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    Two Old Women, [Anniversary Edition]: An Alaska Legend of Betrayal, Courage and Survival
    Two Old Women, [Anniversary Edition]: An Alaska Legend of Betrayal, Courage and Survival
    Two Old Women, [Anniversary Edition]: An Alaska Legend of Betrayal, Courage and Survival
    Ebook95 pages1 hour

    Two Old Women, [Anniversary Edition]: An Alaska Legend of Betrayal, Courage and Survival

    By Velma Wallis

    4.5/5

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    About this ebook

    "No one should miss this beautiful legend." —Tony Hillerman

    Velma Wallis’s award-winning, bestselling tale about two elderly Native American women who must fend for themselves during a harsh Alaskan winter

    Based on an Athabascan Indian legend passed along for many generations from mothers to daughters of the upper Yukon River Valley in Alaska, this is the suspenseful, shocking, ultimately inspirational tale of two old women abandoned by their tribe during a brutal winter famine.

    Though these women have been known to complain more than contribute, they now must either survive on their own or die trying. In simple but vivid detail, Wallis depicts a landscape and way of life that are at once merciless and starkly beautiful. In her old women, she has created two heroines of steely determination whose story of betrayal, friendship, community, and forgiveness "speaks straight to the heart with clarity, sweetness, and wisdom" (Ursula K. Le Guin).

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateNov 5, 2013
    ISBN9780062244994
    Two Old Women, [Anniversary Edition]: An Alaska Legend of Betrayal, Courage and Survival
    Author

    Velma Wallis

    Velma Wallis is one in a family of thirteen children, all born in the vast fur-trapping country of Fort Yukon, Alaska, and raised with traditional Athabascan values. A writer and avid reader, she lives in Fairbanks.

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    Reviews for Two Old Women, [Anniversary Edition]

    4.5/5

    87 ratings34 reviews

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      Two Old Women is so beautifully written and is about an Alaskan Legend that’s been past down from generation to generation. Velma Wallis does a fantastic job at bringing this story to life and explaining the importance of this story/legend that has been passed down to her. She states that people or families sitting down and listening to each other and their stories, is getting lost these days when they choose technology instead.

      This has such a great message behind it and that’s what made me fall in love with it and what kept me hooked and reading this book. Highly recommend this book!
    • 5/5
      Great book! Extremely insightful, teaches one to find strength from within
    • 5/5
      The story was so well written that the detailed account of the women's struggle for survival never became boring or mundane.
    • 4/5
      A sweet story, told in the quiet, reverent tones of a fable. A nice read for a snowy evening.
    • 5/5
      A fine story that makes you wonder about your own strength and place in the world. Thoughtfully and well written. I'm going to find more books from this author.
    • 5/5
      This is a book that EVERYONE should read.....it is like water for a parched soul.
    • 5/5
      Simple, factual and awe inspiring. A tale of what people can do when faced with adversity and how despite circumstance, forgiveness and healing can happen. Loved it.
    • 4/5
      A beautiful story with a message about how the strength that comes from people supporting each other in spite of their fears and reluctance.
    • 4/5
      When two old women are left behind by their tribe in the Alaska winter during times of great hardship, the women decide to work together to dust off their skills and survive. And they do. I was hoping this was going to ping my love for fiction that details how various kinds of work get done, but for whatever reason it didn't. Some of that kind of detail is here, but I just wasn't wrapped up in it as I expected to be. YMMV.
    • 4/5
      Contents of the story – 4 starsWriting style and quality – 2 starsIllustrations - +0.5 starsThis novella about two old women (literally) is an Alaskan legend from the Arctic Circle region in the modern day Fort Yukon and Chalkyitsik. While it is a legend, the story is based on realities of survival in the Arctic and the ways of the Native American people, which is in fact referred to as “The People” in the book.Early in the story, the tribe is suffering during a harsh winter, and the chief/council made the rarely-done decision of leaving two old women behind while the tribe journeyed on. These two women have been cared for by the tribe for many years and are prone to complaining. They were left with all their belongings, including a bundle of babiche and a hatchet. After accepting their predicament, these two made the decision to survive, even if they may ‘die trying’.The story is expectedly heartwarming. The described skills represent a lifetime of surviving in the outdoors. For the modern mind, it’s almost mind-boggling. Hunting is not just for food, but clothing, shelter, and carriers for water. Parts of a tree provide fire, shelter, baskets, tools. In their spare time, they make clothing, tools, shelter, plus dry and store food for the winter. The most important gem is the realization that their lives are not over yet, that they have a lifetime of skills to leverage and to teach others. Don’t worry, there’s a happy ending.This book is great for anyone who is struggling with aging, a good reminder that life doesn’t end till you die. On Aging:“We have learned much during our long lives. Yet there we were in our old age, thinking that we had done our share in life. So we stopped, just like that. No more working like we used to, even though our bodies are still healthy enough to do a little more than we expect of ourselves.”
    • 4/5
      A beautiful story with a message about how the strength that comes from people supporting each other in spite of their fears and reluctance.
    • 5/5
      Alhamdulillah, I picked this up at the right time. I felt guilty for it sitting on my shelf for so long, but really it was waiting for this time. My own decrepitude, whining, and recent knee injury has made me feel like my time is over, that's it, I'm old, ain't going to get better. The story of these women, abandoned, in their old age by their people during hungry times gives me courage. They survived! They challenged their bodies and drew upon their skills and knowledge, that lay dormant when they were with their tribe, as grumpy complacent elders. This book made my heart ache, but it also made me proud of them, and of their tribe (in the end).

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      I got this book from my mom (they are moving and wanted to get rid of some books). This was a surprisingly engaging novella/folk tale about two old women who are abandoned by their tribe during a particularly tough winter. Both the tribe and the old women end up learning a lot about their limits and what is important to them as a result of this abandonment. It was a quick read and a good story. I found myself surprisingly sucked into the tale. I enjoyed the survival elements and hearing about people of that time and how they survived in such harsh conditions.The writing style is very stark and simple (normally not my favorite style of writing to read) but it matched the style of the tale well. Overall a well done folktale that I enjoyed reading. I would recommend if you are interested in tribal Alaska, survival, or the process of aging.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      People have to assist them as they walk with their walking sticks complaining. One hard winter The People are starving and it is decided that the two old women will be left. The two old women are devastated and nearly give up, when one says "..they have condemned us to die? They think that we are too old and useless. They forget that we, too, have earned the right to live? So I say if we are going to die, my friend, let us die trying, not sitting. So the 75 and 80 year olds set about "trying to live". This is a beautiful story of survival, of friendship of women, of old age and the value of old age to the community. The author was born in 1960 in Fort Yukon. She grew up in a traditional Athabaskan family. She has lived alone in her father's trapping cabin 12 miles from the village for dozens of years. She passed a high school equivalency exam and began to write down a legend her mother had told her about the two abandoned old women and their survival.
    • 2/5
      This short novel is a retelling of a native Athabascan legend from before Western culture was known in Alaska. Two complaining, irritating old women are left behind by their tribal group when the group hits hard times, and all are facing starvation. However, rather than dying (as expected), the two women struggle to survive through the winter, learning strength, self-reliance and friendship along the way. Meanwhile, the tribal group does less well at surviving than the old women, and learns that they may have misjudged the two, and must come to re-evaluate their priorities.
    • 4/5
      Velma Wallis has written down an old Athabascan Indian legend about 2 old women left behind to die by their tribe. The telling of the tale is smooth and fast-paced --- the book is only about 100 pages long -- and she keeps the narration sparse and without embellishment, making it feel more authentic and true. The 2 women, (with unpronounceable names) determine to survive, "or die trying." Their determination is inspiring as is their physical strength, resourcefulness and ultimate devotion to each other. There are lessons here of endurance, respect for elders, forgiveness and redemption -- and lots to dicuss as a result.
    • 4/5
      A quick read. A story of two Athabaskan elderly women who were left behind by their tribal chief to die. A story of survival. Written by an Athabaskan woman.
    • 4/5
      Two old women do not know each other very well before being abandoned by their People. Surviving the wilds of Arctic Circle Alaska is serious business, especially when you are elderly. Winter is closing in, food is scarce, and it is time for the tribe to be moving on. The Athabaskan Chief and his Council make the tough decision to leave their weakest behind in order to survive the harsh elements. This means seventy-five year old Sa' and eighty year old Ch'idzigyaak are left to fend for themselves: finding food, making clothes, securing shelter, and staving off loneliness. These women are tough and resourceful, which makes for great perseverance.Spoiler alert. This has a happy ending so you know the women survive. That wasn't the plot twist for me. What I didn't expect was the women's fear of their tribe "finding" them again. They were suspicious of potential malevolent behavior (including cannibalism) if they were discovered to have survived. Even when they are reunited with their People, it takes time to trust them again. Who can blame them?
    • 4/5
      Based on an Athabascan legend, 'Two Old Women' tells the story of a small band of native Alaskans, living in the unforgiving territory above the Arctic Circle, who make a difficult decision as their group faces starvation. They ask two old women to leave the tribe, fearing that the extra food and energy needed to care for them will diminish the band's ability to survive the winter.How the women survive, and what happens to the tribal members who abandoned them, form the backbone of this spare but lovingly told novel, written by a native Alaskan who is intimately familiar with both the land and its culture.Suitable for middle school and above, this tale of survival and redemption is a quick read that will stay with the reader long after the final page is turned.
    • 5/5
      Alhamdulillah, I picked this up at the right time. I felt guilty for it sitting on my shelf for so long, but really it was waiting for this time. My own decrepitude, whining, and recent knee injury has made me feel like my time is over, that's it, I'm old, ain't going to get better. The story of these women, abandoned, in their old age by their people during hungry times gives me courage. They survived! They challenged their bodies and drew upon their skills and knowledge, that lay dormant when they were with their tribe, as grumpy complacent elders. This book made my heart ache, but it also made me proud of them, and of their tribe (in the end).
    • 4/5
      A good friend of mine was once aghast to hear that I had given my grandmother a copy of Velma Wallis's Two Old Women for her birthday, inscribed as follows: To Gran, the strongest woman I know, with love on your 90th Birthday, Abby. Apparently the women of her family, regardless of their age, did not like to be thought "old," and it would have been considered an unpardonable breach of good manners for my friend to have given any of her elders a book with such a title. For my part, I was dismayed, though perhaps not astonished, given our image-obsessed culture, that anyone would consider "old" such a perjorative term, or think of age as something to be ashamed of and hidden, rather than celebrated.I also recall thinking that if a woman didn't know she was old at ninety, or could take offense at a heartfelt gift, meant to express love and deep respect for her wisdom and strength, than she must be sadly lacking in either reason or dignity; and I was glad that such a thing could not be said of the women of my family. But since it would most DEFINITELY have been an unpardonable breach of good manners to have expressed such a sentiment to her, I simply replied, "I do not think my grandmother will be offended."This wonderful book, based upon a legend passed down among the Athabascan women of Alaska, relates the story of two old women who are cast out by their tribe one hard winter. Two old complainers, who seem to have little to contribute to the welfare of the group, Ch'idzigyaak and Sa' have become an untenable burden to a people struggling to survive in a harsh and unforgiving landscape, and it is decided that they must be abandoned. But it is not the young alone who have courage, and when these two old women set out to "die trying," they discover that they still have what it takes to survive. Their knowledge of old fishing grounds stands them in good stead, and when they are reunited with the People, they demonstrate that they do indeed have something vital to contribute: the knowledge that comes with experience and age.As a story of survival, Two Old Women is an engrossing, exciting read. As a fable about aging, the place of the elderly in a culture, and reconciliation between the generations, it was truly moving. I was impressed that no one was villified in the story, and each decision reached, however much we might disagree with it in today's world, made sense in the context of that time and place. I always hesitate to use the word "inspirational," as it has been so abused that it seems to have lost all meaning...but there doesn't seem to be any help for it. This truly was an inspirational book, and I highly recommend it to people of all ages.And as for my grandmother? When we had the misfortune to lose her a few years back, we found this among her books. She had been in the habit of underlining any bit of text she found especially moving or meaningful. Almost every paragraph was underlined...
    • 4/5
      Sometimes "little" books are the best -- this retelling of an old Athabaskan tale is spare and beautiful. Well worth the read.
    • 3/5
      This is an inspiring survival story, with lessons in human nature included!
    • 5/5
      A great lesson about how we should always honor each other for the unique gifts we each have. A quick summary is that two older women members of an Alaskan tribe are left behind by the group when it is decided that they might not be able to keep up, thus slowing everyone else down. This was not an uncommon occurrence in some indigenous groups that lived in conditions so difficult that all needed to be at their best in order to survive. As lives now no longer are this difficult, the practice has disappeared and as the tow old women show us in the story, they are so able to survive that they end up saving the others. We are shown that perseverance and intelligence are equally important to survival s are physical attributes.
    • 3/5
      Substance: An old Athabaskan (Alaskan native) tale of two old women left by the starving band to die. Alone in the winter wilderness, they summon up reserves of courage, old skills, and new determination. They walk to a former camping-ground and not only survive, but manage during the next summer to accumulate a surplus of food that saves their band the next winter. The author pads the basic story with unnecessary PC elements and counter-cultural traits for some characters, but it remains a powerful tale of repentance and forgiveness. No mention is made of any moral foundation, however, nor of any gods - I don't know anything about Athabaskan religion, but it seems unlikely there is no kind of deity or spirit from whom some spiritual message would be conveyed by the story (as in Aesop's fables, most traditional tales point to some "moral" at the end).Style: Could use some polishing by an astute editor, but the narrative is natural and heart-felt.
    • 4/5
      This was a good book. Simple, straightforward, no complex nuances to worry about. I felt it read more like a young person's book. It showed the perserverence of these two old women and the hardships they went through in a harsh, unforgiving climate.
    • 4/5
      A Indian legend about two determined elderly women who have been left out by their families to pass away quietly and alone in the wilderness. These two octogenarians must make concessions and work together to survive. This is a story of adventure, friendship and strength that gives octogenarian readers two beautiful heroines to look up to.
    • 4/5
      This book is a small and quick read and two very determined older women who brave the elements and use their age and wisdom to make it despite being left behind by the tribe due to their age.
    • 4/5
      Based on a Native American (or, as the Canadians say, First Nation people) story from the time when the tribes were nomadic. The tribe was starving, and could not support the two old women any more. So they are left stranded, with a tent and a hatchet and the clothes on their backs. The two women decide not to give up, but to do what they must. They set snares, and catch a rabbit that lasts them a long time, mostly as soup. They walk to a place one of them remembers from long, long ago. They depend on one another, and survive, against expectation. It is a small book, simply and well told. It has the feel of the long version of a story often retold. Recommended.
    • 5/5
      In this well-told tale of two tribewomen who are in their old age we see what determination can do. Having earned the respect of their tribe these two women have been content to let others do for them over the years. But their age hinders the tribespeople's movements and they are facing a brutal winter. The chief makes the decision to turn these two out into the harshness of the bleak Alaskan Yukon to live or die. Together these two women forge a bond of friendship and recall the skills of their younger days, conquering the pain of unused muscles and fear of the unknown to survive even the harshest of conditions. The story comes full circle when they again meet up with their tribe and the chief who once turned them out now finds he and his people have need of their wisdom. A wonderful book for just about everyone. Full of hope and determination.

    Book preview

    Two Old Women, [Anniversary Edition] - Velma Wallis

    DEDICATION

    This book is dedicated to all of the elders whom I have known and who have made an impression in my mind with their wisdom, knowledge and uniqueness.

    Mae P. Wallis, Mary Hardy, Dorothy Earls, Sarah Gottschalk, Ida Neyhart, Patricia Peters, Edison Peters, Helen Reed, Moses Peter, Martha Wallis, Louise Paul, Minnie Salmon, Lilly Herbert, David and Sarah Salmon, Samson and Minnie Peter, Herbert and Louise Peter, Stanley and Rosalie Joseph, Margaret John, Paul and Margaret Williams, Leah Roberts, Natalie Erick, Daniel Horace, Titus Peter, Solomon and Martha Flitt, Doris Ward, Amos Kelly, Margaret Kelly, Maggie Beach, Sarah Alexander, Peter and Nina (Ch’idzigyaak) Joseph, Paul and Agnes James, Mariah Collins, David Collins, Mary Thompson, Sophie Williams, Elijah John, Jemima Fields, Ike Fields Sr., Joe and Margaret Carroll, Myra Francis, Blanche Strom, Arthur and Annie James, Elliot and Lucy Johnson, Elliot and Virginia Johnson II,

    Harry and Jessie Carroll, Margaret Cadzow, Henry and Jennie Williams, Issac and Sarah John, Charlotte Douthit, Ruth Martin, Randall Baalam, Harold and Ester Petersen, Vladimer and Nina Petersen, Addie Shewfelt, Stanley and Madeline Jonas, Jonathon and Hannah Solomon, Esau and Delia Williams, Margie Englishoe, Jessie Luke, Julia Peter, Jacob Flitt, Daniel and Nina Flitt, Clara Gundrum, Jessie Williams, Sarah W. John, Mary Simple, Ellen Henry, Silas John, Dan Frank, Maggie Roberts, Nina Roberts, Abraham and Annie Christian, Paul and Julia Tritt, Agnes Peter, Charlie Peter, Neil and Sarah Henry, Mardow Solomon, Ruth Peterson, Phillip and Abbie Peter,

    Archie and Louise Juneby, Harry and Bessie David, Margaret Roberts, John Stevens, Steven and Sarah Henry, Abel Tritt, Moses and Jennie Sam, Mary John, Martha James, Alice Peter, Nathanial and Annie Frank, Fred and Charlotte Thomas, Richard and Eva Carroll, Elsie Pitka, Richard and Helen Martin, Paul Gabrial, Grafton Gabrial, Barbara Solomon, Sabastian McGinty, Simon and Bella Francis, Mary Jane Alexander, and Uncle Lee Henry.

    CONTENTS

    Dedication

    Acknowledgments

    Introduction

    CHAPTER 1: Hunger and cold take their toll

    CHAPTER 2: Let us die trying

    CHAPTER 3: Recalling old skills

    CHAPTER 4: A painful journey

    MAP

    CHAPTER 5: Saving a cache of fish

    CHAPTER 6: Sadness among The People

    CHAPTER 7: The stillness is broken

    CHAPTER 8: A new beginning

    About the Gwich’in People

    About the Authors

    Back Ad

    Praise

    Credits

    Copyright

    About the Publisher

    ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

    Most artists can say that if it were not for a number of people he or she would not have achieved a certain success. In the case of this story and myself, the list is long and varied and I would like to acknowledge them as follows.

    First, thank you to my mother, Mae Wallis. Without you, this story would not be, and I never would have developed a desire to be a storyteller. All those many nights that you spent telling us stories are greatly appreciated.

    I would like to thank these people for believing in this story all these years, and for reviving it just when I thought it would sink back into oblivion: Barry Wallis, Marti Ann Wallis, Patricia Stanley, and Carroll Hodge; Judy Erick from Venetie for her flexible assistance with the Gwich’in translations and Annette Seimens for letting me use her computer.

    Last, I would like to thank Marilyn Savage for her generosity and persistent rallying. Thank you to the publishers, Kent Sturgis and Lael Morgan, for sharing the same vision as all of us. Thank you to Virigina Sims for making sure that the story remained the same with your editing, and to James Grant for making the characters come to life with your talented illustrations.

    Mahsi Choo to each and all of you for sharing in this humble story.

    INTRODUCTION

    Each day after cutting wood we would sit and talk in our small tent on the bank at the mouth of the Porcupine River, near where it flows into the Yukon. We would always end with Mom telling me a story. (There I was, long past my youth, and my mother still told me bedtime stories!) One night it was a story I heard for the first time—a story about two old women and their journey through hardship.

    What brought the story to mind was a conversation we had earlier while working side by side collecting wood for the winter. Now we sat on our bedrolls and marveled at how Mom in her early fifties still was able to do this kind of hard work while most people of her generation long since had resigned themselves to old age and all of its limitations. I told her I wanted to be like her when I became an elder.

    We began to remember how it once was. My grandmother and all those other elders from the past kept themselves busy until they could no longer move or until they died. Mom felt proud that she was able to overcome some of the obstacles of old age and still could get her own winter wood despite the fact that physically, the work was difficult and sometimes agonizing. During our pondering and reflections, Mom remembered this particular story because it was appropriate to all that we thought and felt at that moment.

    Later, at our winter cabin, I wrote the story down. I was impressed with it because it not only taught me a lesson that I could use in my life, but also because it was a story about my people and my past—something about me that I could grasp and call mine. Stories are gifts given by an elder to a younger person. Unfortunately, this gift is not given, nor received, as often today because many of our youth are occupied by television and the fast pace of modern-day living. Maybe tomorrow a few of today’s generation who were sensitive enough to have listened to their elders’ wisdom will have the traditional word-of-mouth stories living within their memory. Perhaps tomorrow’s generation also will yearn for stories such as this so that they may better understand their past, their people and, hopefully, themselves.

    Sometimes, too, stories told about one culture by someone from another way of life are misinterpreted. This is tragic. Once set down on paper, some stories are readily accepted as history, yet they may not be truthful.

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