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Yup'ik Raven This collection of student work is from Frank Keim's classes. He wants to share these works for others to use as an example of culturally-based curriculum and documentation. These documents have been OCR-scanned and are available for educational use only.


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Yéll and His Wife - From S.E. Alaska

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Yéil and His Wife

Yéil lived with his wife on the other side of Lituya Bay in a rock house. They journeyed from Lituya Bay to Dry Bay hunting and fishing. As they travelled up the coast, they passed Icy Bay and Cape Yakutaga. Then they camped.

Early the next morning, Yéil sighted two whales and prepared to go after them. He began to load their canoe, urging his wife to hurry. His wife began to load the canoe with her things. Yéil became angry because she put too much stuff in the canoe.

After they got out to the ocean, he said that the canoe was overloaded. So he grabbed her sewing basket and threw it into the ocean where it turned into a rock and is still there today.

Yéil sighted two whales, one small one, and one large one. He said to his wife, "Cover your face and close your eyes. You must not see me spear the whale."

Yéil had everything he needed in the canoe: the spear, the line and the buoy. He followed the two whales, paddling the canoe. When he came close enough he grabbed his spear and got ready to throw it. At that moment, his wife uncovered her face and opened her eyes. Then they and their boat and the whale all turned to rocks.

So today you see the two islands in front of Katalla. That island we call "Yaay X'aat'ee" (Whale Island) is where the small whale is now. There is also a small island on the side of Yaay X'aat'ee, and to the south of that island you can see Yéil's spear and his buoy. All of them turned into rocks because Yéil's wife forgot what she was told.

Elaine Abraham

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