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angeluchia's review
5.0
Amazing Native Alaskan author, Ernestine tells her story in words that sound like song.
half_book_and_co's review
4.0
I am currently reading „Craft In The Real World“ by Matthew Salesses. In this book, Salesses emphasizes that every narrative convention you might hold dear or craft decisions you deem “good” are culturally specific and in no way universal. One of the things he writes about is “repetition” (which in an Anglo-Western understanding is mostly a bad thing in prose). I was reminded of this while reading Lingít author Ernestine Hayes’ beautifully written memoir “Blonde Indian”. Early in the book, Hayes tells the story of Raven only to get back to that story a few pages later, repeat it with more details. This repetition is obviously purposeful. It creates a rhythm in the text and creates layers.
In Blonde Indian, Hayes recounts her childhood in Alaska, her youth and adult life in different parts of the US, and her homecoming to Alaska. But this is not a linear story, instead, the narrative meanders, one story leads to another. Hayes interweaves her memories with lush descriptions of nature, with history and folklore, with stories of other people. But she also lays open the realities and repercussions of past and ongoing colonial violence. A book to read (and possibly reread) slowly and carefully.
In Blonde Indian, Hayes recounts her childhood in Alaska, her youth and adult life in different parts of the US, and her homecoming to Alaska. But this is not a linear story, instead, the narrative meanders, one story leads to another. Hayes interweaves her memories with lush descriptions of nature, with history and folklore, with stories of other people. But she also lays open the realities and repercussions of past and ongoing colonial violence. A book to read (and possibly reread) slowly and carefully.
mnboyer's review
5.0
A great memoir about growing up in an Alaska Native community (Tlingit). The story reveals information about the Tlingit, including certain cultural practices, community events, daily tasks, understanding the landscape, Raven stories, and Hayes' experiences growing up as a "Blonde Indian." I absolutely adore the Raven stories. A quick read, but a good read that I would share with anyone that likes autobiography or is interested in Tlingit communities.
theoneana's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
3.5
cheye13's review
reflective
slow-paced
2.0
Perhaps this book is now outdated.
I'm not sure what this story intended to do. I do not think it serves well as a first exposure to Indigienous experience or culture, nor does it satisfy those have already experienced Native fiction/nonfiction stories. The author's experiences alone are not enough to provide purpose or carry the narrative - it's called a memoir, yet the most compelling vignettes are about Old Tom and Young Tom, and not about the author.
The writing itself is beautiful, but I think this same book could be better written by this same author now.
I'm not sure what this story intended to do. I do not think it serves well as a first exposure to Indigienous experience or culture, nor does it satisfy those have already experienced Native fiction/nonfiction stories. The author's experiences alone are not enough to provide purpose or carry the narrative - it's called a memoir, yet the most compelling vignettes are about Old Tom and Young Tom, and not about the author.
The writing itself is beautiful, but I think this same book could be better written by this same author now.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Domestic abuse, Suicide attempt, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Colonisation, Death of parent, and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Religious bigotry, Animal death, and Stalking
moderate descriptions of experience at a residential school, sustained depiction of (implied) post-partum depression, detailed description of drowningroaming_enn's review
4.0
This book is about love and betrayal. Leaving and returning. Apathy and empathy. But most of all, life and death.
Ernestine Hayes grew up in Alaska before moving to the west coast in adulthood before moving back to Alaska after "years of wandering." She recounts her life as a child in Alaska, beloved child and friend. Then her life as various men's partner away from Alaska, eventually becoming a mother to three sons. Then her life as a homeless person, a stranger from everyone. And then her life returning home to Alaska, where for some reason she was finally able to do a little bit more with her life, as if her return journey was the culmination of it, just as it is with the salmon.
In fact, she does speak of the salmon, comparing it to her life, how they were born in a certain body of water before they feel the need to move away, and then finally how they feel the need to move back in order to commit their final act: reproduction, before dying. Perhaps this is her way of saying that she has no intention of moving away from Alaska again, that she would stay there until she died.
She recounts the origin story of Raven and the box of daylight, which I had never heard before. In the beginning is darkness. Nobody can see anything, and Raven decides to do something about this. He knows that all of the light is in a certain old man's three boxes. So he transforms into a piece of straw, which the man's daughter swallows, before transforming himself in the girl's womb, becoming a fetus and then a son. He is now the old man's grandson. The boy never forgets his life as a raven and his mission to give the world light. He convinces the old man to give him a box, which the old man does. The box opens, and out come the stars. He convinces the old man to give him another box, and the box opens, and out comes the moon. He convinces the old man to give him the last box, and the box opens, and out comes the sun. Slowly the world has more light, until it becomes like it is today. The boy transforms back into a raven and flies away. As if the boy's life had only one purpose before he leaves it.
Just like the salmon.
Just like the rest of us.
Her recounting of her mother's death was so poignant to me, that it made me think of my own mother's (future) death, and how much I would want to take care of her before it happens, and how much I would miss her once she's gone. And it made me think of my father's death, and how much my mother took care of him before it happened, like a loyal companion, even though they hated each other. My mother's unconditional care for him...
This recounting of her death is coupled with the recounting of Young Tom's death. Throughout the book, there is a secondary story (I don't know if there were actually people called Old Tom and Young Tom upon whom she is basing these recountings). Tom (the 'white man name' of a young boy whose given name is Tawnewaysh) was taken away from his family as a boy to be in a white school. As an adult, he lives most of his life in a drunken stupor, not sure what else to do when his wife becomes depressed after giving birth to another boy: "Young Tom." Young Tom's life mirrors that of his father, except Old Tom is to outlive his son, when Young Tom drowns while drinking in a boat. The final three pages consist of three sentences, recounting Young Tom's final thoughts before his untimely death, as he sees his life passing by him, and as he swears that when he returns to the boat, to shore, he would stop drinking, and he would tell everyone he loves that he loved them.
What was the purpose of his life?
What is the purpose of any of our lives?
Is this what everyone thinks before their death? Do they see their whole life flashing before them? Do they all promise to themselves that once they got through this, they would never again let anyone forget that they loved them? That on their deathbed the purpose of their life is now to remind them of this? There is no way to know, because we cannot simply go out and find a dead person and ask them what their final thoughts were.
But maybe.
Ernestine Hayes grew up in Alaska before moving to the west coast in adulthood before moving back to Alaska after "years of wandering." She recounts her life as a child in Alaska, beloved child and friend. Then her life as various men's partner away from Alaska, eventually becoming a mother to three sons. Then her life as a homeless person, a stranger from everyone. And then her life returning home to Alaska, where for some reason she was finally able to do a little bit more with her life, as if her return journey was the culmination of it, just as it is with the salmon.
In fact, she does speak of the salmon, comparing it to her life, how they were born in a certain body of water before they feel the need to move away, and then finally how they feel the need to move back in order to commit their final act: reproduction, before dying. Perhaps this is her way of saying that she has no intention of moving away from Alaska again, that she would stay there until she died.
She recounts the origin story of Raven and the box of daylight, which I had never heard before. In the beginning is darkness. Nobody can see anything, and Raven decides to do something about this. He knows that all of the light is in a certain old man's three boxes. So he transforms into a piece of straw, which the man's daughter swallows, before transforming himself in the girl's womb, becoming a fetus and then a son. He is now the old man's grandson. The boy never forgets his life as a raven and his mission to give the world light. He convinces the old man to give him a box, which the old man does. The box opens, and out come the stars. He convinces the old man to give him another box, and the box opens, and out comes the moon. He convinces the old man to give him the last box, and the box opens, and out comes the sun. Slowly the world has more light, until it becomes like it is today. The boy transforms back into a raven and flies away. As if the boy's life had only one purpose before he leaves it.
Just like the salmon.
Just like the rest of us.
Her recounting of her mother's death was so poignant to me, that it made me think of my own mother's (future) death, and how much I would want to take care of her before it happens, and how much I would miss her once she's gone. And it made me think of my father's death, and how much my mother took care of him before it happened, like a loyal companion, even though they hated each other. My mother's unconditional care for him...
This recounting of her death is coupled with the recounting of Young Tom's death. Throughout the book, there is a secondary story (I don't know if there were actually people called Old Tom and Young Tom upon whom she is basing these recountings). Tom (the 'white man name' of a young boy whose given name is Tawnewaysh) was taken away from his family as a boy to be in a white school. As an adult, he lives most of his life in a drunken stupor, not sure what else to do when his wife becomes depressed after giving birth to another boy: "Young Tom." Young Tom's life mirrors that of his father, except Old Tom is to outlive his son, when Young Tom drowns while drinking in a boat. The final three pages consist of three sentences, recounting Young Tom's final thoughts before his untimely death, as he sees his life passing by him, and as he swears that when he returns to the boat, to shore, he would stop drinking, and he would tell everyone he loves that he loved them.
What was the purpose of his life?
What is the purpose of any of our lives?
Is this what everyone thinks before their death? Do they see their whole life flashing before them? Do they all promise to themselves that once they got through this, they would never again let anyone forget that they loved them? That on their deathbed the purpose of their life is now to remind them of this? There is no way to know, because we cannot simply go out and find a dead person and ask them what their final thoughts were.
But maybe.