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 Chapter Summary: The two old women make the dangerous and
exhausting voyage to the old camp, and almost give up at one point. They push on and finally arrive at
their destination. Sa’ reveals this is not the first time she has been left
behind. She tells the story of her youth, and how she rebelled against The People
by hunting and trapping like a man. She also explains how she stood up to the
chief and was left behind with an old woman.
A distant and lone wolf howls at night when the old women
sleep. What do you think this could mean? Or how is the lone wolf related to
the situation of the two old women? (p. 46)
Points to consider:
- The wolves represent danger that lurks in both the
distance and the future.
- The howl creates an atmosphere of solitude and
abandonment.
- The wolf, since it is alone, might also be an old
wolf, banished from the pack, much like the two old women.
What does Ch’idzigyaak mean when she thinks that the two
of them are “fighting the inevitable?” (p.
47)
Points to consider:
- Ch’idzigyaak
at times can’t see the point in trying to survive. She can’t stop thinking
about their age and the impossible task of surviving without The People.
- The
“inevitable” is death due to starvation or cold. She can’t imagine that
the two old women stand a chance.
Why do the women decide to move on even though they want
to stay? (p. 49)
Points to consider:
- They move on out of a sense of urgency to get to
their destination.
- They also know the resources can’t sustain them.
Why do the women not worry about dangerous ice once they
found the creek? (p. 51)
Points to consider:
- The women are too exhausted and elated to pay
attention to the signs of dangerous ice.
- Although nothing happens to the two old women, the
readers get to learn about dangerous ice. This is a great place to point
out how Wallis continues to place traditional knowledge, or ways of
knowing, throughout the text.
Explain the emotions the women felt when they reached the
old campsite. (p. 52)
Points to consider:
- The two old women experience a mix of emotions from
joy to deep sorrow.
- The women now understand something new about each
other and their abilities, but at the same time they experience a sense of
betrayal by The People who have put them in this life-threatening
situation.
Describe the illustration on p. 53 and the significance
that moment holds for the two old women. (p.
53)
Points to consider:
- This illustration shows one woman holding the other
as they approach the skeleton of the ancient camp.
- The illustration represents a pivotal moment. Here
the two old women have reached their destination. They are now in a place
of abundant resources and their chance for survival has increased, but
there is much work ahead.
Sa’ says, when they reach the old camp, “It is better not
to think of why we are here.” What does she mean by this? (p. 54)
Points to consider:
- Here again is another place where the power of
thought is reinforced. When Sa’ asks her friend not to think of why they
are there, she is telling her to not dwell on the negative.
- The advice is intended to keep the two old women from
thinking about the past and begin thinking about the present and future.
What do you think the “many signs of rabbit life” in the
willows included? (p. 55)
Points to consider:
- This question is designed to engage students with
some experience with the outdoors. The novel presents many opportunities
to allow young males (who might otherwise not engage with the story) to
share and bring their knowledge of the wilderness to the classroom.
- Signs of rabbits include tracks, bark removed from willows,
and low-lying trails through the brush.
Explain the bond of friendship from when the old women
lived with the band and how it is different after their travels and hardship. (p. 55)
Points to consider:
- The two old women didn’t really know each other prior
to being left behind.
- After the travel, hardship, and heartbreak, the two
old women have a powerful emotional and mental connection (to the point that
one often knows what the other one is thinking).
Why did the two old women initially not talk to each
other that first night at the old camp? (p.
56)
Points to consider:
- The two were so emotionally exhausted they didn’t
know what to say to each other.
- Instead of conversing, the two old women were dwelling
on their thoughts.
Why was it difficult for Ch’idzigyaak to believe her
daughter had left her? (p. 56)
Points to consider:
- She couldn’t admit to herself that her daughter did
all that she could do without risking her life or the life of her son.
- As her “flesh and blood,” she felt her daughter
should have come to her aid. (These thoughts show that Ch’idzigyaak still
had to learn to forgive.)
What is the story that Ch’idzigyaak tells about when she
was young and people in her band were starving? (p. 57)
Points to consider:
- She tells the story of watching her grandmother get
left behind.
- Her grandmother could no longer walk and the band was
desperate and starving. Her father and brothers returned to the old woman,
and killed and burned her to keep anyone from eating her corpse.
Thoughts are believed to be extremely powerful in many
Alaska Native cultures, including the Gwich’in people. Why do you think Ch’idzigyaak’s mother
tells her that she was afraid people would “think of eating people” during the
famine? (p. 58).
Points to consider:
- Ch’idzigyaak says she turned her head away when someone looked at her,
in fear that someone would “take notice” and think about eating her when
The People were desperate and starving.
- Again, the story emphasizes the power of thought in
Gwich’in culture.
- Wallis’ stories of cannibalism in this novel have
engendered some debate and criticism of her writing as some consider her
suggestion of cannibalism amongst the Gwich’in (or other Alaska Native
groups) to be offensive.
- A discussion of cannibalism and what this means to a
person’s survival (with reference to the people in Alive and the Donner Party) may engage those students
who have difficulty engaging with the subject matter in the text.
Why do you think Sa’ didn’t understand her mother when
she asked her if she had “become a woman?” (p. 59)
Points to consider:
- Sa’ cares only about the activities of the males and
has taken no interest in the role of womanhood within the tribe, nor of
her own physical changes as a young woman.
- This revelation can provide for a powerful discussion
about the roles of gender in our society. What roles are still strictly
male or female? How are those people who break from the roles viewed?
Why did Sa’s actions anger the people? (p. 61)
Points to consider:
- Members must follow the rules for the tribe to
continue on as they always have. To question or break the rules would be
viewed as disrespecting the ways of The People.
- Her success as a woman hunter might have threatened
or intimidated the males who were not as successful as she was.
What does Sa’s comparison of the men being no better than
wolves mean? (p. 62)
Points to consider:
- Here is another reference to wolves, which actually
don’t make an appearance in the novel, other than howling in the distance. (You might ask students why they
think this is the case – a quick answer is that you could spend your
lifetime in the wild and never see a wolf up close.)
- The wolves shun the weak and old, like the men do. If
the men are like wolves, they will also fail to learn from their mistakes
or learn to use their elders’ wisdom.
Why does the chief call Sa’ strange? (p. 63)
Points to consider:
- He calls Sa’ strange because she acts like a man and
refuses to follow and obey the rules of the band.
- She may also be viewed as strange because of how
successful she is at hunting and because she does not fear the chief or
the other men.
What role does banishment serve in a tribe or community?
Is this a just punishment? Would it work in today’s society? (p. 65)
Points to consider:
- Tribal people for tens of thousands of years used
banishment as a punishment for those who broke the rules. In many ways, banishment serves as
more of a deterrent than jail or physical punishment because banishment
means a person will be cut off from family and loved ones forever.
- The threat of banishment carries no weight if the
individual does not feel connected to the community as a whole. Perhaps this is why banishment
would be ineffective in our modern justice system.
Why did Sa’ call her husband foolish? (p. 66)
Points to consider:
- He was foolish initially because he broke the tribe’s
laws of marriage and was banished from the band.
- When he chose to “fight” a bear, he fought against a
force of nature that would be impossible to win against.
How was Sa’s marriage/husband different from Ch’idzigyaak’s? (p. 66)
Points to consider:
- Sa found her husband and actually fell in love with
him.
- Ch’idzigyaak’s marriage was arranged by her family.
Why do you think Ch’idzigyaak was forced to be with an
older man? Does this still happen in Alaskan cultures, or other cultures? (p. 66)
Points to consider:
- In traditional times, arranged marriages helped
reinforce the bonds between tribal groups and families. They also ensured
family lines could be clearly established.
- Arranged marriages no longer happen in Alaska, though
this was still a common practice as recent as the last century in some
places in Alaska.
What is the role of arranged marriages in a culture? Why do you think a group like The
People would practice this tradition? (p.
66)
Points to consider:
-
The answer above also applies to this question.
-
In many other cultures throughout the world arranged
marriages often have much to do with commerce and a family’s financial
situation. For example, the number of child brides across the world is actually
on the increase in recent years.
How did sharing stories of their early lives affect their
feelings about each other? (p. 67)
Points to consider:
- The two become even closer and grow to understand
each other even better.
- Sharing their backgrounds allows them to appreciate
their differences.
Why you think the women grew depressed during the coldest,
darkest part of winter? (p. 67)
Points to consider:
- This dark part of the winter can be extremely lonely.
- The dark and solitude allows them too much time to
think, and those thoughts cause problems for them.
Why did the women fear the wolves that howled in the
distance? (p. 67)
Points to consider:
- While the wolves probably wouldn’t attack them, the sound
of their howls scares the women. They are alone and vulnerable.
- The wolves also represent the other threats to the
women and the resources they have acquired.
The People rarely spent time in idle conversation. Why
might this be an important part of a relationship, to not just communicate but
also to socialize? (p. 68)
Points to consider:
- Socialization is what makes us human. To share our
feelings, our fears, and our laughter is vital to staying connected with
others.
Does the story hint that the people were missing
socialization as a part of how the group communicated? (p. 68)
Points to consider:
- The People had stopped talking just to talk and
instead only talked to communicate out of necessity.
- Actually sharing and discussing might have kept them
from this situation in the first place.
Why do you think leaving the snares unchecked might bring
bad luck? (p. 69)
Points to consider:
- Allowing an animal to die in a trap and then go to
waste would be a sign of disrespect towards the animal and nature itself.
- Disrespecting nature would inevitably bring someone
living within nature bad luck or even death.
Draw, build, or describe the bird snare. (p. 71)
Points to consider:
- Crafting or drawing a bird snare will allow students
to engage with the text. This can be especially effective with “hands-on”
learners.
- Here is another place where Wallis shares a
survival/hunting technique.
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