Walik and the Last Deer is a thoughtful and caring account of an indigenous tribe who called the environment around Lake Tahoe home. It is a completely detailed blend of nature and man, written with minimal dialogue and a rich, colorful narrative that will draw readers into the tribe's natural world. There weren't many tribes left near young Mikito's northern valley home. After the great Wapiti elk were nearly driven to extinction, many tribes migrated to the Pacific coast, or moved their families south to fertile lands where they could fish or farm. Those who stayed formed a loose clan of opportunists and adventurers who believed that the giant deer would one day return to the valley. Mikito's tribe was once large and the hunters were many. His father, Wa'lik, was the best bowman among them. He took to the hunt so that his family could eat, but it was stalking the elk that gave him the most joy. The elk killed were traded at the summer gathering by the great lake, at the Daowahga. The kin tribes would take all of the elk the tribe could provide. The tribe prospered, but the elk were killed in great numbers, beyond any real need outside of trade. The tribe rarely kept more than a year's supply in store. However, after a long generation of this it became clear that elk sightings were down. Still the hunters kept on hunting. The last deer was found and slaughtered, five different arrows in one hide. Although no one ever thought they would, the Wapiti vanished, and most of the people left also. Those who stayed searched and called, but no Deer Spirit answered. Eventually, the Deer Spirit did return. At night as he slept, Mikito's father, Wa'lik, was visited by the Deer Spirit who filled his head with visions of the great herd. Every night the Spirit would call Wa'lik by name and sing songs of the giant deer. Every day he awoke and searched the forest in vain. To bring back the Wapiti, to find the lost herd and restore the prosperity that vanished with the last deer was more than just vanity for Wa'lik. His dreams were his tribe's only link with this omnivigant specter that once bound his people to this land.  Mikito was a solitary young man in a tribe that was itself isolated and remote from other settlements. He was an eager liege to the bidding of his elders; alert for any feint praise that would signal his ascension into the cadre of adults and men. But, this tribe had no validating mission, outside of survival, that would consume the dreams of any young mind. Mikito longed for the maturity that would propel him out of the valley, to a world of adventure and self-determination. Mikito's mother, Mi'ra, was the touchstone to his ability to navigate the space between childhood and his maturity. He had followed her through every day of his life. And, as he reflected the ways of his father Walik, Mikito was diligent in helping his mother fulfill her contribution to their daily survival in the forest. His bow rivaled any in the village, except Wa'lik's. He seemed to fold easily into any endeavor and he could carry the weight of almost any challenge. Mikito's sister, the oldest child in the tribe, born Shu'anay'aron, branch of Sumac, was also known by the tribe as Me'asa'coiit, named for the adornments of bone and precious stone that she skillfully crafted and gave away. Seventeen seasons of life in the valley made her a constant companion to the other children, with the exception of thirteen year-old Mikito who would measure himself against every challenge from his maturing sister. Shu'anay's job was to watch over seven-year old Caahi, daughter of Maruk and Otahei, the toolmaker. She also cared for the only boy in the valley other than Mikito, four-year old Yana'qui, son of Ta'niay and Kayakunva, the fur trapper. Shu'anay would avail herself of gentle lessons from Ta'mah'iit, the stalwart friend of Mi'rah, and wife of Bruja the fisherman. Bruja busied himself by twisting and knotting wet sinew into strands of rope for his fishing net. It was a task that he took to every morning and picked up again at the end of every day. The tribe was led by an old Medicine Man. The tribe called the old man Marmot. A full head of gray hair down his back made him look like the yellowbelly rodent of the same name. Marmot was one of a band of Medicine men and Shamanists who had scattered north. They were driven out of their Pueblo village land by mistrust and disillusionment, brought on by a long period of drought and disease. Marmot was accompanied by Hamiahaj, ‘the woman who would be Marmot's wife'. In the past, many a hunt had begun with a vision from Wa'lik, but, he would dream only of elk. When the elk could no longer be found, it was Marmot who had begun to conjure visions of Rabbit and his den. In an elaborate nighttime ritual, the manner of which was the invention of Marmot, the fur of the rabbit was cast into a crackling chaparral fire. He would be aided in this ritual by Wa'lik's aunt, Hamiahaj, "the woman who would be Marmot's wife." Walik and the Last Deer is an exploration of the unintended and unexpected consequences of our ambitions and our best intentions. It is a colorful journey with family life, change of seasons, and Wa'lik's pursuit of the Wapiti as the main action. Illustrated with over 15 original works, the book is a rich journey for young and old alike who are interested in the lives of our first inhabitants. (Link to Chapter One!)  |
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