able to read them a story depicting Native children and adults engaged in cultural activities.
From a bush teacher's point of view- a great piece of literature with local ties.
I hope this is only the first in a long line of books from this talented author and illustrator! ... Read more

Product Description
The projected five volume "Handbook of the American Frontier" is intended as a work of first reference that provides insights into Indian-white relationships during the first four centuries of our colonial and United States history. Based upon both primary and secondary sources, it includes the Indian viewpoint as well as the white, and provides references to assist the reader to additional information. Volume IV of the "Handbook" is an account of men and events important in the frontier history of the West from the earliest Spanish explorations to the last Indian battle, fought in 1918. Like previous volumes, it is presented as an historical dictionary with entries relating to the experiences of Indian leaders and tribes, traders, explorers, missionaries, mountain men, military officers, and frontier settlers. Much attention is devoted to warfare, treaties, and alliances between European and Native American Nations. Tribes featured include the Apaches, Navahos, Pueblos, Utes, Paiutes, Shoshonis, Modocs, Yumas, and the proliferation of native peoples inhabiting the Pacific Coast from Mexico to Canada. The other regional volumes cover events and peoples in the Southwest Woodlands, the Northeastern Woodlands, and the Great Plains. The final volume of the set will include a general index, bibliography and chronology. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Wind Speaker, published by Aboriginal Multi-Media Society of Alberta (AMMSA) on June 1, 2000. The length of the article is 1348 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Four, so far, hope to compete for top AFN job.
Author: Paul Barnsley
Publication: Wind Speaker (Newsletter)
Date: June 1, 2000
Publisher: Aboriginal Multi-Media Society of Alberta (AMMSA)
Volume: 18Issue: 2Page: 32

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

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From the window of the small floatplane, fifteen-year-old Gabe Rogers is getting his first look at Canada's magnificent Northwest Territories with Raymond Providence, his roommate from boarding school. Below is the spectacular Nahanni River--wall-to-wall whitewater racing between sheer cliffs and plunging over Virginia Falls. The pilot sets the plane down on the lake-like surface of the upper river for a closer look at the thundering falls. Suddenly the engine quits. The only sound is a dull roar downstream, as the Cessna drifts helplessly toward the falls ...

With the brutal subarctic winter fast approaching, Gabe and Raymond soon find themselves stranded in Deadmen Valley. Trapped in a frozen world of moose, wolves, and bears, two boys from vastly different cultures come to depend on each other for their very survival.

00-01 Land of Enchantment Book Award Masterlist (Gr. 6-9)

Customer Reviews (51)

great book for fans of Hatchet
Boarding school roommates, Gabe, from Texas, and Raymond, a member of the Dene native tribe, along with Raymond's great-uncle, Johnny Raven, are trapped in the Canadian wilderness, after their floatplane's engine fails.Will they be rescued, or will they have to survive the brutal subarctic winter?This novel is an exciting survival story likely to be particularly popular with boys.I thought it was very similar (almost too similar) to Hatchet, although I think the two books could make an interesting "compare and contrast" for young readers.

Great book for boys
I bought this book for my 9 year old son.I like to read what my children read so we can discuss what they have read.I thoroughly enjoyed this book and my son did too.I have a hard time finding books besides Harry Potter (which we love) to interest him.This is a really good adventure story for the 9-14 crowd.

Wilderness Survival
Gabe's father works as a diamond excavator in Canada.Gabe decides to go to boarding school nearby in order to be able to see his father more often.His roommate is a native Canadian, a guy named Raymond who has trouble adjusting to the school routine after living in a small village his whole life.

Gabe is interested in going in a small plane to see the scenery in the area.His father arranges for him to ride along when one of Gabe's classmates and a village elder are flown to their home.Not until that day does Gabe find out that his roommate Raymond is dropping out of school and going home again.

On their way to Raymond's village, the pilot goes off-course and ends up dying trying to save the stalling plane.Now Gabe, Raymond, and the village elder, Johnny, are alone in the wilderness and fighting to survive.With winter coming on and temperatures well below zero on a daily basis, things are getting desperate.

I liked the information about surviving in the wilderness, although I don't expect I would ever need it.I also liked the growth of the characters and their process of learning to rely on themselves and on each other.

However, this book was pretty close in plot to some of Gary Paulsen's stories, which I think are better written.

Great Read!!!
I bought this book to use in a literature unit with two 8th-grade homeschoolers, one an avid reader, and the other a very reluctant reader. The book was a hit with both! The reluctant reader even started reading ahead on his own because he wanted to find out how the story turned out. The story stimulated some great discussions on literary technique (foreshadowing, cliffhangers), social and cultural ideas, wilderness survival, making choices, and gaining maturity through adversity. There were also lots of opporunities to expand the boys' vocabulary.

We highly recommend this book!!

Far North
This is the best survival book since hatchet. The characters are likeable and it has a good plot. Unlike the earlier reviewer, who said they had everything to survive, they did have all the right gear, but they were not experienced outdoorsmen. They had a gun, but no ammo.(until later, and even at that they had only three bullets...) This story is realistic and enjoyable. I hope that someone wll make a movie out of it...If you are a survival/action/adventure book reader, or any book reader for that matter, I would read this book. Its educational, realistic, and a really enjoyable read. ... Read more

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