Never judge a book by its cover—or, in this case, its title. I’m not going to lie: a title like Two Old Women is not the type of title that grabs my attention as a must-read. However, this book also highlighted that it was an Alaskan story of betrayal and survival, which piqued my interest. It is also the tale of an Athabaskan nation, one of the Indigenous groups of Alaska, which is why I have included it with our Global Scholars books. Yes, Alaska is part of the United States, but Native American and Native Alaskan cultures are part of the global diversity that we may miss out on in mainstream America. Exposure to these cultures can help us connect with the Indigenous communities of the world. So yes, this is Global Scholar approved.
The book takes place in the Alaskan wilderness before the arrival of Europeans. It is a tale from the Athabaskan oral traditions that was put down on paper in this book by Velma Wallis, a member of the Gwich’in Nation, which is part of the larger Athabaskan group. The tale addresses the old tradition among nomadic groups of leaving older members of the tribe behind when they became too old to contribute to the group, essentially leaving them behind to die. However, in this story, the two old women who were left behind were not ready to give up and die in the wilderness. Instead, they worked together to persevere and survive despite being in their 70s or 80s. The story also explores the challenges of rebuilding trust, relationships, and community, as well as respecting life at all ages, including the elderly, and acknowledging the wisdom and knowledge that they carry.
I do recommend this book to Global Scholar students, especially if you like books about survival or adventure. It is also a good, quick read for students who are trying to catch up on their books and literary reviews. It is only about 160 pages and could very likely be completed in a weekend.
This book can be found in Mr. Montanye's classroom, room number 228.
