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Bird Girl & the Man Who Followed the Sun: An Athabaskan Indian Legend from Alaska
In her spellbinding second book, the award-winning author interweaves two classic Athabaskan legends set in ancient central Alaska. This is the story of two rebels who break the strict taboos of their communal culture in their quests for freedom and adventure. Readers will be captivated by this profound myth about two young people who wander far from their culture's deeply held traditions and eventually must find a way to come home again. Wallis's first book, TWO OLD WOMEN, is an international best-seller, translated into seventeen languages.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1996
17 people are currently reading
989 people want to read
About the author
Velma Wallis
4 books148 followersVelma Wallis (born 1960) is a Gwich'in Athabascan Indian and bestselling U.S. novelist. Her work has been translated into 17 languages.
She was born and raised in a remote Alaskan village near Fort Yukon, approximately 200 km north-east of Fairbanks. This location could be accessed only by riverboat, airplane, snowmobile or dogsled. Velma grew up among twelve siblings. Her father died when she was thirteen years old, and she stayed out of school to help her mother with the household. (She later went on to receive her GED diploma, which is a High School equivalent.)
About twelve miles away from the village, her father had once built a small cabin in the wilderness. He had been an active hunter and trapper. Some time after his death Velma surprised her family and friends by leaving home and living in the cabin for some years. She perfected her trapping, fishing and hunting skills and lived on what she could provide for herself. At one point her mother joined her during the summer to teach her more of the traditional skills needed to survive. In this area, where the Porcupine River flows into the Yukon River, Velma Wallis lived an independent lifestyle. These experiences led directly to her first book, Two Old Women, which astonished her publisher by selling 1.5 million copies worldwide.
Velma Wallis, who has three daughters and a son, now divides her time between Fairbanks and Fort Yukon.
She was born and raised in a remote Alaskan village near Fort Yukon, approximately 200 km north-east of Fairbanks. This location could be accessed only by riverboat, airplane, snowmobile or dogsled. Velma grew up among twelve siblings. Her father died when she was thirteen years old, and she stayed out of school to help her mother with the household. (She later went on to receive her GED diploma, which is a High School equivalent.)
About twelve miles away from the village, her father had once built a small cabin in the wilderness. He had been an active hunter and trapper. Some time after his death Velma surprised her family and friends by leaving home and living in the cabin for some years. She perfected her trapping, fishing and hunting skills and lived on what she could provide for herself. At one point her mother joined her during the summer to teach her more of the traditional skills needed to survive. In this area, where the Porcupine River flows into the Yukon River, Velma Wallis lived an independent lifestyle. These experiences led directly to her first book, Two Old Women, which astonished her publisher by selling 1.5 million copies worldwide.
Velma Wallis, who has three daughters and a son, now divides her time between Fairbanks and Fort Yukon.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 124 reviews
October 20, 2008
Wallis grew up in a traditional Athabaskan family in Interior Alaska. This is her telling of two native legends, one of Bird girl, a strong, independent female, who endures massive hardship at the hands of a rival tribe, gets her revenge in the end, but suffers greatly, and Daggoo, a male counterpart. Daggoo does not want to hunt like the other boys in his tribe. He loves to be outdoors, loves to explore and possesses a profound curiosity about the world, always wondering what lies beyond the next hill. He survives an attack that wipes out the men of his tribe and must take on a new role. Eventually, he is able to heed his wanderlust, and he finds both joy and horror in his life in the land of the sun. The two, of course, cross paths by the end of the tale, but their connecting seemed somewhat minimal. I was hoping for more from their pairing. Nevertheless, Wallis has written a very engaging story, eminently readable tale. This paperback is illustrated, but I did not find that the illustrations added any great value. The story was quite sufficient without them. I expect this work is intended for younger readers. I found it quite worthwhile despite my gray hairs.
April 16, 2015
This spellbinding story is set in the pre-Colombian Alaskan wilderness where the Ch'eekwaii (Inuits)and the Gwich'in (Athabeskans ) are often at war with each other over border disputes regarding hunting territory.
The author Velma Wallis is Athabaskan herself and grew up in the very area the novel takes place with the legends of her people. It says in her bio that she lived on her own in a cabin in the wilderness for many years, doing all her own hunting and trapping and experiencing the wilderness she writes about about so well.
Without being overly wordy or descriptive she transports you in her world combining two Athabaskan legends, each one featuring a rebel, into a compelling story that I was not able to put down. The violence in this book is shockingly brutal. Wallis does not sanitize. In an afterword she relates how she debated about doing so, but finally chose to stick with the original legend. I find Velma Walis an amazing writer. Her writing just drew me in and was not one part that was boring. The only reason I did not give it 5 stars is because I did not feel like reading it again. The violence was too disturbingly real for that!
However in spite of the violence I still highly recommend this book. In particular the story of Daagoo, the man who yearned to follow the sun resonated with me.
The author Velma Wallis is Athabaskan herself and grew up in the very area the novel takes place with the legends of her people. It says in her bio that she lived on her own in a cabin in the wilderness for many years, doing all her own hunting and trapping and experiencing the wilderness she writes about about so well.
Without being overly wordy or descriptive she transports you in her world combining two Athabaskan legends, each one featuring a rebel, into a compelling story that I was not able to put down. The violence in this book is shockingly brutal. Wallis does not sanitize. In an afterword she relates how she debated about doing so, but finally chose to stick with the original legend. I find Velma Walis an amazing writer. Her writing just drew me in and was not one part that was boring. The only reason I did not give it 5 stars is because I did not feel like reading it again. The violence was too disturbingly real for that!
However in spite of the violence I still highly recommend this book. In particular the story of Daagoo, the man who yearned to follow the sun resonated with me.
October 23, 2016
My reaction to this is based on my modern, feminist perspective. I know this beyond a doubt. And it is impossible to talk about my reaction to this book without spoilers, so sorry.
First off, let me say I love Wallis’ writing. Two Old Women is a great book, and the writing in this book is just as good. I love the fact that she does book length retellings of Native American tales.
And I know that my problem with this is modern.
A two part tale, this short novel tells the story of two outsiders and how they become part of their tribes. My problem is Bird Girl, which is also where Wallis makes the bravest decision, so I think she is also wrestling with her modern view as well. Bird Girl was a tomboy. Her father raised her like he did all her brothers. She is a better hunter and wrestler than some of the men in her village. This upsets the status quo, and it is decided that she should marry. She doesn’t want to, so she runs away, is captured by an enemy tribe, and is raped. (Wallis gets so many points about not sugarcoating this).
I think that is what has me upset. It’s true that there is Daggoo, a boy who wants to explore but is forced to take his place in the tribe with the death of other men. But it seems to me that Bird Girl is being punished, horribly punished, for wanting to be different, for bucking against the “woman’s role”. And as a modern feminist, I can’t really take the punishment.
YET, the tale is a Native American one, about a group that lives in the wild and a group that survives because people fulfill those prescribed roles. There is a reason for everyone in the group having a place and taking responsibility. There are reasons. Survival depended on that. I know this, and so I feel like having the idea of punishment sticks in my craw. Then I feel like the ugly white person because I am aware of the cultural differences and feel it is unjust.
What makes me feel better is that this conflict of modern vs. traditional viewpoint is something that Wallis herself wrestles with. Bird Girl doesn’t fully conform at the end of the book and it softens the idea of punishment. Furthermore, Wallis decides to keep the truer, harsher ending of Bird Girl’s capture. A brave choice in today’s PC world.
A very interesting book simply because of the view points.
Crossposted at Booklikes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 30, 2024
A timeless adventure, with themes etched deep in the human soul.
This legend of the Athabaskan Indians of Alaska follows two rebel souls in their journeys to find freedom and reach their own dreams. I stumbled upon this book - okay, I bought it at Goodwill! 😝 At first, its large typography and illustrations evoked a young readers feeling. But as the story deepens, themes such as forced marriage and tribal violence emerge. Information on Native traditions such as the hunt and family relations play greatly in the tale.
Though designed for easy reading, BIRD GIRL will advance the audience’s knowledge of ancient cultures and entertain readers of all backgrounds.
This legend of the Athabaskan Indians of Alaska follows two rebel souls in their journeys to find freedom and reach their own dreams. I stumbled upon this book - okay, I bought it at Goodwill! 😝 At first, its large typography and illustrations evoked a young readers feeling. But as the story deepens, themes such as forced marriage and tribal violence emerge. Information on Native traditions such as the hunt and family relations play greatly in the tale.
Though designed for easy reading, BIRD GIRL will advance the audience’s knowledge of ancient cultures and entertain readers of all backgrounds.
April 23, 2015
I read this book in one sitting, unable to put it down even to brew a second cup of tea.
Velma Wallis borrows from at least three different Native American legends for this moving story of two young people, each of whom feels born to live differently from the ways expected of their communities.
That's almost a given theme for many YA stories (especially historicals). But this book is unique in two ways.
First, their communities are small tribes living centuries ago in an extreme climate. So society's "rules" are more than traditions or expectations--they mean the difference between survival and death.
Second, the set-up of how and why the boy and girl come to be "misfits" is developed and justified with great care. (I dislike historicals in which the MC just instinctively feels that s/he's right about something, while the entire rest of society is wrong.)
After the set-up, one child (again, not at all arbitrarily) feels obligated to begin to live by the rules. In contrast, the other child sets out to prove to society that one can succeed while being different. How these opposite choices play out results in some scenes of extreme violence and others of hope, joy, and comfort.
Wallis writes with such simple clarity! Her theme is reinforced (often in unexpected ways) by everything that happens.
There is one structural choice that may not satisfy those who like tidy stories: the two young people have two different adventures, really. So don't read this book looking for a conventional romance.
But do read this book. (I wish it were easier to get hold of; I recommend interlibrary loan.)
Velma Wallis borrows from at least three different Native American legends for this moving story of two young people, each of whom feels born to live differently from the ways expected of their communities.
That's almost a given theme for many YA stories (especially historicals). But this book is unique in two ways.
First, their communities are small tribes living centuries ago in an extreme climate. So society's "rules" are more than traditions or expectations--they mean the difference between survival and death.
Second, the set-up of how and why the boy and girl come to be "misfits" is developed and justified with great care. (I dislike historicals in which the MC just instinctively feels that s/he's right about something, while the entire rest of society is wrong.)
After the set-up, one child (again, not at all arbitrarily) feels obligated to begin to live by the rules. In contrast, the other child sets out to prove to society that one can succeed while being different. How these opposite choices play out results in some scenes of extreme violence and others of hope, joy, and comfort.
Wallis writes with such simple clarity! Her theme is reinforced (often in unexpected ways) by everything that happens.
There is one structural choice that may not satisfy those who like tidy stories: the two young people have two different adventures, really. So don't read this book looking for a conventional romance.
But do read this book. (I wish it were easier to get hold of; I recommend interlibrary loan.)
March 28, 2020
Read shortly after Velma Wallis's
Two Old Women
, which is one of my favorite folk-legends of all time, Bird Girl and the Man Who Followed the Sun suffered somewhat by comparison. A Gwich'in Athabaskan folk epic, it follows the dual narratives of two rebels: Bird Girl, who prefers male activities like hunting, and who does not wish to be married; and Daagoo, a man who loves to wander, and dreams of finding the Land of the Sun, said to be far to the south...
This is a story whose cultural import quickly becomes clear, as it seeks to reconcile the needs and desires of the individual with that of her society. The adventures of the two main characters, their journeys away from their people, and their eventual return, has a neat symmetry to it. I found it appropriate and satisfying that the two rebels eventually find one another.
Well-written and informative as it may be however, I found that I could not enjoy Bird Girl quite as much as the author's earlier title, which is more of a reflection of my own opinions and emotional state, I would imagine, than the book's actual merit. Perhaps I was hoping that Bird Girl's narrative would offer more of an affirmation of her individual needs than it did, or perhaps my emotional reaction to her mistreatment at the hands of the Inupiaq colored my judgment, but I could not help being somewhat disappointed that her "punishment" was so severe. The folklorist in me is well aware that I am superimposing my own personal and cultural values onto the story, but there you have it... Despite my personal ambivalence however, this was a fascinating and engaging story, and well worth the reader's attention.
This is a story whose cultural import quickly becomes clear, as it seeks to reconcile the needs and desires of the individual with that of her society. The adventures of the two main characters, their journeys away from their people, and their eventual return, has a neat symmetry to it. I found it appropriate and satisfying that the two rebels eventually find one another.
Well-written and informative as it may be however, I found that I could not enjoy Bird Girl quite as much as the author's earlier title, which is more of a reflection of my own opinions and emotional state, I would imagine, than the book's actual merit. Perhaps I was hoping that Bird Girl's narrative would offer more of an affirmation of her individual needs than it did, or perhaps my emotional reaction to her mistreatment at the hands of the Inupiaq colored my judgment, but I could not help being somewhat disappointed that her "punishment" was so severe. The folklorist in me is well aware that I am superimposing my own personal and cultural values onto the story, but there you have it... Despite my personal ambivalence however, this was a fascinating and engaging story, and well worth the reader's attention.
November 16, 2025
Read in a day and immediately healed the slump I was in.
Art beautiful
Art beautiful
May 25, 2016
In this story, two ancient Gwich'in legends are mingled, both concerning young people who 'do not fit in' and are shunned by their tribe. One of the legends is about a boy who dreams of a land where the sun always shines. He holds on to a map - drawn on a piece of tanned moose skin - that may lead him there. The other legend concerns a girl who shies away from marriage and the traditional role of Gwich'in women, preferring instead to go hunting and survive on her own.
Velma Wallis wove these two legends together, resulting in a rather harrowing story about caribou hunts, fights over territory and violence between tribes, but ultimately, a story that shows the importance of holding on to traditions, family bonds and a place to call home.
Velma Wallis wove these two legends together, resulting in a rather harrowing story about caribou hunts, fights over territory and violence between tribes, but ultimately, a story that shows the importance of holding on to traditions, family bonds and a place to call home.
February 8, 2015
I had recently re-read Two Old Women, the author's first book re-telling an ancient Athabaskan legend passed on by her grandmother. It was wonderful (see my review), so I had to read this re-telling of another legend. Across cultural, geographic, and temporal distances this little book tells the story of my own life, "She buried all thoughts of her loved ones in the back of her mind as she forced her legs to walk calmly, not run, from those who wanted to take away her freedom." And this from the author's Afterword: "The point of the story is that we all leave home for different reasons, but one day we must come home again."
February 22, 2023
The braided story line of Bird Girl and Daagoo come to life as we follow each character in the story.
Oral stories are sometimes hard to translate into written literature, but Wallis does an awesome job at it.
Oral stories are sometimes hard to translate into written literature, but Wallis does an awesome job at it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 7, 2024
This book is…tough. I flew through Wallis’s first book - “Two Old Women” - and really enjoyed it. It has a tough premise as well, but gets steadily more positive and never dips too deeply into despair.
That is, it doesn’t dip to the same degree are “Bird Girl”. There are really rough patches throughout this book. The blurbs talk about the importance and rewards of staying true to yourself but, to be honest, that’s not quite what I took away. Nonconformity comes at a heavy cost for the main characters.
The afterward by Wallis is a must-read. It describes her goals and decisions, and really helps put the book in context. There is clearly a lot about her culture, other Indigenous cultures, and humanity that Wallis finds beautiful. But there are also elements that she finds to be brutal. And she doesn’t hold back here in laying all of that out. Like her first book, the writing here is lean and efficient. I moved through it quickly over the latter half of a trip to Alaska, after finishing “Two Old Women” over the first half, and am really glad I made both choices.
That is, it doesn’t dip to the same degree are “Bird Girl”. There are really rough patches throughout this book. The blurbs talk about the importance and rewards of staying true to yourself but, to be honest, that’s not quite what I took away. Nonconformity comes at a heavy cost for the main characters.
The afterward by Wallis is a must-read. It describes her goals and decisions, and really helps put the book in context. There is clearly a lot about her culture, other Indigenous cultures, and humanity that Wallis finds beautiful. But there are also elements that she finds to be brutal. And she doesn’t hold back here in laying all of that out. Like her first book, the writing here is lean and efficient. I moved through it quickly over the latter half of a trip to Alaska, after finishing “Two Old Women” over the first half, and am really glad I made both choices.
April 30, 2023
Loved the style.
I was okay with the two legends, being similar in their most broad arc, were only intertwined at the edges.
But what I did not like,
I was okay with the two legends, being similar in their most broad arc, were only intertwined at the edges.
But what I did not like,
March 2, 2024
I could not stop sobbing reading this book😭 it was actually the most gut wrenching piece of literature I’ve ever read. There were literally no flaws in this. Something that I respected so much about this book is that it wasn’t sugarcoated. The realness of it is painful to read but makes the story so much more immersive.
September 30, 2025
I absolutely LOVED this book!
October 4, 2025
Storytelling heals.
July 6, 2022
I first read "Two Old Women" and was most impressed. I soon bought Velma Wallis' biography and this book. Wallis' biography moved me as it chronicled her life struggles through misery and misunderstanding to reach a point of stability and health. Only then was she able to record the folk legends of her Alaskan Athabaskan Indian tradition. I had saved "Bird Girl" for last and I wasn't disappointed.
Written in simple, straightforward prose, this tale follows Bird Girl and Daagoo (interestingly, Wallis gave this name to her own son) in alternating chapters. They are two very talented young people with a sense of destiny and achievement outside the traditional life of their opposing Alaskan hunting tribes. Both have to endure great hardship and mistreatment before they can fulfill their potential. A strong theme is a tension between collective unity and individual desire.
Enhancing this great tale are beautiful pen and ink drawings by native Jim Grant.
I am inspired that this book is being selected for young readers' libraries. I hope that the contents can serve to counteract the fluff, fantasy and macabre that seems to fill pop culture teenagers are immersed in.
Written in simple, straightforward prose, this tale follows Bird Girl and Daagoo (interestingly, Wallis gave this name to her own son) in alternating chapters. They are two very talented young people with a sense of destiny and achievement outside the traditional life of their opposing Alaskan hunting tribes. Both have to endure great hardship and mistreatment before they can fulfill their potential. A strong theme is a tension between collective unity and individual desire.
Enhancing this great tale are beautiful pen and ink drawings by native Jim Grant.
I am inspired that this book is being selected for young readers' libraries. I hope that the contents can serve to counteract the fluff, fantasy and macabre that seems to fill pop culture teenagers are immersed in.
December 31, 2015
Velma Wallis, an Athabaskan Indian woman from Alaska, was set on codifying some of the legends that her mother had told her about their people. Her first endeavor, Two Old Women, became a bestseller. Her second project was the mingling of two legends she had heard throughout her childhood. Each of the stories were similar because they focused on "loners" or people who do not fit into the norm of society.
Bird Girl and Daagoo are from different bands of the Gwich'in tribe and have one chance meeting when they are young. The story follows as each go separate ways, Daagoo to the "Land of the Sun", and Bird Girl as she is kidnapped and enslaved by an enemy tribe. Their stories mirror each others through their struggles for independence, and the great tragedies they endure.
A wonderful story from which I learned a great deal about the Native Alaskan people... Beautifully written story.
Bird Girl and Daagoo are from different bands of the Gwich'in tribe and have one chance meeting when they are young. The story follows as each go separate ways, Daagoo to the "Land of the Sun", and Bird Girl as she is kidnapped and enslaved by an enemy tribe. Their stories mirror each others through their struggles for independence, and the great tragedies they endure.
A wonderful story from which I learned a great deal about the Native Alaskan people... Beautifully written story.
November 13, 2017
I read Wallis's first book, Two Old Women, first before I read this one. I think I enjoyed this one even more because it showed the reader more of a glimpse into the day-to-day life of the Gwich'in people. Through her two main characters, Bird Girl and Daagoo, Wallis enlightens her readers on traditional views of gender and community belonging within Gwich'in culture. At first, Bird Girl and Daagoo, as children, were allowed to roam free and explore. But, as they got older, they were expected to step into the roles set up for them by tradition. I think they both sensed this pressure to grow up, and rebelled, either in an attempt to delay their adult responsibilities or to forge their own destiny. But, circumstances beyond their control force them into the very roles they were trying so hard to evade. Eventually, they are reunited with their people, now as adults who are finally ready to settle down. They've had their adventures, now they've come back home.
January 25, 2010
Not quite as great as her more famous work, Two Old Women, this story is the blending of two legends of Wallis's native Alaskan ancestry. I must say that in the beginning of the book, I was pretty sure I knew where the story was going. Velma Wallis surprised me very much, however, when the story takes quite a dark turn. In the afterword, it is noted that she was unsure whether or not to take the story into that dark place, but that is how it had been told among her people, so she stayed true to that. I appreciate the novelty of this story and recommend it to anyone who likes Native American legends.
April 5, 2015
A good read that I enjoyed. It gets an extra star because it remains true to its roots.
Interestingly it shows the brutality of a culture that is the same as many others -- murder, slavery and rape. And unfortunately we have two young women who felt they would not be able to return to their homes, because they would not be fully accepted back because of the rape. Still true today in so many instances. But these are only a small part of the story which follows a legend of returning to family and those we love.
Interestingly it shows the brutality of a culture that is the same as many others -- murder, slavery and rape. And unfortunately we have two young women who felt they would not be able to return to their homes, because they would not be fully accepted back because of the rape. Still true today in so many instances. But these are only a small part of the story which follows a legend of returning to family and those we love.
July 19, 2014
I can't give it a 4-star (really liked it) because while it was well-written and a quick read, I only LIKED it. I don't know about anyone else who may have read this, but I was spending quite a lot of time saying, "Well, THAT'S depressing." I suppose I only liked it because it seriously mirrored the "ain't life a bitch?" way of the world. I was surprised that there was anything resembling a happy ending. I did enjoy it overall, though, and I'd certainly recommend it to others.
September 16, 2014
This is a simple beautiful story about being different and chasing after your dreams, despite what people think. But it's set in the faraway lands of Alaska, inserted in the Eskimo culture, and that's what makes it rich. Velma's writing is so candid and virtuous, always trying to send out a message of humanness. I first read her works with "Two old women" and I fell in love from the very first line. And this book, didn't let me down at all. I totally recommend it.
March 15, 2009
This book is based on two Athabaskan stories the author was told as a child. It's a quick read that I couldn't put down. I loved the story-telling format and the glimpse into the lives of the tribal people of Alaska. As with many stories told to children, there are tragic circumstances which the characters must endure and overcome. I really enjoyed it!
November 4, 2022
Definitely not for the faint of heart, with far more depressing stories than Two Old Women. The interweaving stories were captivating enough to finish the book in two sittongs. Wallis has a great pace and way of telling stories, you feel as if you're listening to them by a campfire.
February 28, 2011
EVERYBODY NEEDS TO READ THIS BOOK.
It was amazing, I did not put it down until it was over. Something about it just pulled me in and captivated me.
It was amazing, I did not put it down until it was over. Something about it just pulled me in and captivated me.
November 30, 2014
Fascinating and intriguing... A great read!
October 18, 2022
I read Two Old Women: An Alaskan Legend of Betrayal, Courage and Survival by Wallis a few years ago and I thought it was quite good so I was hopeful I would enjoy another book by her. I picked this book for a folklore prompt on a bingo board, and I am so glad I did. This is a story of two different legends combined into one story.
Bird Girl was a young woman who wanted to go out hunting with her father and brothers instead of staying home with her mother learning to cook and sew as expected of a girl. She was strong and quick and could hunt better than boys her age. But eventually the tribe leaders told her father that she needed to marry and stay home because she was disrupting the order of things and it wasn't acceptable. When Bird Girl's father told her she would marry, she decided to leave her tribe to show them she could survive on her own in the hopes they could eventually accept her different way of life. This was the beginning of what would be a traumatic and difficult life.
Daagoo was a young man from the same people but a different tribe. He didn't enjoy hunting or scouting, but he loved being out roaming in the wilderness. Daagoo had heard the legends of some of his people who had traveled far to the land where the sun never went down. His tribe was in what is modern day Alaska and western Canada, so the sun would disappear for part of the winter. His people didn't really know if there was a place the sun never went down, but they were too busy surviving to think about it. Eventually Daagoo had an opportunity to leave his tribe to see for himself if the land existed.
This is really about two young people who didn't fit in to the expectations of their tribes. This isn't a feel good book where they each went their own way and found their way in life with minor irritations. Their lives were both extremely difficult and terrible things happened. They lived in a time where the lives of all people were hard and short. Death was right around the corner if food wasn't found or injury occurred. There were enemies who didn't hesitate to kill entire tribes. There stories are loosely based on legends but those legends weren't fleshed out. Wallis takes significant liberties and tells what could have happened to two young people who didn't want to follow the rules of their tribes which were very narrow and did not allow for deviation. I enjoyed reading about the indigenous way of life and how they survived, but I would caution readers that there are triggers for rape and murder of children as well as adults.
Bird Girl was a young woman who wanted to go out hunting with her father and brothers instead of staying home with her mother learning to cook and sew as expected of a girl. She was strong and quick and could hunt better than boys her age. But eventually the tribe leaders told her father that she needed to marry and stay home because she was disrupting the order of things and it wasn't acceptable. When Bird Girl's father told her she would marry, she decided to leave her tribe to show them she could survive on her own in the hopes they could eventually accept her different way of life. This was the beginning of what would be a traumatic and difficult life.
Daagoo was a young man from the same people but a different tribe. He didn't enjoy hunting or scouting, but he loved being out roaming in the wilderness. Daagoo had heard the legends of some of his people who had traveled far to the land where the sun never went down. His tribe was in what is modern day Alaska and western Canada, so the sun would disappear for part of the winter. His people didn't really know if there was a place the sun never went down, but they were too busy surviving to think about it. Eventually Daagoo had an opportunity to leave his tribe to see for himself if the land existed.
This is really about two young people who didn't fit in to the expectations of their tribes. This isn't a feel good book where they each went their own way and found their way in life with minor irritations. Their lives were both extremely difficult and terrible things happened. They lived in a time where the lives of all people were hard and short. Death was right around the corner if food wasn't found or injury occurred. There were enemies who didn't hesitate to kill entire tribes. There stories are loosely based on legends but those legends weren't fleshed out. Wallis takes significant liberties and tells what could have happened to two young people who didn't want to follow the rules of their tribes which were very narrow and did not allow for deviation. I enjoyed reading about the indigenous way of life and how they survived, but I would caution readers that there are triggers for rape and murder of children as well as adults.
April 23, 2023
After re-reading Two Old Women earlier this year, I wanted more from Velma Wallis, and this is just about it. Another beautiful re-telling of two tales of her Athabaskan heritage, the book has timeless truths about ways humans classify each other when 'other' and the ways they band together when they are united in commonality. The two legends are each about unusual stand-out, stand-alone individuals in two different Gwich'in tribes who lived along the Yukon - "two rebels who went beyond the ordinary." Here the two meet, briefly, but alternating chapters tell their individual stories. Dagoo (who also has a role in Two Old Women) is a boy who loves to explore, and to see what else is beyond the tribal land, forsaking his hunting duties to wander and dream. He is particularly interested in the Land of the Sun, which he has heard tales of from elders or passers-by that is far to the south and never has snow or cold. When the chief orders his father to keep him in line and make sure he contributes to the winter hunt, Dagoo gives in and excels at this job until a tribal tragedy propels him into a leadership position as a teenager. After fulfilling this role and seeing his people to safety he leaves on a wander, encountering new people, the ocean, the sun. Meanwhile, Bird Girl had been spoiled by her father because she did not like women's work and instead learned to scout and hunt with her brothers. As she came of age, the chief decreed that she could no longer behave this way and must get married. Instead, she runs away, only to be captured by a fierce enemy tribe with a vendetta. She endures years of cruelty and assault, but never loses her courage or pride until the chief, whose slave she had become, punishes her family. She takes quiet revenge and painfully makes her way back to her people, only to be misunderstood and ostracized. Bird Girl and Dagoo meet again late in life, recognizing kindred souls who had a brief encounter as children and their wisdom and stories are valued and preserved.
March 19, 2023
I borrowed this after finishing "Two Old Women"
I love that Wallis says in the Author's Afterword
"I find that I am attracted to sories about people who stray from the "normal". ..."
Bird Girl would rather hunt with her dad and brothers than sew and cook with her mom.
Daagoo would rather spend his days exploring. When confronted, he accecpted picking up
the need to hunt and care for his people. An ugly unfortunate caused him to be pushed into
leadership. His mom helped guide him. When his group joined another, he set off to follow
his dream of following the sun. He encountered aloneness and welcoming. When he encountered
his first enemy on this journey, he found compassion.
Bird Girl was faced with having a husband chosen for her. She was NOT ready to be a wife,
and left her family to survive on her own. She did well for awhile, until she was taken hostage,
and became a slave for an enemy group. She faced much hardship. Through this time, her 3 brothers still looked for her.
Both Bird Girl and Daagoo had a terrible situation worthy of their revenge. Daagoo listened to
a wiser voice and returned home. Bird Girl acted her revenge, which this reader cheered and almost wished she had done so earlier. She too returned home.
"We have to trust in our future." the wise words of Daagoo's mother.
I love that Wallis says in the Author's Afterword
"I find that I am attracted to sories about people who stray from the "normal". ..."
Bird Girl would rather hunt with her dad and brothers than sew and cook with her mom.
Daagoo would rather spend his days exploring. When confronted, he accecpted picking up
the need to hunt and care for his people. An ugly unfortunate caused him to be pushed into
leadership. His mom helped guide him. When his group joined another, he set off to follow
his dream of following the sun. He encountered aloneness and welcoming. When he encountered
his first enemy on this journey, he found compassion.
Bird Girl was faced with having a husband chosen for her. She was NOT ready to be a wife,
and left her family to survive on her own. She did well for awhile, until she was taken hostage,
and became a slave for an enemy group. She faced much hardship. Through this time, her 3 brothers still looked for her.
Both Bird Girl and Daagoo had a terrible situation worthy of their revenge. Daagoo listened to
a wiser voice and returned home. Bird Girl acted her revenge, which this reader cheered and almost wished she had done so earlier. She too returned home.
"We have to trust in our future." the wise words of Daagoo's mother.
August 24, 2022
This story is a deep ancestral tale about the Athabascan Indians. It focuses on two different peoples sharing close hunting grounds along the Alaskan coastline and provides a wonderful insight into the different perspectives of both peoples.
The tale narrates the story of two youngsters from different clans who are both rebels in their own individual ways, both yearning for the freedom to live their own lives. Their different paths take them far from home before they truly learn the price of that freedom.
It is well-told and highly descriptive, easy to place yourself in the lands they cross - hearing the rushing water, smelling the damp pine forests and feeling the bite of the Winter cold.
The author is descended from the Gwichin Athabascan tribe.
Shawn Callon, author of The Simon Montfort Spy Series, edited and published this review.
Bird Girl & the Man Who Followed the Sun: An Athabascan Indian Legend from Alaska
The tale narrates the story of two youngsters from different clans who are both rebels in their own individual ways, both yearning for the freedom to live their own lives. Their different paths take them far from home before they truly learn the price of that freedom.
It is well-told and highly descriptive, easy to place yourself in the lands they cross - hearing the rushing water, smelling the damp pine forests and feeling the bite of the Winter cold.
The author is descended from the Gwichin Athabascan tribe.
Shawn Callon, author of The Simon Montfort Spy Series, edited and published this review.
Bird Girl & the Man Who Followed the Sun: An Athabascan Indian Legend from Alaska
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