The Long Exile: A Tale of Inuit Betrayal and Survival in the High Arctic

Book Description

In 1922 an Irish-American adventurer named Robert Flaherty made a film about Inuit life in the Arctic. Nanook of the North featured a mythical Eskimo hunter who lived in an igloo with his family in a frozen Eden. Nanook’s story captured the world’s imagination.

Thirty years later, the Canadian government forcibly relocated three dozen Inuit from the east coast of Hudson Bay to a region of the high artic that was 1,200 miles farther north. Hailing from a land rich in caribou and arctic foxes, whales and seals, pink saxifrage and heather, the Inuit’s destination was Ellesmere Island, an arid and desolate landscape of shale and ice virtually devoid of life. The most northerly landmass on the planet, Ellesmere is blanketed in darkness for four months of the year. There the exiles were left to live on their own with little government support and few provisions.

Among this group was Josephie Flaherty, the unrecognized, half-Inuit son of Robert Flaherty, who never met his father. In a narrative rich with human drama and heartbreak, Melanie McGrath uses the story of three generations of the Flaherty family—the filmmaker; his illegitimate son, Josephie; and Josephie’s daughters, Mary and Martha—to bring this extraordinary tale of mistreatment and deprivation to life.

Customer Reviews:

A Nightmare in Muted Tones.......2007-09-30

The Long Exile could easily have leant itself to melodrama. It's a harsh story, well told, and definitely worth reading.

The arc of the Inuit history - their millennium-long adaptation to their environment, the cultural ripples caused by the earliest European arrivals, the eventual idealized view of their hard but "simple" and "happy" existence romanticized accidentally by Robert Flaherty in "Nanook of the North", and the Hudson Bay Company's and Canadian government's determination (after two hundred years of trying to make the Inuit dependent upon the HBC) to enforce an about-face and compel the Inuit to live solely off the land - all of that encompasses countless individual tragedies that could have been played out at full volume. But Melanie McGrath chooses a different approach.

Writing with calm and control, she lays out the story of the creator of Nanook. Without passing judgment she describes the child and Inuit mistress he left behind at the end of filming, and how different their daily lives became than the lifestyle memorialized in the film, even as the rest of the world began to take "Nanook" as the absolute Inuit reality. With occasional understated phrases of incredulity, McGrath describes Flaherty's son growing up in an environment where whites representing competing agendas (the fur trade, religion, the government, and the educational and medical establishments) all competed to decide what was best for Inuit peoples, without ever asking the Inuit themselves. And when it would have been possible for her to raise her narrative tone to an indignant screed as she describes the relocation of Inuit to the Arctic Dessert (as far from their native landscape as New York is from Cuba), if anything McGrath becomes even more understated.

The harshness of the landscape, the desperate determination of the Inuit to survive, and the psychological and physical toll unfold with careful pacing and calm demeanor, and are all the more powerful in the telling because of that. In fact, it is only as the book nears its conclusion and you begin to hear individual narratives from some of those actually involved in the forced relocations, that you realize the full stark horror of the experience. That McGrath ends the book on a note of triumph is indicative of her admiration for the Inuit, but also an even stronger testimony to her control in not romanticizing them throughout the book.

Ultimately, this is a human tragedy, and The Long Exile does a fantastic job at boiling this story - which could have been all politics and posturing - down to the intimate, human level. Which leaves us to draw the conclusions ourselves.

High Arctic Horror Story - On TWO Levels.......2007-08-05

While all the reviews I have seen praise Melanie McGrath's The Long Exile for being fascinating, well documented, and different, none of them looked at the second level. At bottom, this is the story of how the government of Canada manipulated people through the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). While most of us in the west think of police as enforcing the law, the RCMP was used to implement social and political policy, deploy civil service directives, and herd people to where government departments thought they would more good for the political agenda. That this has never been the subject of investigation is a horror story in and of itself. The RCMP lied to the Inuit, they got them to give up their homes on false pretenses, treated them like dirt on their awful journey, did nothing to help them in the dire straits the RCMP placed them in, lied again about going home, trapped them into a hopeless, miserable life, and of course, denied all of it.

Yes, it's fascinating that the high arctic is actually a desert where the Inuit can't find enough snow to build a winter home. Yes, it's fascinating that this whole fifty year story has a common thread through Robert Flaherty and his Nanook of the North, Yes, it's astonishing that anyone can live in these conditions - and how they do it is both spellbinding and heartrending. But the political aspects are at least as horrifying, especially in seemingly peaceloving, friendly Canada.

This is an excellent book for more reasons than a snowy cover would indicate.

Average customer rating:

I had such high hopes ...
Nice idea, writing improvement needed
Addicted to Arctic Adventures! Especially this one.
What Happen's Next
Mammoth Adventure!

Raising The Past
Jeremy Robinson
Manufacturer: Breakneck Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0978655117

Book Description

FROM THE ICE. . . A mammoth, flash frozen in solid ice 10,000 years ago is brought to the surface by a team of scientists. An act of sabotage frees the giant from its icy tomb and reveals the secret held inside. OUT OF THE MAMMOTH. . . The body of an ancient woman, cloaked in furs, slides out of the mammoth's belly. But it is not the woman that holds the team's attention...it is the object she is clutching...a device created by an advanced civilization. THE HUNT IS ON. . . The device is accidentally activated, summoning forces who seek its destruction. It is the key to mankind's salvation and freedom from the men behind the curtain, pulling the strings and leading humanity towards destruction.

Customer Reviews:

I had such high hopes ..........2007-10-10

I love the authors who recommended this book, so I was so excited when I got it, but I have to agree with some of the other reviewers: the grammar was so awful, it was distracting. The book itself could have used a strong hand in editing it. The plot was thin, the dialogue was unrealistic and stilted, and the characters were flat. I was intrigued by the thought of the mammoth and the excavation, but that was hardly a part of the book. For those looking for fascinating creatures and ancient or scientific discoveries, try Steve Alten or James Rollins. This books reads like a high schooler's screenplay, light on the plot and without realistic dialogue. I saw this author has another book out, and I love the cover, but after recalling this one, I can't in good faith make the purchase.

Nice idea, writing improvement needed.......2007-09-23

While I liked the core idea of this book, that two extra-galactic civilizations are opposing one another to destroy/save worlds, some of the details are inconsistent. Also the writing doesn't do a great job of making the characters realistic and wanders off into "B" movie kind of dialogue, plus they also overreact, one moment they are lucid and even giving orders and then next they are whimpering in fear somewhere, then they snap back to reality. An easy, okay read for the beach for sci-fi fans but not for my "best books" list.

Addicted to Arctic Adventures! Especially this one........2007-08-21

Raising the Past....This book is fantastic! I recommend it to anyone. A fun read with finely tuned details of the arctic and it's conditions. I didn't want the suspence that was killing me to end. Each one of the characters has a vitality all their own. This is a story that makes you think, and crave for a sequel. And hopefully there's a movie in the making! I'm glad I found this book. With the wonderful endorsements made by author James Rollins saying how great this book is...and he's right!
Can't wait for my copy of Antarktos Rising to arrive in the mail. I've found another favorite author!

What Happen's Next.......2007-08-20

Great read. I feel as if I have made a trip to the Artic, even though it has been 90 degrees in my geographical location. I can't believe how authors can come up with such diverse plots and situations. Raising the Past was so good that I couldn't put it down. Thank heavens I have a DVR cause I didn't even turn on the television until I finished it.

Some may complain about grammar and words that were misspelled. But it didn't detract from me being in the Artic, waiting for the next shoe to fall. Write another book, Mr. Robinson. I like your style !!

Mammoth Adventure!.......2007-07-07

The story begins ten thousand years ago, when a canny cavewoman is visited by strangers from another world. She accepts the object they give her, yet at the end of her life she fails to use it as they instructed. Next thing you know, her frozen remains are unwittingly discovered by a modern-day excavation team in search of the woolly mammoth. Tried and tested archaeologists are rocketed into a fight for their lives and ultimately for the whole planet.

Twists and turns of truly "mammoth" proportions follow. The action rarely eases, and new dangers heap up around every corner. The reader is fleeing along with the team, and learns the truth step by shocking step until finally the entirety of the deception is revealed. Nothing is as it seems to be. What if the idea of angels and demons really did come from opposing alien factions, warring for control of the Earth - one race said to be evil and another claiming to be good?

This is a good exercise in mind-expansion, for sure. It's mainstream fiction, although you will also find spiritual aspects - chiefly the significance of free will in the value of human society. Vast quantities of blood and gore, fights to the death, and impossible chase scenes with larger-than-life alien species make this a nail-biting thriller from beginning to end - though not necessarily to be recommended for a weak constitution. It reminded me vaguely of Jurassic Park at times, in a different setting and with different monsters.

"Raising the Past" makes a terrific cross-over effort, in two directions at once. It's ideal to draw an average reader into the science fiction scene, and may also serve as an effective introduction for someone unfamiliar with spiritual genres. It's this mix that brings you to the unique conclusion, amazingly managing to leave the world unshattered at the end. I view it as a considerable bridge-building contribution and an enrichment to the genre scene.

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A Fascinating Story that I found through Five In a Row
Educational and enjoyable
Beneath the Ice.....
Amazing Time
Wonderful - a genuine adventure for young girls.

Very Last First Time
Jan Andrews
Manufacturer: Groundwood Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 088899043X

Book Description

Eva lives in an Inuit village in northern Canada. In the winter, people search along the bottom of the seabed beneath a thick shelf of ice for mussels to eat. Eva usually helps her mother, but for the first time, she’s going to go by herself. She soon gathers a pan full of mussels. But then, her candle goes out, and the tide threatens to return! When she is finally safe with her mother, Eva proclaims, “That was my very last first time walking alone on the bottom of the sea.” An ALA Notable Children’s Book, Very Last First Time comes from one of Canada's most distinguished storytellers and an award-winning illustrator.

Customer Reviews:

A Fascinating Story that I found through Five In a Row.......2005-11-10

My children (1st & 2nd grade) really love this book. The premise had them leaping off the bed in amazement - "She goes under the SEA??? The ice is over her HEAD???? She goes by HERSELF????"

Every detail was interesting to them - the tools used to hack under the ice, the mother letting her child go alone, the small Inuit homes, Eva living in a land where no trees grew - and they had so many questions - most of which were answered by the end of the story.

We used the book to talk about:

1. mussels and how they grow & live,
2. tides, what causes them and how much the water level can vary between high tide and low tide,
3. the climate in northern Canada
4. the Inuits,
5. emergencies - what happens initially to our bodies when we are afraid, and what we should try to do so that we can get out of our emergency safely, and
6. pointillism and the artist Seraut, and we made our own pointillism art masterpieces with Q-tips and paint.

I did search the Internet for actual photographs of what Eva might have seen, but I couldn't find a single one! I couldn't find other references to the Inuit walking under the ice either. I would have loved to have shown those to my children.

Educational and enjoyable.......2004-01-21

It has been said that a good children's book is a good read for people of any age. This book is another example of the truth of that statement. It teaches people who don't live in the northern tundra on the seashore about what their life is like, and it does so in a way that you enjoy the learning.

My five year old son loved it; we read it over again a number of times. But the reason I knew it was such a good book was that I didn't dread reading it after several times. In fact, I looked forward to it.

Beneath the Ice............2003-05-05

"Eva Padlyat lived in a village on Ungava Bay in northern Canada. She was Inuit, and ever since she could remember she had walked with her mother on the bottom of the sea. It was something the people of her village did in winter when they wanted mussels to eat. Today, something very special was going to happen. Today, for the very first time in her life, Eva would walk on the bottom of the sea alone..." So begins Jan Andrews' tale of a young girl's first trip alone through the thick winter ice. In painstaking and intriguing detail she describes Eva's adventure; cutting a hole in the ice at low tide, descending to the dark ocean floor below, lighting candles to illuminate the sea bed, collecting mussels, and exploring this beautiful hidden world..... Ms Andrews' engaging tale, filled with history, mystery, drama, and suspense captures the imagination, and is rich in imagery and magic. Illustrator, Ian Wallace's quiet, dreamy artwork, in soft, textured tones, pulls the reader beneath the ice and right into the story. Perfect for youngsters 5-9, Very Last First Time is a fascinating and evocative experience that shouldn't be missed, and works well as part of a unit introducing the Inuit culture and way of life, or as a stand-alone for story time.

Amazing Time.......2000-09-08

The possibility of gathering mussels under the ice at low tide was absolutely amazing to me. I had never heard of such a thing or imagined it. What a wonderful world we live in! Andrews writes of young Eva's solo walk on the bottom of the sea and she does an intriguing job of it.

The illustrator,Wallace,enriches and expands the written story through his detailed pictures of the village and native life on Ungava Bay.

I hope Andrews & Wallace collaborate again and soon!

Wonderful - a genuine adventure for young girls........1999-07-26

This is one of the best books for young girls that I have come across. A young Inuit girl is sent under the ice at low tide to collect muscles for the family.. this time by herself. She gets distracted, the candles burn out leaving her in darkness just as she starts to hear the water returning. What an adventure. I buy this book as a gift whenever I need a present for a beginner reader girl.

Confessions of an Igloo Dweller: Memories of the Old Arctic

Average customer rating:

I couldn't put it down
A really good book
"Yes, but is it Art?"
Gripping, non-judgemental, true-life narrative.

Confessions of an Igloo Dweller: Memories of the Old Arctic
James Houston
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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White Dawn: An Eskimo Sage: An Eskimo Saga

ASIN: 0395788900

Book Description

James Houston lived among Inuit in the Canadian Arctic between 1948 and 1962. He slept in their igloos, ate raw fish and seal meat, wore skin clothing, traveled by dog team, hunted walrus,learned how to build a snowhouse, and raised a family. While doing so, he helped change the Arctic. Impressed by the natural artistic skills of the people, he encouraged the development of exhibits and sales of Inuit art in the south - sales that have brought millions of dollars to its creators. Confessions of an Igloo Dweller, a wonderful piece of storytelling, recounts Houston's fascinating and often hilarious adventures among a confident, smiling people who spoke no English. Taking readers into the heart of Inuit culture, it joins the tradition established by Fridtjof Nansen, Vilhjalmur Stefansson, and Farley Mowat. A book full of adventure and anecdote as well as the delights of art and the hazards of cold, it is illustrated with forty drawings by the author.

Customer Reviews:

I couldn't put it down.......1999-12-03

This book was a delight to read. Mr. Houston's admiration for the Inuit culture is evident on every page. Many of the passages and stories are thought provoking and educational. I especially enjoyed his descriptions of bewilderment turned to enlightenment by such unassuming teachers.

A really good book.......1999-09-09

Really enjoyable. This man's interraelationship with a disappearing culture and the hurdles he faced in the Arctic wilderness are tangible and detailed. Mostly this book is about a youth (his own) - lost but still remembered. I read Joseph Conrad's Youth at the same time and the themes were quite similar.

"Yes, but is it Art?".......1997-08-15

First this is a book about art. If you have ever wondered how those most beautiful Eskimo sculptures and prints have found their way to your local gallery; this book tells you how.

Mr. Houston was the first artist to recognize and search out the Inuit artforms and to deliver them to the art markets "outside". In every detail, name by name, you can read about the Inuit art culture from the very first stone figures and bone scluptures, to the latest prints.

Second this is a book about Arctic. Adventure on a epic scale. Mr. Houstons' honeymoon was one of the very few trips from east to west across Baffin Island by sled. Mr and Mrs. Houston spent years in the Arctic living in the Inuit way; both their sons spoke Inuktitut in preference to English and preferred raw seal meat to... well that was all there was to eat.

Sadly there are in this book no prints of the Inuit art, nor photos of the artists, nor any example of the art described in the text. For all the journeys by sled, boat, plane, and on foot there are no suitable maps. For a book about a culture that is so completely linked to geography, there are no maps for the reader to follow nor plates for the art lover to love.

The most astonsihing event of the book occurs on page 9. A very young Mr. Houston steps off of a plane in the Hudson's Bay Arctic, looks around, and flatly refuses to live any place else; He stays for 15 years.

You can add Mr. Houston to the list with Barry Lopez, William Vollmann , Farley Mowat, and John McPhee; thoes writers that get the Arctic Expericence

Gripping, non-judgemental, true-life narrative........1997-06-12

This is one of the finest first-person, historical narratives I've read for many years. Mr. Houston provides a unique, non-judgemental series of observations and first-hand stories about the Inuit and his own experiences living among them and working with them and, most importantly, learning from them. He is very honest in relating his own foibles and potentially life-threatening mistakes. His style is very easy to read and personal and I could not put this book down after starting it. Mr. Houston lived a highly privileged and unique life among a pre-literate but very evolved group during a crucial turning point for their culture. This is a rare and wonderful narrative.

Ada Blackjack: A True Story of Survival in the Arctic

Average customer rating:

Fools in the Arctic
Interesting story of Eskimo woman's fight for survival
Wonderful Book!
wonderful job, Ms. Niven!
Fascinating story

Ada Blackjack: A True Story of Survival in the Arctic
Jennifer Niven
Manufacturer: Hyperion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0786868635
Release Date: 2003-11-12

Book Description

From the author of The Ice Master comes the remarkable true story of a young Inuit woman who survived six months alone on a desolate, uninhabited Arctic island n September 1921, four young men and Ada Blackjack, a diminutive 25-year-old Eskimo woman, ventured deep into the Arctic in a secret attempt to colonize desolate Wrangel Island for Great Britain. Two years later, Ada Blackjack emerged as the sole survivor of this ambitious polar expedition. This young, unskilled woman-who had headed to the Arctic in search of money and a husband-conquered the seemingly unconquerable north and survived all alone after her male companions had perished. Following her triumphant return to civilization, the international press proclaimed her the female Robinson Crusoe. But whatever stories the press turned out came from the imaginations of reporters: Ada Blackjack refused to speak to anyone about her horrific two years in the Arctic. Only on one occasion-after charges were published falsely accusing her of causing the death of one her companions-did she speak up for herself. Jennifer Niven has created an absorbing, compelling history of this remarkable woman, taking full advantage of the wealth of first-hand resources about Ada that exist, including her never-before-seen diaries, the unpublished diaries from other primary characters, and interviews with Ada's surviving son. Ada Blackjack is more than a rugged tale of a woman battling the elements to survive in the frozen north-it is the story of a hero.

Customer Reviews:

Fools in the Arctic.......2007-03-20

This is a very interesting true story, of four young men lured to their deaths in the polar regions by V. Steffanson's tales of the "Friendly Arctic" where survival was easy. With minimal arctic experience, the four undertake an expedition to "claim" Wrangel Island for Canada (even though Canada did not want it and the island was known by all to belong to Russia.) Poorly planned, poorly equipped, and poorly executed, the fumbling expedition establishes a camp on Wrangel Island, raises the Canadian and British flags, and hunkers down to a slow demise of abandonment by V. Steffanson.

Ada Blackjack, a young Eskimo woman hired by the four to serve as seamstress, is recruited from Nome Alaska. Though descended from Eskimo people, she knows more of the "white men's" culture than her own, being able to read and write, etc. At first reluctant to undertake her responsibilities, as the privations of the expedition set in she becomes a stalwart support to the others, cooking, making arctic clothing from skins, etc. After three of the men sled off across the frozen sea on a hopeless gambit to get to Siberia for help, never to be seen again, Ada is left alone with the remaining member of the expedition, who is dying of scurvy. Left to her own resources, Ada teaches herself to hunt, trap, shoot, and build boats, recalling techniques and skills observed during childhood from observing her forebears. Ada faces her greatest fear, the dread "Nanook" (polar bears) that roam the island. Fighting starvation, hopelessness, and sickness, Ada valiantly strives to keep the remaining expedition member alive, only to see him slowly waste away from his sickness and die. Ada sojourns another two months before a rescue ship finally arrives, finding her to be the sole survivor of the expedition after over two years.

Returning to civilization, Ada is exploited by her rescuer and by V. Steffanson, who also exploit the memories, diaries, and belongings of the doomed expedition members. The book recounts Ada's subsequent life, trying to raise her sons and make a living in a world no less harsh and unforgiving than the one she had known in the arctic.

This book was a fascinating, well-written read and I intend to read the author's other book.

Interesting story of Eskimo woman's fight for survival.......2007-02-06

I picked up this book knowing nothing about the artic expedition to Wrangel Island. I found the story initially quite fascinating but that the book really bogged down when the author insisted on including the contents of every letter that the survivors families wrote over the next ten years. I feel that the book could have been much shorter and still powerfully portrayed the struggles of Ada and her companions to survive Wrangel Island.

Wonderful Book!.......2007-01-31

I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Ada. It is well-written and hard to put down. Not your typical dry biography. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in northern exploration and native people. I can't even imagine myself in Ada's position. Even though she wouldn't admit it, it took lots of courage.

wonderful job, Ms. Niven!.......2006-12-10

I have become a junkie for true hardship books, and the arctic exploration books are my first love- they are what took me down this road.
Jennifer Niven does a fine job of fleshing out and making real each person, each family, each government that was involved in these missions into the mostly unknown and proven deadly arctic areas of the world. She lets us know what makes people tick, influences like nationality, religion, sex, race, class- each person comes with their background and reasons for their actions and beliefs explained as fully as possible.

These people are made real and human, so you get their shortcomings and faults, not just a politically correct whitewashing that fits in to our modern world view. The ways of the world were different then, Ada was (mis-)treated the way a female eskimo rated within that world.

It is all a sad story, really. Ada often was her own worst enemy. Those poor boys were so full of faith in their leader, who deserved none of it. If I go on I will end up giving too much story away. Good book- get hooked and read more arctic exploration books!

And always remember to QUESTION AUTHORITY!

Fascinating story.......2005-09-14

I loved this book. It joins a spate of other books constructed in much the same way. It is reminiscent of James Michner'ss books, with the construction of personal stories amid the history. The research she did was wonderful. It is interesting how one event can ripple out and connect with and touch so many other lives. This was not even what would be termed a particularly charged event (such as one that would garner world news coverage), yet led to connections everywhere. It is fascinating and she has done a wonderful job with it. I was fascinated with the historical beginnings of Chautauqua. In the present gas crunch it seems like they might be looking at bringing back the concept. What a delightful thought - to have all of that wonderful esoteric knowledge traveling all over the country.

The character of Ada was fascinating. A young Native American who, to hear the boys tell it, wanted nothing more that a white man. After escaping a marriage to an abusive previous husband she is looking for more stability in her life and dealing with a serious case of northern SAD. To make things worse she has not been raised as totally `native' as they thought she had. The general perceptions that regular society in general had for this woman were heartbreaking and incorrect. A sexuality that in an educated Caucasian society is viewed as normal becomes promiscuous in the Native American. Verbalization is different. The totemic thought form is different. I felt that the way the author dealt with these issues was wonderful. Rather than infuse the book with a condescending attitude she simply stated what had happened.

Ada was a strong woman but it seems that some of the troubles and betrayals she went through took a toll on her heart and health. I wonder if we as a society will ever figure out a way to `develop character' without beating people senseless. There was one line that was particularly moving.

I would recommend this book to anyone. It was wonderful and a great way to learn history. After reading this I'll have to read her first book.

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Cape Dorset Sculpture
Derek Norton , and Nigel Reading
Manufacturer: University of Washington Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0295984783

Book Description

Cape Dorset Sculpture showcases an extraordinary collection of outstanding works of contemporary Inuit stone sculpture, with related graphic works and classic older carvings. All the artists are from the Arctic community of Cape Dorset, Nunavut, which has had the single greatest impact on the worldwide recognition of Inuit art.

Featured in the book are new sculptures by forty-four leading artists, many of whom were instrumental in shaping the look and direction of Inuit art. By turns powerful and enchanting, these works explore richly varied themes such as Arctic wildlife; life in the home, the community, and on the land; and shamans, transformations, and fantastic beings.

In his introduction, Terry Ryan recalls the early days of art-making in Cape Dorset. Derek Norton and Nigel Reading provide vital background information on the art and artists of Cape Dorset. The artists contribute stories and personal insights about their sculptures.

The success of Inuit artists from Cape Dorset, particularly the first generation of sculptors and the graphic artists, has inspired them to constantly reinvent their art and to explore new directions. Many of the younger artists, who are from families that were the original art-makers of the Arctic, are following in their ancestors' path but making the art their own.

Average customer rating:

modern Alaskan painting, sculpture, mixed media

A treasury of heritage, beauty, and expression, especially recommended for artbook collections

Alaska Native Art: Tradition, Innovation, Continuity
Susan W. Fair
Manufacturer: University of Alaska Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Raven Travelling: Two Centuries of Haida Art

Art of the Northwest Coast

Art of the Cherokee: Prehistory to the Present

Listening to Our Ancestors: The Art of Native Life Along the Pacific Northwest Coast

By Native Hands: Woven Treasures From The Lauren Rogers Museum Of Art

ASIN: 1889963798

Book Description

Ranging from the islands of the Bering Sea to Alaska's interior forests, Alaska Native Art celebrates the rich art of Alaska's Native peoples, both setting their work in the context of historical traditions and demonstrating the vibrant role it continues to play in contemporary Alaskan culture. Alaska Native Art showcases a staggering array of types of art—from beadwork to ivory carving, basketry to skin sewing—from Aleutian Islander, Pacific Eskimo, Tlingit, Athabaskan, Yup'ik, and Inupiaq artists, as well as full-color photographs of artists at work. Lavishly produced, and featuring a fascinating study by author Susan W. Fair of the concept of tradition in the modern world, it is a tribute to the incredible vision of Alaska's Native artists.

Customer Reviews:

modern Alaskan painting, sculpture, mixed media.......2007-02-14

Sleek lines and minimalist features place the varied Alaska Native American art as 20th century. But the number of artists from all areas of the state, including many contemporary artists, for the most part use traditional natural materials of bone or ivory, wood, animal skins, beach grass, and others. These are often combined for a kind of "mixed media" piece; such as a model of a Northwest coast dwelling made from cedar wood, twigs, deerhide, and horsehair" among other materials. With some works, there are manufactured or synthetic materials such as masonite, commercial paint, glass beads, or brass buttons. Some, paintings especially and some of the dolls, are done in a folk art style; though with these too the superior craftsmanship is evident to mark them as modern works. Abundant visual matter (nearly 300 individual selections) including not only color photos or reduced-size reproductions of art works but also photos of artists along with the text involving historical and cultural background, customary and innovative techniques, and artist portraits offer a state-of-the-art work on the subject area. The bibliography of nearly 10 pages will also be welcomed by ones interested in developments in this regional Native American art.

A treasury of heritage, beauty, and expression, especially recommended for artbook collections.......2006-09-12

Alaska Native Art by folklorist, curator, and advocate for native peoples Susan W. Fair is an extensive examination of the venerable artistic traditions of twentieth century Alaska Natives, including Tlingit, Aleutian Islanders, Pacific Eskimo, Athabaskan, Yup'ik and Inupiaq artists. Black-and-white photographs of artists and full color photographs of their artistic creations, from spirit catchers to statues, dance masks, dolls, articles of clothing, baskets, watercolor paintings, and much more, illustrate Alaska Native Art. Each object of art has a sidebar commentary about it composition, symbolism, history, and other relevant details. The text discusses the nature of artistic tradition and cultural distinctions between different tribes of Alaska's native peoples. A treasury of heritage, beauty, and expression, especially recommended for artbook collections.

Average customer rating:

Does not "show" or "prove" anything- a very average book
Lots of Value in a Simple Board Book
Mama, Do You Love Me? Board Book
Mama, do you love me?
AWESOME BOOK

Mama, Do You Love Me?
Barbara M. Joosse
Manufacturer: CHRONICLE BOOKS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 087701759X

Amazon.com

This exceptional board-book tells a beautiful and timeless story about a daughter's attempt to find the limit of her mother's love. Barbara Lavallee's exquisite illustrations of Alaska, with their exaggeratedly foreshortened perspective and rich tones of violet, blue-gray, and gray-green, tell of an easy declaration ("I love you more than the raven loves his treasure, more than the dog loves his tail, more than the whale loves his spout") that is pushed, and pushed, and ("What if I put salmon in your parka ... and ermine in your mukluks?") pushed. There's a quiet joyfulness in both the antics of the Inuit mother and daughter and in the animals--including a polar bear and a musk ox--that the daughter imagines she might become. A charming story for mothers and daughters of all ages. (Baby to preschool) --Richard Farr

Book Description

Mama, do you love me? Yes I do Dear One. How much? In this universal story, a child tests the limits of independence and comfortingly learns that a parent's love is unconditional and everlasting. The story is made all the more captivating by its unusual Arctic setting. The lyrical text introduces young readers to a distinctively different culture, while at the same time showing that the special love that exists between parent and child transcends all boundaries of time and place. The story is beautifully complemented by graphically stunning illustrations that are filled with such exciting animals as whales, wolves, puffins, and sled dogs, and a carefully researched glossary provides additional information on Arctic life. This tender and reassuring book is one that both parents and children will turn to again and again.

Customer Reviews:

Does not "show" or "prove" anything- a very average book.......2007-07-15

I bought this book because I am part Native and I wanted to keep that heritage alive for my daughter. I also liked the illustrations, which are beautiful, and she does too.

I was very disappointed in the story, however.

Rather than telling a story, this book reports a conversation between a mother and daughter that goes as follows:

"Mama, do you love me?"
"I love you so much [insert metaphor here]."
"This much?"
"Yes."
"What if..."
"I would still love you."
"What if..."
"I would still..."
"What if..."
"I would still..."

Et cetera.

I found this extremely annoying. It is not a child testing her mother's love; it is a child posing hypothetical questions. Moreover the mother's answers don't prove anything (as it says on the back of the book), because nothing actually happens.

It is sort of along the lines of The Runaway Bunny (which I liked), only more annoying, because the telling is all hypothetical, there is no intent to actually carry out any of the threats (unlike in The Runaway Bunny), and the language isn't as rhythmic, in my opinion.

The vocabulary is very rich but I do wish there had been a glossary of unfamiliar terms at the beginning, since some of these words are not ones that someone who does not live among or near Inuit would know.

All in all, a better book about love is Shel Silverstein's "The Giving Tree" and a better book celebrating Native American heritage is "Ten Little Rabbits".

I would only purchase this book if I owned all of the other books I wanted, and then mainly for the illustrations and vocabulary building.

Lots of Value in a Simple Board Book.......2007-06-27

My husband purchased this book for our 18-month-old son, and it has become one of his favorite books. I like that it shows a parent's unconditional love no matter what. It teaches that someone can be angry at and still love another person at the same time. It has also taught my son a lot about emotions, something he has had a difficult time understanding up until now. It also shows cause and effect (i.e. If you do that, I will be angry).

Finally, it has been fun to learn a little about another culture. I have had fun looking up the things in the book I didn't understand. I also like that, even though it is about the Inuit culture, that doesn't overpower the main lessons of the book.

Mama, Do You Love Me? Board Book.......2006-03-22

The book was in excellent condition and was mailed to me promptly.

Mama, do you love me?.......2005-12-07

I love this book and so does my 14 month old son. He loves the story and the illustrations. He sits "still" with me while I read it to him at his nap time and bed time and cries if I quit reading it. It is nice quiet, bonding time for us(he doesn't sit still for much). I feel it is suitable for his age and for when he is older. It has a great message. I highly recommend this book to everyone!

AWESOME BOOK.......2005-09-22

I love this book! It is my favorite. I use to read it all the time when I was little. Now I read it to my daughter everyday.

Average customer rating:

Great for moms with a new baby (and older child)
AWESOME
A Keeper!
My Twins and I Love This Book
Beautiful and Simple

On Mother's Lap
Ann Herbert Scott
Manufacturer: Clarion Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0395629764

Book Description

A little Inuit boy discovers there's room for himself and his baby sister on their mother's lap.

Customer Reviews:

Great for moms with a new baby (and older child).......2007-09-21

This is a very touching book to reassure moms and children that life with a new baby means more love to go around. I have bought it for many friends. Those first months with a new baby are definitely a time of adjustment as the new baby needs so much attention and the older child has to wait (or the older child needs a lot of attention and the baby has to wait!) so this book is a nice, subtle reminder that there is always room on mother's lap. The last page definitely brings tears to the eyes!

AWESOME.......2007-03-08

This is a great book if you have a new baby come into the house. My son and I read this book every night and then he reads it back to me. I would recomment this book highly.

A Keeper!.......2006-09-01

This is a very sweet and wonderful story about a boy who is rocking on his mother's lap. He gathers all sorts of things from around the room and they continue to rock. When his mom suggests his baby sister join them he isn't thrilled but they all fit and he is happy. I read this story to my group of two year olds and they absolutely love it. We rock back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. And we discuss how there really is always room on mom's lap. This story is timeless and enjoyed by Toddlers to Kindergarteners

My Twins and I Love This Book.......2006-02-01

I received this book as a baby shower gift for my twins and felt it was a very fitting book for our situation. What I didn't expect was how much my babies would love it. They immediately identified with the boy, Dollie, Boat and LOVE Puppy. I think the pictures really attract them and I love the message. Now at 2 1/2, it is still on their favorite bedtime story list and they can now understand the message - they say, "On Mommy's Lap" as we all sit together and read.

Beautiful and Simple.......2005-05-26

I just love this book. It's a great gift for someone who has just had their 2nd child; a great gift for a child with a new sibling! I bought this when my 3 year old's class was studying North America. It shows a different culture but it's a theme that is universal.

Average customer rating:

Wonderfully enhanced with full color photography

Inuit Art: An Introduction
Ingo Hessel , and George Swinton
Manufacturer: Douglas & McIntyre
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1550548298

Book Description

Although the Inuit have lived in the Artic since prehistoric times, Inuit art as we know it only came about in the late 1940s. This contemporary art form is appreciated around the world for its power and exquisite beauty, an art that embodies the Inuit’s harsh artic environment, unique way of life, and traditional beliefs. This historical, cultural, and aesthetic exploration of Inuit art features examples of Inuit drawings, prints, textiles, and sculpture through 125 color photos, 35 black-and-white photos, and maps.

Customer Reviews:

Wonderfully enhanced with full color photography.......2002-10-07

Inuit Art: An Introduction by Ingo Hessel (Inuit art consultant and former Special Projects Officer and Coordinator of the Canadian Inuit Art Information Centre of the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs for the Canadian government), is wonderfully enhanced with the full color photography of Dieter Hessel. Inuit Art covers its subject matter from an historical, cultural, and aesthetic perspective beginning with the roots of Inuit art in prehistoric times, through the arrival of Europeans and their influence on Inuit art beginning in the sixteenth century, down to the mid-twentieth century when Inuit art began attracting a world wide audience. Of special interest is Ingo Hessel's informative discussion of the techniques and materials employed by Inuit artisans in the creations of their unique and distinctive work. Inuit Art is an impressive, superbly presented and welcome contribution to the growing library of Native American Studies in general, and Inuit art history in particular.

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