Raven's Revenge (1992)

Hand pulled by the artist from the original blocks on an Ettan etching press at Sitka, Alaska, August, 1992.

Editor's note: some prints do not feature the border. Illustration from the books Raven's Revenge: An Athabascan Folktale and Tales From the Dena: Indian Stories from the Tanana, Koyukuk & Yukon Rivers.

An Athabascan folktale. Willow Grouse Woman was very beautiful and all the men wanted to marry her but she wanted a rich man. Raven made himself fine clothes of pitch and grass and dog dirt and a little magic and courted her. She fell in love with him and they were married. On the way back to Raven's village the sun melted his magic finery and the girl saw he was just a dirty, smelly old raven. She jumped ashore to find her father's village. Raven made his way home overland and almost starved to death.

When fall came willow grouse people came to a potlatch in Raven's village. Raven's wife was with the other young women and when they went to the spring for water Raven followed and drove his spear through his young wife's heart. As she died a willow grouse flew out of her body.