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The Man Who Became a Caribou

The Man Who Became a Caribou

by Craig Mishler and Kenneth Frank

Imprint: International Polar Institute

496 Pages, 6.75 x 9.5 in, 16 pages color + B&W throughout

Paperback
9780996748070
January 2019
In Stock

$37.50

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Dinjii Vadzaih Dhidlit: The Man Who Became a Caribou is a new bilingual volume based on a series of oral interviews with Gwich'in elders living in rural northeast Alaska and the Yukon Territory. Richly illustrated, the book covers a wide range of topics based on traditional harvesting and use of caribou from ancient to contemporary times. It also reveals traditional beliefs and taboos about caribou and includes a detailed naming system for caribou anatomy.

Craig Mishler has been doing ethnographic field work in Alaska since 1972. He received his doctorate in folklore and anthropology from the University of Texas at Austin in 1981. Craig made a career as an historian with the Alaska Department of Natural Resources and later as a subsistence resource specialist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Subsistence where he did extensive field work in Kodiak. Later, he was a research professor at the Alaska Native Language Center, University of Alaska, Fairbanks. He is also the author, co-author, or editor of ten books, including Dinjii Vadzaih Dhidlit: The Man Who Became a Caribou, published with Kenneth Frank in 2020 by the IPI Press.

Kenneth Frank is an elder, indigenous scholar, and fluent speaker of the Gwich'in language. He was raised in Venetie, Alaska, lived for many years in Arctic Village, and now resides in Fairbanks. Kenneth is in frequent demand for drum making and singing workshops and is the leader of the Di'haii Gwich'in dancers.

"The Man Who Became A Caribou is truly a standout, stellar work: a book which succeeds on all sorts of levels, from its careful bilingual presentation to its insightful emic analyses. Beyond those interested in Gwich’in people, this work should be of interest to anyone interested in indigenous rights, Native conceptions of ethical and spiritual lives, and the ongoing tensions between global capitalism and the sustainability of life on earth." ~Journal of Folklore Research

"Richly illustrated, the book covers a wide range of topics based on traditional harvesting and use of caribou from ancient to contemporary times. It also reveals traditional beliefs and taboos about caribou and includes a detailed naming system for caribou anatomy." ~American Folklore Society

“[A] gift. Dinjii Vadzaih Dhidlit is a testament to the relationships that may be established and strengthened between academia and Indigenous communities. I highly recommend this book to all readers with a wide span of interests.” ~Journal of American Folklore