Qulirat qanemcit-llu kinguvarcimalriit = Stories for future generations : the oratory of Yup'ik elder Paul John /

Fienup-Riordan is renowned for her intelligent anthropological essays and for her close involvement with Yup'ik communities in projects like the Yup'ik mask exhibit. In this volume she presents the oratory of a noted Yup'ik elder, Paul John. These talks were recorded at Nelson Island High School in Yup'ik in 1977. During the 1990s Shield, a well-known Yup'ik educator with extensive cross-cultural experience, translated the material with the assistance of Fienup-Riordan. The volume contains more than 50 individual narratives in both Yup'ik and English. They are divided into 13 topical divisions: "Life in the Past," "Humans and Animals," "Back When Extraordinary Beings Were Present," "Those Who Lived Alone," "Men and Women," "Parents and Children," "Becoming a Yup'ik Person," "Older Brothers and Younger Siblings," "Shamans," "Some That Are Slightly Funny," "Origins," "Great Hunters," and "Yup'ik Survival Tools." The volume is remarkable because it presents not only an incredible variety of narratives but also documents the wealth of oral narratives that one individual might possess. The book is a marvelous contribution to the study of Eskimo literature and oratory. ^BSumming Up: Highly recommended. Academic collections at all levels supporting study of Native peoples, folklore, and culture; general readers. J. Ruppert University of Alaska Fairbanks