Shadows on the Koyukuk: An Alaskan Native's Life Along the River
by Sidney Huntington
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Book Summary Information
Author: Sidney HuntingtonContributor: Jim Rearden
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1993-04-01
ISBN: 088240427X
Number of pages: 235
Publisher: Alaska Northwest Books
Book Reviews of Shadows on the Koyukuk: An Alaskan Native's Life Along the River
Book Review: An inspiring biography
Summary: 5 Stars
Sidney Huntington tells his life story of growing up and being an adult in Southwestern Alaska. Each chapter of the book is an individual story that sheds light on Sidney's worldview, an encounter or topic important in his life, and could function as a stand-alone excerpt.
The beginning of the book focuses on Sidney's childhood, where readers learn that his mother dies while he was very young, leaving his father with the responsibility of three children he was unable to care for and provide a living for, so Sidney's father sent the three
young children to live in an Episcopal mission. This began a pattern of Sidney spending time with his father to learn outdoor skills, and being away from his father to gain academic skills.
Although Sidney only completed his formal education to about the third grade, the importance of education is repeatedly pointed out in Sidney's continued reading and support of education for Alaska Native people. Sidney's unique life of learning how to hunt, fish and trap combined with his reading skills lead him to a success life, in which he raised many children.
Sidney has a remarkable reflection on his life and memories, and has obviously given much thought to his observations, and his own self in the past. When talking about getting into fist fights in school due to his mixed racial heritage (being called a "Siwash"), Sidney now states that terms like this no longer upset him as they did in his youth. On page 145, Sidney states, "Do I get upset nowadays if someone calls me a half-breed Siwash? I haven't let anything bother me like that for years. Besides I can always look anyone who does straight in the eye and say "You're absolutely right friend, now what's your background?"" This is sage advice in Alaska today, with the tremendous mix of different cultures residing throughout the state.
The book is peppered with Sidney's knowledge and observations of wildlife habits and behavior. Even with his lack of formal education, Sidney was still able to understand wildlife enough to become a successful hunter and trapper, and held a seat on the state Board of Game for many years. Sidney discusses many traditional hunting methods used by Koyukon Athabaskans before contact with whites, and then discusses the changes that have occurred since then, and also the impact it ahs had on wildlife populations. Of particular note is the chapter on wolves. This chapter contains traditional Eskimo and Indian stories combined with modern knowledge gleaned for population surveys done by biologists. Sidney presents a very compelling argument in support of aerial hunting of wolves in order to stabilize moose, caribou, and wolf populations, rather than allowing them to peak and crash out completely. Anyone opposed to aerial wolf culling would be well advised to consider Sidney's knowledge before casting a final decision in this much-heated
political topic.
Personally, one of the best things that stood out to me is the background of so many names that people living in Fairbanks today hear or have - knowing now that those with the last name of Huntington are likely decided from Sidney's father, or Brown's from the trader
Brown mentioned in the book. Knowledge of a person's family is considered the way to really know someone in Alaska Native culture, and although I am not Alaska Native, I now feel like I know some of the local people quite a bit more.
Such personal accounts of people, like this memoir, contain a whole wealth of knowledge of local systems and overcoming hardships encountered in ones life. I plan to comb through the book again to find quotes from Sidney favorable to education and individual accountability to post at work.
I also gained a deeper appreciation for the science knowledge and background needed to live successfully in the modern rural Alaska life. Sidney had a deep knowledge of biology, ecology, and mechanics - all needed for practical applications in hunting, trapping, boat
building and outboard motor repair, and the list could really go on. This is a very interesting read through the eyes of a wise person from a different culture.
Summary of Shadows on the Koyukuk: An Alaskan Native's Life Along the River
In his dramatic autobiography, Alaskan elder Sidney Huntington, half-white, half-Athabascan, recounts his adventures, tragedies, and ultimate success.
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