The Man Who Became a Caribou: Dinjii Vadzaih Dhidlit by Craig Mishler and Kenneth E. Frank (review)

Caribou are our stories, our soul, the food on the table, our clothes, and our tools.

(37)

sam alexander's quote captures the essence of this unique bilingual volume, which documents Gwich'in elders' and culture-bearers' knowledge around the caribou's relationship with the peoples of the Yukon Flats region of Alaska. The "Elders Gallery" at the beginning of the volume provides brief biographies of contributors, followed by a section of photos that illustrate diverse facets of vadzaih, the Gwich'in word for caribou, including tools and clothing fashioned from this animal. The introduction provides an overview of the Gwich'in peoples and examines the history and methodology of coauthor Kenneth Frank in working with elders through the Gwich'in language. As well, a section on orthography and dialect shifts is included.

"Dinjii vadzaih dhidlit: The Man Who Becomes a Caribou," told by Trimble Gilbert, prefaces the main body of the volume. This story outlines the origins of the relationship between the Gwich'in and the caribou through the experiences of a medicine person who went to live among the caribou for a time, eventually returning to the human world to share the knowledge he gained. Each chapter begins with summary comments that add further contextual and cultural information. Interview narratives are presented in both the Gwich'in language and English (on facing pages).

Chapters 1 and 2 explore ways of hunting, including snares, arrows, surrounds, and fences, as well as modern methods. The interviews in these chapters also speak to Gwich'in concepts and processes of leadership that mirror the dual leadership observed in caribou herds. In addition, the narratives explain relational/spatial rules of ownership of caribou that have fallen in a specific area.

Chapter 3, "T'eedaraa'in: Subsistence Activities," includes narratives on the specifics of butchering caribou, illustrating an extensive depth of knowledge of caribou anatomy and physiology and ways of transporting meat.

Chapter 4 includes instructional narratives on aging, drying, and storing meat, while chapters 5 and 6 examine foodways, that is, how meat is distributed among community members and prepared using recipes learned "from carefully repeated observations and verbal instructions, passed down within and between generations" (205). Foodways include recipes for bone broth, the role of fat and grease in cooking lean game animals, and Indian ice cream, versions of which are prepared in many regions of Alaska.

Narratives from chapter 7, "Potlatches and Food Sharing," illustrate Gwich'in values of respect, reciprocity, and care for elders with hopeful comments that these practices will be carried on in future generations. Chapter 8 covers processes of tanning, skin huts, clothing, and how other parts of the caribou prove helpful in attracting other food sources (e.g., caribou bones may be left in the water to draw fish to a specific area).

Chapter 9, "Taboos and Beliefs," addresses concepts of luck, respect for animals, and how to properly care for hunting tools, while chapter 10 outlines Gwich'in laws for engaging with nonhuman aspects of the environment: "To be Gwich'in is to believe that the land and animals on it are owed our deepest respect…. [I]t is our duty as Gwich'in to protect the land and the animals" (308).

Chapters 11 and 12 document narratives, historical, personal and "old time stories about caribou" (367), followed by appendices that include an extensive annotated list of names for body parts of caribou and moose, terms for preparing meat, and "a lexicon of Gwich'in gastronomy and cuisine" (451). The volume concludes with authors' biographies.

This publication will interest scholars from multiple disciplines, including linguistics, anthropology, the ethnosciences, and Alaska Native studies, and provides a unique model for future research with, for, and by Indigenous communities. Readers should be aware that English translations may be constrained or incomplete; however, the summary comments and endnotes will be helpful for those not familiar with Gwich'in culture. It is encouraging that...