Tales From the Dena: Indian Stories from the Tanana, Koyukuk & Yukon Rivers (1995)

This little volume is dedicated to the memory of our predecessors Father Jules Jetté and Dr. John W. Chapman, who were the first to record tales from the Dena. A postscript in the book by de Laguna states "Dale DeArmond and I have asked that twenty percent of the royalties from the sale of this book go to the Doyon Foundation, a Native organization in Fairbanks, Alaska, to be used for the benefit of the Dena children and young people."

The stories, set in Distant Time when animals and birds were "human," range from serious myths to slyly humorous misadventures that convey their truths with laughter. The already considerable appeal of the tales has been enhanced by artist Dale DeArmond's brilliant wood engravings, seventy-two in all, created especially for the book.

Forty-one Alaskan Indian tales, transcribed in 1935 as nearly as possible in the narrators' own words, are included in this beautifully illustrated collection. A lively individualism characterizes variant versions of the exploits of the roguish Crow and the intrepid Man Who Traveled Among All the Animals and People.

Click on any image below to learn more information (where available).

Original retail price:
Hardcover: $60.00
Paperback: $24.95
ISBN 10: 0-295-97429-x (alk. paper)
ISBN: 9780295974354, 9780295974293