Review by Alexander Ketzler

The First Christmas Tree
Ts'eba Tthadala
The young Spruce Tree
An aboriginal Athabaskan Christmas story
By Chief Peter John of Minto
Told in the Lower Tanana Athabaskan
Alaska Native Language Center
1991

Is this a fiction or a non-fiction story?
As Peter John states in the preface of the book, he said, "People should know that the Natives had Christmas three or four thousand years ago." As I have stated in previous reviews this story is considered to be true by the Athabaskan's of the Lower Tanana River. However, people outside of our culture may not consider this non-fiction story.

Is the story based upon cultural, and/or Indigenous knowledge(s)?
Yes the story is based on cultural and Indigenous knowledge's. The story I have been told ranged from Chena, Alaska, downriver to the old village of Cos'chaget above Tanana. It is important to note that the story has subtle changes in each community that this story has been related.

Is this story an infringement on cultural intellectual knowledge(s)?
In this case I would say that it is not. First, Peter John has secured copyright on this story. Second, the story that came from Minto is different from the version that is told in Nenana. Thirdly, the people of Minto, Alaska have not voiced disapproval against Peter John telling the story to the Alaska Native Language Center, and the Cultural Heritage and Education Institute.

Who is the author?
The author is Peter John of Minto, Alaska; he had settled in Minto in the 1920's after marring a woman from Cos'chaget, before that he was raised in Saint Marks Mission.

What is the author's background, i.e.: reliability, credibility?
It is said that his family originally came from somewhere around Circle, Alaska. After living in Minto for a considerable length of time he began speaking for the Minto people and they liked the way he talked for them, so they made him their chief.

What are the character(s), theme(s), and plot(s) of the story?
The main character is of the Stickman, how the stickman came to a couples place because it was starving and took Caribou meat from their cache. Then the man caught the Stickman taking food and stopped the Stickman by grabbing it around the waist. Although they could not understand each other the man promised not to harm the Stickman, and gave him Caribou meat because he could tell it was starving. They befriended each other and the Stickman stayed with the couple and helped pack Caribou meat when it regained his strength. When it came time for the Stickman to leave he took the man that had helped him and showed him a young spruce tree. The Stickman instructed the man to return to it in the fall time, and he said, "When I have died, then this spruce will wither up and die." The stickman then left the couple; in the next winter the man returned to the spruce tree to find it all decorated with beads, and dentalium shells. This went on for a couple of winters until the man came to the tree and found that it had died, and so he knew that the Stickman had also died. Because of the Stickman's gifts of beads and shells, the man became a very wealthy chief.

What is the purpose of the story?
The story has a parable to treat spruce trees with respect because they will be good to you. When one is out hunting or camping in the woods and they gather spruce boughs to sleep on, if one picks the best and softest boughs it will bring you luck.

Are the characters in the story real people?
To us they are historical figures, and to this very recent day they are some in the area who have even claimed to see a Stickman. But, this story would probably be alluded to fiction or lore by those of this dominant society.

Are the illustrations/photographs accurate and/or appropriate?
Yes, there is only one illustration on the front of the cover of the book. It is as drawing of a young spruce tree all decorated with beads and shells.

Are there stereotypical and demeaning portrayals in the story?
I am happy to say no, there is not!

What was your overall feeling of this book? Did you like/dislike the book?
My overall feeling is that I liked the book. It was interesting to me of the differences in the rendition of their (Minto) version of the story.

How did the story make you feel?
I liked the fact that a person from a village can write about stories and publish them, and retain the copyrights to the story without it creating friction within the community.

Was the story respectful of its subjects?
Yes, the story is very respectful of its subjects.

Was the language, vocabulary, used correctly?
For the most part yes, however there is in this book a translation into the Lower Tanana dialect that is written in linguistic script that was confusing to me when I tried to read it. The linguistic script at the bottom of each sentence did not match the sentence structure in the English language. They did not match it verbatim as we speak in what is called post-operative speech, much like the Russian language.

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