Kitaq by Margaret Nicolai; Paintings by David Rubin
Published by Alaska Northwest Books
ISBN 0-88240-504-7; Juvenile Fiction

Summary: Kitaq, a five-year-old Yup'ik boy, goes on his first ice fishing trip with his grandfather.

1. Is there ridicule in the book that may cause embarrassment for the Native American reader?
There is no ridicule in the book that may cause embarrassment for Yup'ik readers.

2. Are the characters depicted as horrifying or abusers of animals or humans?
No, the characters in the book are not depicted as horrifying or abusers of animals or humans.

3. Are the pictures of faces, clothing and housing stereotypical of Natives in general?
The detailed illustrations, done in oil on canvas, are not stereotypical of Natives in general. Each character's face is unique, and almost lifelike. Although the parka design looks stereotypical of Eskimos in general, the type of parka used during ice fishing trips accurately represents the parkas used for being in the frigid outdoors: straightforward, not fancy, and without trimmings. The qaspeq used by the mother is also illustrated in good taste, where the simple trimmings are representative of Yup'ik women qaspaks from the Kuskokwim area.

4. If it tells a story that comes from my people, does it use language that does not change the context or the meaning? In other words, does the author know exactly that what he is saying is accurate information?
The author mentioned in the back of the book that this fictional story was written to preserve stories that her Yup'ik husband from Kwethluk, Alaska, has shared as he was growing up in the village, which is the setting for the story. The story of Kitaq going on his first ice fishing trip, and the feelings that came about as he caught his first fish as well as the grandfather's memories of his first catch, caught when he was a boy, was brought out in a way that many Yup'ik people can relate to when they take their first catch, whatever it may be. The author, who also has Yup'ik heritage, built this story on one of the cultural traditions that still exist today.

5. Does it treat Native life as though it were simply a normal part of human existence? Does the writing have warmth and humor, and without any particular attempt to "sound" Native? Are there any particular values that the book brings about?
Yes, the book accurately treats Yup'ik life as though it were a normal part of human existence where the characters are depicted as caring and loving people. In our Yup'ik culture, family is very important, where elders are respected for their wisdom and experience, and children are treasured and indulged. In this book, the value of family and the importance of each family member, young or old, are brought out in a warm, positive manner.

6. Is the information accurate on the life and language on the people, with accurate phonetic spellings?
The information is accurate on the life and language of the Yup'ik people in the book; however, there are some terms that are inaccurately phonetically spelled. I believe the boy's name should be Kit'aq, and not Kitaq, because it is very common for a person who has a name with a stop consonant to place a stress after the letter. Another example is "Apa", which should be spelled "Ap'a", because of the stop consonant. "Aliimatik" should be "aliimatek". "Apa'urluk" should be "Apa'urluq", as the ending of "Apa'urluk" means two, not one. "Atmuk" should be "atmak". A nice feature of the book is the Yup'ik glossary in the back of the book where definitions are given as well as how to pronounce them.

7. If it is a history book, does it tell how it really was for the People without any lies?
This is not a history book, but it gives a realistic account of Kitaq's family living in a village before electricity, telephones and television arrived.

8. If written by a non-Native, does it mention in the preface that the author talked with any members of the People he was writing about to get the facts straight?
As mentioned earlier, the author is of Yup'ik descent, but has a full Yup'ik husband from Kwethluk. Margaret Nicolai did not mention talking with any members of Yup'ik people from Kwethluk other than hearing stories of her husband's experiences.

9. Are Elders valued and respected in the book?
Yes, very much so.

10. Does the book respect the culture of the people it is written about?
Yes, the book is written in a way that respects our Yup'ik culture, and the roots of her husband's culture. I would recommend this book to anyone that is interested in how Kuskokwim village life was like in the 1950's and 1960's, and the importance placed on first catches.

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