One of my favorite things to do is go into classrooms and share our
Ahtna history and ancient legends (called Ya Ne Dah Ah) which have
been passed down since the beginning of our time. These stories
began so long ago it was during a time when the animals and humans
could communicate with each other; they spoke the same language.
My mother was the last one in our family who remembered the stories
and told them to us from the time we were small. Because the stories
were passed down orally, we realized that if we didn’t write them
down, they would be lost forever.
I’ve been telling these stories in schools for the past ten years
and wished for a fresh tale to share. I applied for and received a
small grant from the Puffin Foundation to write a modern story that
would still hold true to the old ways. Although the story begins and
ends in an ancient village, the travels of the central characters
take place in today’s polluted world. I geared the story toward
health because diabetes, obesity, and other diseases are having such
a huge impact on our People.
The story is about the life cycle of salmon and begins when thunder
roars down the canyon. (My mother told me she could always tell when
the salmon were coming back because there would be thunder and
lightning.) In my story the returning salmon nourish the village,
spawn, and end their life cycle. We see how the eggs grow and become
fish. Two salmon, Earl and Merle, find a garbage dump with ready
access to junk food and decide to live there instead of traveling
the world like their cousins Barry and Larry.
We follow the adventures and dangers around the world with Barry and
Larry. When it’s time to come back to spawn, Earl and Merle are too
sickly and overweight. They’re no challenge for the healthy salmon.
Even the eagle doesn’t want to eat them. Although this is a fun and
interesting story for children, the message of a healthy lifestyle
is clear.
Before long Earl and Merle were inviting a few of
their favorite lazy cousins to join them in their secret hiding
place, which happened to be right by the dump. They discovered cans
with soda pop still inside. They even found a pack of cigarettes and
a lighter. Earl said, "This is the life for me."
One of my sons,
Dimi Macheras, has always loved to draw. He attended our Ya Ne Dah
Ah Tribal School during his junior high years. When he later came to
work for Chickaloon Village, part of his job was to illustrate our
legends. He did an amazing job and won an award for garnering the
interest of young people through this anime graphic novel style.
It was very rewarding working with Dimi because I had the
imagination to write the story and he had the artist’s mind to bring
the words to life. To be able to work with my son in this effective
way to deliver a message of health through a modern/ancient legend
was gratifying beyond words. It’s my hope that this little book will
lead people to more awareness of keeping our Earth clean and our
bodies strong.
Patricia Wade is available
for sharing her Tribe’s history and legends. Call 715-2199 or email
patricia@chickaloon.org.
Books are available at the Alaska Native Heritage Center, many shops
in the Valley and Amazon.com.
