Two+Old+Women

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 * [|Book reviews and purchase information at Amazon.com]**

"Based on an Athabaskan Indian legend passed along from mothers to daughters for many generations on the upper Yukon River in Alaska, this is the tragic and shocking story -- with a surprise ending -- of two elderly women abandoned by a migrating tribe that faces starvation brought on by unusually harsh Arctic weather and a shortage of fish and game.
 * Summary from the book jacket:**

The story of survival is told with suspense and wisdom by Velma Wallis, a promising new Native American writer. Her style is a refreshing blend of contemporary and traditional, and her choice of subject matter challenges the taboos of her past. Yet her themes are modern--empowerment of women, the graying of America, a growing interest in Native American values."


 * The author's purpose:**

"I was impressed with [this story] 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."


 * Challenge #1:** **Abandoning the Elderly**

One issue that might arise for readers is not understanding why the tribe decides to leave the two old women behind to die. Even Wallis had difficulty in publishing her manuscript because Native American leaders said, "It makes Athabaskan people look bad" (Wallis 143). Wallis compares her popularity level in the Native American community with Salmon Rushdie in his community. Tribal valuing of community survival over individuals is in tension with the commitment of the tribe to all of its members, and this tension is present in the novel as different opinions are expressed about the decision to abandon the two old women.

Readers may think badly of the Athabascan Indians because of their decision to abandon the two women. Students need to understand the danger of stereotyping a group of people--either in a positive or negative way. They should be invited to carefully weigh their judgments about the abandonment of the two old women in the novel as the tribe eventually comes to learn that they made a mistake. It is important to read true stories, like this one, about different cultures--depicting both the good and the bad. We cannot say "All Native Americans do this, or say this." Check out the following website to spark a conversation about stereotypes of Native Americans: http://www.bluecorncomics.com/stbasics.htm.

Of course, in modern Western society, the elderly are often "abandoned," set aside in old people's homes, isolated from community and family. Understanding the importance of the elderly and the value of their knowledge as a community resource is the primary theme of this novel -- a theme with relevance to and beyond Native cultures.

Students can take the lesson of //Two Old Women// into an exploration of the experience of the elderly in their own communities. One terrific way to show relevancy to the theme of abandoning the elderly is to set up a mutual reading project followed by a discussion of this text in a nursing home, giving your students the opportunity to hear what the aging population thinks about this issue.

Prepare your students before you go:

The most important guideline for discussion is respect. Older adults may not have the same views about issues, but it is important to listen respectfully to their opinions. Prepare a list of questions about the book to help jump start the discussion.


 * Questions for Discussion**


 * 1) Two old women are left to die so that the rest of the tribe might have a better chance to survive, but they do not die; in fact, after overcoming incredible environmental conditions and physical limitations, they survive the winter and prepare for the next better than the tribe. What does this story illustrate about society? How does it seem a particularly "American" story (consider the role of the individual versus the group, attitudes toward overcoming adversity, the physical environment)?
 * 2) The two women rediscover skills they had not used in many years. If they had never been abandoned, they would never have discovered what they are capable of. What do the two women gain and lose from this experience?
 * 3) Compare and contrast the two women. How do their histories contribute to their survival?
 * 4) Are you surprised when you learn that these women who have lived and worked together did not really know each other? Why do people who live together or in close proximity keep an emotional distance? Does the story of the two women suggest that intimacy makes for a better quality of life?
 * 5) The chief regrets his decision to leave the old women. Was the chief's decision the correct one? What if the women had died -- is your answer the same?
 * 6) The women are left with all their belongings, which ultimately was crucial to their survival. Why did the tribe allow this, especially in light of its own desperate circumstances?
 * 7) Ch'idzigyaak is heartbroken when her daughter and grandson allow her to be abandoned. Do you blame them? What would have happened if they had stayed behind with her? How does their relationship change?
 * 8) Though this story describes an ancient culture's mores, in what ways does it resemble modern life? Compare the role of women in an Athabascan tribe with modern day American women.
 * 9) What does this story tell you about how Athabascans view women? How does Two Old Women compare with other fablelike feminist stories, such as Lilith or Persephone?
 * 10) What challenges does this story bring out about the relationship between older and younger people in a society? Do we still struggle with these same challenges in our society today?
 * 11) What would have been another solution for the tribe instead of leaving the two women behind?

adapted from the [|Harper Collins Reading Guide]

In discussing these questions with older adults, students will have a chance to hear a perspective that may be closer tied to that of the women in the story. It will help them understand why relationships between older and younger people need to be strengthened.


 * Challenge #2: The Changing Environment: Woman versus Nature**

The changing environment is a growing concern in our modern society. [|Global warming], [|environmental pollution], [|carbon footprint], [|greenhouse gases], and other "green" vocabulary are becoming more and more prevalent in the media and in our nation's consciousness.

How is the changing environment relevant to this story? The climate changes in Alaska during the time period of this story caused a chain reaction in the natural world. Discuss with your students the devastating effects of climate change. Check out Wikipedia's page about global warming: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_of_global_warming Discuss the impact that the extreme cold has on the natural food chain that supports the Athabascan people, seen in the book excerpt below:

"These nomads were The People of the arctic region of Alaska, always on the move in search of food. Where the caribou and other migrating animals roamed, The People followed. But the deep cold of winter presented special problems. The moose, their favorite source of food, took refuge from the penetrating cold by staying in one place and were difficult to find. Smaller, more accessible animals sucha s rabbits and tree squirrels could not sustain a large band such as this one. And during cold spells, even the smaller animals either disappeared in hiding or were thinned by predators, man and animal alike. So during this unusually bitter chill in the late fall, the land seemed void of life as the cold hovered menacingly.

"During the cold, hunting required more energy than at other times. Thus, the hunters were fed first, as it was their skills on which The People depended. Yet, with so many to feed, what food they had was depleted quickly. Despite their best efforts, many of the women and children suffered from malnutrition, and some would die of starvation."

It is difficult for most of our students to understand what it is like to wonder whether or not you will survive through the winter. How can they even begin to understand the decision the tribe made? Yet, in looking at the modern implications of climate change, we will be facing some difficult decisions. Ask students to predict some challenges that our planet might experience in the future as global warming becomes an increasing problem.

Before reading the text, introduce the students to the climate of Alaska, where this story takes place. Below are some websites with more information:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska#Climate

Climate information about Alaska

http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/pr/trts/hti/t8/bkg_e.html

Historical information about the hardships the Athabascan Indians faced. This is an excellent, well-documented site that will provide important information to support the story presented in the novel.

If at all possible, invite a Native American historian to your classroom to discuss the challenges the Native Americans faced when game became scarce and their way of life was threatened. What adaptations did they have to make? What happened if they were unable to adapt?

-Christy Yingling