Make Prayers to the Raven: The Passage of Gifts
Summary
TLDRThis script explores the traditional lifestyle and beliefs of the Koyukon Athabascan people living in Alaska's northern interior near the Arctic Circle. It delves into their deep connection with nature, viewing it as sacred and governed by ancestral spirits rather than a separate deity. The script narrates their hunting practices, respect for animals, and the importance of sharing and community in their culture. It also touches on the challenges of maintaining these traditions amidst modern influences like technology and western lifestyle.
Takeaways
- 🌿 The script introduces an ancient, unwritten belief system that emphasizes respect and proper behavior towards nature, which has been passed down through generations among the Koyukon people.
- 🐦 The concept of the 'Raven' is central to the Koyukon's worldview, with the belief that the natural world is sacred and interconnected, and that everything in nature possesses a spirit.
- 🏞️ The Koyukon people live in the vast forest country near the Arctic Circle, with eleven settlements along the Yukon River and its tributaries, showcasing a deep connection to their homeland.
- 🎣 The script describes the traditional lifestyle of the Koyukon, which includes hunting, trapping, and fishing as means of sustaining their community.
- 🔄 It emphasizes the importance of respecting animals and the environment, suggesting that this respect is crucial for the success of hunting and the well-being of the community.
- 👴 The elders play a vital role in preserving and transmitting the cultural knowledge and values to the younger generations, ensuring the continuation of their traditions.
- 📚 The script mentions the influence of modernity, such as snow machines and store-bought goods, on the Koyukon way of life, highlighting the balance between tradition and change.
- 🌱 The script discusses the concept of 'luck' in hunting, which is tied to a hunter's respect for and relationship with the animals they hunt.
- 🍲 Potlatches, or community feasts, are highlighted as important social events where food is shared, traditional knowledge is passed down, and community bonds are strengthened.
- 🌱 The script concludes with the idea that the Koyukon people's traditional lifestyle and respect for nature may offer valuable lessons for all people on how to live sustainably with the environment.
Q & A
What is the significance of the raven in the beliefs of the Koyukon people?
-The raven is considered a creator in the beliefs of the Koyukon people, similar to the role of God in Christian tradition. It is believed to have made the world and is seen as an ancestral figure that watches over the land and its people.
How are the Koyukon people related to the Athabascan family of people?
-The Koyukon people are part of the Athabascan family, a group of indigenous people whose homeland extends across the Northwest quarter of the continent.
What is the importance of respecting animals in Koyukon culture?
-In Koyukon culture, respecting animals is crucial as it is believed that animals will only give themselves to hunters who treat them with respect. Disrespect can lead to bad luck, making the animals 'invisible' to the hunter.
How do the Koyukon people's traditional ways of life impact the environment they live in?
-The Koyukon people's traditional ways of life have minimal impact on the environment. They avoid wasting resources and killing beyond need, which helps to preserve the natural beauty and wildness of their homeland.
What is a potlatch and why is it significant in Koyukon culture?
-A potlatch is a village feast where food is shared, and it is a significant social event in Koyukon culture. It serves to express gratitude, pass along traditional knowledge, and provide guidance for the younger generation.
How do the Koyukon people ensure the sustainability of natural resources like beavers?
-The Koyukon people ensure the sustainability of natural resources by practicing responsible hunting and trapping methods. For example, they leave smaller beavers as 'seed' after catching one or two from a beaver house, allowing the population to be trapped for decades.
What is the role of the elder in passing on traditional knowledge to the younger generation?
-Elders play a vital role in passing on traditional knowledge to the younger generation by teaching them about hunting, trapping, and respecting nature. They also provide guidance and share stories during social events like potlatches.
How does the Koyukon belief system view the natural world?
-The Koyukon belief system views the natural world as a network of interconnected spirits. Every part of nature, including the moon, stars, earth, snow, plants, and animals, is believed to have a spirit that can be easily offended.
What changes are affecting the traditional way of life for the people of the Koyukon?
-The traditional way of life for the Koyukon people is changing with the introduction of modern conveniences such as snow machines, store-bought clothing, chain saws, and canned goods.
Why is it important for a hunter to be humble and not boastful before a hunt according to Koyukon tradition?
-In Koyukon tradition, a hunter should be humble and not boastful before a hunt because animals can understand even hushed words. Boasting may alert the animals to the hunter's plans, making them 'invisible' and leading to unsuccessful hunts.
What is the significance of sharing food within the Koyukon community?
-Sharing food within the Koyukon community is a way of ensuring that everyone has enough to eat, especially during times of scarcity. It is also believed that the more food one gives away, the more luck and food will come back to them.
Outlines
🌲 Indigenous Beliefs and Connection to Nature
This paragraph introduces an ancient, unwritten belief system that guides the behavior of the Coy Yukon Indians towards the earth and its creatures. It describes the passing down of these beliefs through generations, emphasizing the respect and intricate relationship with nature. The Coy Yukon Indians, part of the Athabascan people, live in Alaska near the Arctic Circle and maintain a deep connection with their ancestral home. The script also discusses the impact of modernity on their traditional lifestyle, with new technologies and goods being integrated while they still hold onto their cultural practices.
🎣 The Role of Luck and Respect in Hunting
The second paragraph delves into the importance of luck and the favor of animals in hunting practices among the Coy Yukon people. It highlights how hunters must maintain a good relationship with the animals they hunt to ensure success. The narrative follows Alfred ATLA and Henry Williams, who are shown setting traps and hunting beavers, emphasizing the need for stealth and respect towards the animals. The cultural significance of respecting the natural world is underscored, as is the belief that disrespect can lead to bad luck or an inability to catch game.
🐾 The Spirituality of Hunting and Nature
This paragraph discusses the spiritual beliefs of the Coy Yukon people, who consider all animals and aspects of nature to possess a spirit that can be offended. It details the teachings of the elders about how to treat animals with respect during hunting to avoid bad luck. The narrative includes a young man, Wayne ATLA, learning these traditions and the importance of sharing the hunted meat within the community. The paragraph also touches on the concept of the 'invisible glow' that fades from an animal after it has been killed, reflecting the spiritual connection between the hunter and the hunted.
🛶 Sustainability and Sharing in the Koyukon Culture
The fourth paragraph focuses on the principles of sustainability and sharing within the Koyukon culture. It describes the practice of trapping beavers and the importance of leaving younger beavers to ensure the continuity of the population. The narrative also emphasizes the importance of sharing food, especially during times of scarcity, as a way to ensure good luck and maintain community bonds. The paragraph highlights the belief that generosity is rewarded and that violating nature's gifts can lead to misfortune.
🍲 Potlatch: Community Gatherings and Respect for Nature
This paragraph describes the potlatch, a community feast where villagers share food and express gratitude for the natural resources they have received. It details the preparation of moose head soup and the significance of sharing food within the community. The potlatch is portrayed as a social event that reinforces cultural ties, shares knowledge, and provides guidance to the younger generation. The paragraph also discusses the proper treatment of animal remains, such as returning the moose skin to the forest as a sign of gratitude, reflecting the deep respect for nature ingrained in the Koyukon culture.
🌱 The Cycle of Life and Environmental Stewardship
The final paragraph reflects on the cycle of life and the moral responsibility the Koyukon people feel towards their environment. It discusses the careful treatment of the moose's spirit as a sign of respect and gratitude for the gift of its life. The narrative suggests that the traditional lifestyle of the Koyukon people has allowed their homeland to remain undamaged over thousands of years, offering potential lessons for environmental stewardship. The paragraph concludes with a look forward to the coming of spring in the Keokuk Valley and acknowledges the funding sources for the series.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Raven
💡Koyukon
💡Athabascan
💡Potlatch
💡Respect for Nature
💡Sustainability
💡Trapper
💡Cultural Traditions
💡Luck
💡Moral Responsibility
💡Land and Culture
Highlights
An ancient, unwritten belief system exists that guides interactions with nature.
The Coy Yukon Indians have a deep connection with the natural world and its spirits.
The Athabascan people's homeland spans across the Northwest quarter of the continent.
The traditional lifestyle of the Coy Yukon is explored, focusing on their relationship with the land.
Respect for animals and nature is a cornerstone of Coy Yukon culture.
The concept of 'luck' in hunting is tied to a hunter's relationship with the animals.
The importance of sharing resources within the community is emphasized.
The spiritual significance of animals like the moose and the beaver in Coy Yukon culture.
The belief that all parts of nature have a spirit that can be offended.
The practice of leaving 'seed' beavers to ensure sustainability.
The impact of modernization on the traditional lifestyle of the Coy Yukon.
The significance of potlatches in the community for sharing food and passing on knowledge.
The intermingling of culture and land is integral to the Coy Yukon identity.
The moral responsibility towards the environment as a tradition among the Coy Yukon.
The practice of returning animal parts to the wild as a gesture of gratitude.
The potential lessons for modern society from the traditional life ways of the Coy Yukon.
The cyclical nature of life and giving back to the land as demonstrated by the Coy Yukon.
Transcripts
there is an older way of seeing the
world another version of Genesis
unwritten but ancient and mysterious
another set of Commandments telling of
proper ways to behave toward the earth
toward animals plants everything in
nature this intricate system of beliefs
and principles has been kept for
generations in the memories of elders
passed on in cabins and camps to those
who listened while cold wind whispers in
the surrounding forests this world was
made by dotson saw the great Raven in a
time too distant to comprehend some of
Dotson saws power indoors in his
descendants who watch over his domain
from the treetops and high hillsides a
coy Yukon indian hunter seeing a raven
overhead may speak to it Sika old
grandfather bring us good luck this is
the ancestral home of the coy yukon
indians who hunt trapped fish and live
in this vast forest country near the
Arctic Circle there are eleven koyukon
settlements along the Yukon River and
its largest tributary the kaya cook in
Alaska's northern interior this program
and the ones to follow will explore life
in the kaya cook River villages
especially the ways people live on the
land and the relationships they keep
with the natural world
the coy Yukon belonged to a family of
people's called Athabascan whose
homeland stretches across the entire
Northwest quarter of our continent only
the Eskimo a separate people with a
different cultural tradition live
farther north this is the world Raven
made here nature is not governed by God
as in Christian tradition nature is God
ancestors of the coy Yukon have lived
here for at least 10,000 years yet the
land is as beautiful and wild today as
it was in the beginning how have they
touched their environment so that
scarcely a trace of their presence can
be seen in the wild land away from their
villages the traditional ways that Khoya
con people behaved toward their natural
surroundings may provide the answer
everything you know like pollution head
skin yeah Johnny man used to tell me
that take that way off from the village
to hold it away where there's nobody go
run that way you can keep your luck too
this is a time of great change for the
people of the Keokuk River as a new way
of life develops snow machines
store-bought clothing chain saws and
canned goods are examples of this change
but the Koyuk on keep a strong hold on
many of their traditions while they
choose to live in the 20th century we
can see what is modern but we must watch
and listen carefully to discover what is
uniquely call uconn it's your turn nice
and warm huh
I won't have to clear the water you can
just see your snows down there
I just can't catch the Mulrooney depend
on luck skill and knowledge are
essential for the hunt but equally
important is a hunter's favour with the
animals his luck of the one who has good
luck the koi akan people may say
something took care of him
lakes and ponds dot the landscape of
interior Alaska they are home to the
beaver and highway for the trapper who
must travel long distances in his
searches hunters cover these distances
more quickly now than they did a few
years ago when people relied on dogs
Alfred ATLA is from Hughes a village
located about 200 miles northwest of
Fairbanks
just below the Arctic Circle and you try
to set your set on the inside of the
feed pilot one side or the other Henry
Williams is from Allakaket
a neighboring village 60 miles upriver
yeah the big one come out first
after you make noise he's investigate
make sure the coast is clear very lucky
with B word oh Henry once in a great
while I get up you come after this meat
he's supposed to and when he does come
out for the bait he he fight it off
right next to the ice come all the way
up that's when he's supposed to get
caught right in the middle
I hope I don't stick it into my snares
when we don't make sure you have a
chance to see the damn thing
alfrid Atlas Sun wane like many of the
younger co Yukon he is attended school
outside his village and is well educated
in the white man's way but he's also
deeply interested in his own traditions
and learning the ways of his parents and
grandparents he has lived in a city but
now wishes to strengthen his ties to the
village and to the surrounding homeland
in this stand of trees not far from
Hughes he cuts firewood a vital resource
where the deep cold of winter lasts for
half the year
I like living off the land and I like
living with my people right now I'm just
in the initial stages of learning our
culture
I'm beginning to look at the land and
the animals at a broader view and I'm
learning from learning from my grandpa
learning from my dad and they're very
important as to me as as my teachers
the culture and the lander are
intermingled you can't really separate
the cultures and land in our people it's
not superstition it's something that's
evolved over thousands of years that's
been practiced from one generation to
the next you do something wrong to a
Wolverine a wolf or Lynx if if you don't
treat them right and you don't respect
them you're not gonna catch that animal
for a while it's it's not just
superstition it's something that's true
like all creatures in Ravens world the
Moose is more than just an animal
the Khoya khan hunter watching a moose
knows that he too is watched but this is
not a kind of seeing done with eyes a
hunter must be careful in what he says
because all animals can understand even
hushed words spoken far away in the
village
knowing this a man preparing to hunt
might say only that he's going out to
look around this way the animals will
not know of his plans nor will he sound
so proud as to be certain that he can
find them a young man like Wayne ATLA
has much to learn about the animals and
how to hunt them among the first lessons
the elders teach is that animals will
give themselves only to people who treat
them with respect for the disrespectful
hunter it is as if the animals became
invisible tracks may lead to emptiness
as if nothing had made them for the
respectful hunter they may quickly lead
to what he seeks
an animal does not die all at once
something fades from it slowly like an
invisible glow that dims over days weeks
even months the moose has cut apart its
pieces put in different places but there
is still an awareness in its remains if
even a part of it is treated badly the
animal will know
the traditional koyukon teach that
everything in nature is aware and
sensitive the moon and stars the earth
and snow the plants and animals every
part of the natural world has a spirit
that can easily be offended it is said
that a hunter who ignores this power and
offends an animal will be punished with
bad luck sickness even death Wayne will
take the meat hide the fat and some of
the organs home soup made from the head
is a special delicacy saved for village
feasts called potlatches
this is gonna be good at the potlatch
delicious I'm gonna cut the ribs type s
around for quite that I got some meat
out there I want to pass it around I'll
give you guys something I guess huh
yeah okay yeah okay yeah that's it
mm-hmm somewhere in everything
you want to give someone who takes a
moose when meat is scarce should share
most of it there is a koi you can save
the more food you give away the more
food comes back people are encouraged to
be generous by the promise of luck
young men learn important skills by
helping more experienced rappers usually
never get nothing first time yeah the
first time yeah no I should know beaver
this is not an easy country the old
people tells stories of hardship and
starvation the coy Yukon know that
natural resources are limited that they
must avoid wasting meat or killing
beyond need as among all people some of
the core Yukon villagers believe and
obey others do not but all are warned
that if a person violates nature his
luck may vanish what comes from nature
here is a gift
men from hues check their trap lines
every few days after catching one or two
animals from a beaver house the trapper
pulls out his snares leaving the smaller
beaver as seed this way each house may
be trapped for decades
trappers speak with pride of their
ability to take care of the country that
you
you know
closed today got to be little bit in
show you how to do it
watch this is first time that you could
watch this - you have to watch this part
here
beaver are an important source of food
and their hides are valuable for
clothing and for trade Bieber also have
a very powerful spirit Joe beaters
teaches that a person who cuts up a
beaver must not only know how to butcher
the meat but also the ways to do it
respectfully
if the throat is cut your blood is
spilled where someone might step over it
beaver will shun that trappers snares
there's not much blood in this neck of a
chain cut that blood vein before you
finish you could let all
you could blood all over the floor you
know it's alright if you do it on top
the cardboard but you can spoil your
luck that little yeah that's what they
say anyway you can cut them up like that
and hang them up month on the fish camp
- yeah strip like that then they could
dry or tattoo before seizure come here
show cotton in the pan you know the
water and then let it soak overnight and
boil it that's what my mother used to do
really good there's lots of things that
you can stir now you need to know maybe
you wouldn't believe it but it's better
to know because that you people inside
Helen Adler prepares Moosehead soup for
a potlatch where villagers gather to
share the best foods from the land and
also food from the community store no
social event is of greater importance
speeches are given before a potlatch
usually by the elders to thank those who
gave food to pass along traditional
knowledge and to provide guidance for
the younger people cities putlitz food
potlatches I see this ever since I was
little boy a Pollock occurred when I go
someplace I see people doing it all over
town run Yukon and all we have Tanana
River - I've been into mental a
Bennington Nenana they do the same thing
some people making soup that's pretty
good you know that's what our cultures
used to do even out camp to go in one
tent and then they had food once in a
while because you take time to people
people that you start always keep this
up and I'm glad that you people do this
cooking Thank You gathered together for
a potlatch the people of Hughes
expressed the most important links in
their lives their social connections to
each other their physical dependence on
the harvest and their spiritual ties to
the natural community
I won't get rid of this bone over there
Alfred Adler takes bones from the moose
back to the woods to bait traps set for
fur animals like Fox and Wolverine but
he also returns the skin from the
Moose's head to this quiet place in the
forest as a final gesture of gratitude
when your skin they hit you you're not
supposed to put it were under trailer
some support windows hanging up photos
no even though we traveled back but
anyway the cycle is complete the moose
has given itself to the hunter and
through him and his family to the other
villagers in turn they have treated its
spirit carefully showing that they're
worthy of this great gift tradition
binds the co Yukon people to a strict
code of moral responsibility toward
their environment here is the reason why
though they have lived here for
thousands of years their homeland
remains undamaged there may be lessons
for all people in the traditional life
ways of the coy Yukon
late winter days are brilliant with
sunshine temperatures are rising and the
longest season will soon end spring will
come to the Keokuk Valley
major funding for this series was
provided by KOAT CTV University of
Alaska Fairbanks Arco Alaska
incorporated and quite cloud Sena
limited to learn more about koyukon
athabascan culture read Richard K
Nelson's book make prayers to the Raven
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