Dinjii Vadzaih Dhidlit: The Man Who Became a Caribou: Gwich'in Stories and Conversations from Alaska and the Yukon

Dinjii Vadzaih Dhidlit: The Man Who Became a Caribou: Gwich'in Stories and Conversations from Alaska and the Yukon by Craig Mishler and Kenneth Frank is a gift. Indeed, the authors themselves write in the acknowledgments that the book is “the fulfillment of a collective dream” (p. 19). At the center of this work is vadzaih, or caribou, and the recognition that “the body of the caribou is a microcosm of Gwich'in culture” (p. 33). Readers learn about Dinjii Zhuh (Gwich'in) hunting methods, the practices of processing, using, and storing vadzaih products, and important beliefs and understandings about vadzaih in Yukon and Alaska. The authors’ research objective is “to discover what the Gwich'in, as a small-scale subarctic society, could teach us all through their language and world view about living in close harmony with the land and with the wild game animals they share it with” (p. 35). They sought to “find out not only what the Gwich'in know about caribou anatomy, but how they see caribou and what do they say and believe about caribou that defines themselves, their dietary and nutritional needs, and their subsistence way of life” (p. 35).Throughout the book, the authors take readers on a journey centered exclusively on vadzaih. Through the words of Dinjii Zhuh Elders, we learn about hunting methods (chaps. 1 and 2), subsistence activities (chap. 3), how to prepare and store meat (chap. 4), foodways and recipes (chaps. 5 and 6), resource sharing and potlatches (chap. 7), the importance of vadzaih skins and hides (chap. 8), beliefs and practices that are culturally governed (chap. 9), a worldview based on respect for vadzaih (chap. 10), historic and personal narratives (chap. 11), and ancient vadzaih stories (chap. 12).This book is primarily for Dinjii Zhuh communities, including harvesters, Land protectors, and scientists, but it is important also for Dinjii Zhuh Youth, Indian Residential School Survivors, and those who suffer from intergenerational colonial trauma who may have not learned these teachings or not had the opportunity to work with Land animals. The authors believe—rightly so—that their “research activities and broad participation allow the Gwich'in to have a louder and clearer voice in scientific research and in their own education” (p. 36). Dinjii Vadzaih Dhidlit is also a manual for younger generations; for instance, in the story “Butchering Large Game Animals,” Frank carefully outlines how to butcher caribou, step by step. Moreover, this monograph will be of interest to scholars of history, Indigenous studies, linguistics, anthropology, biological scientists, and Northern studies who are seeking to advance their knowledge about Indigenous Peoples in the Arctic, our special relationship with vadzaih, and animal husbandry and conservation.The depth and richness of Dinjii Zhuh culture is consistent in the book, from the cover photo, the Elders Gallery, and the 16-page full-color photo spread to the complex and intricate Dinjii Zhuh Ginjik (Gwich'in language) translations throughout the book. For new or unfamiliar readers, the inclusion of maps is necessary, and for Dinjii Zhuh readers, they are a welcome reminder of not only our ancestral Lands, but also the ways in which geopolitical colonial boundaries shape the ways we think about and engage with vadzaih. Detailed images of vadzaih anatomy, corrals and fences, and cultural items made from vadzaih, some using Dinjii Zhuh Ginjik as its interpretive basis, speak to the “ethnopoetics” and to the fact that our language is “rich in simile, metaphor, metonymy, synecdoche, and personification,” while “illustrating the elegant, robust imaginative life of Gwich'in subsistence hunters” (p. 40).From the perspective of an intergenerational Indian Residential School survivor, the translations and documentation of our language are immensely valuable and a reminder that we have not lost everything. Reading those words connects me—and other Dinjii Zhuh readers—with our ancestors, history, and culture in a way that English cannot. Although academic, this monograph is deeply personal too.Dinjii Vadzaih Dhidlit is based on interviews with 11 Dinjii Zhuh Elders and Knowledge Keepers, nine of whom are men. Because this produces gender-biased content, I would welcome a better balance of experiences and knowledge-sharing. There are stories about women and womanhood, such as “The Old Blind Woman and the Caribou,” told by Trimble Gilbert, and “Caribou Fetuses and Taboos,” told by Hannah J. Solomon, but we desperately need more of this content about women's roles in our culture and history.Also absent from discussion is how this way of life and our relationship with caribou is under threat. In tro'ookit gwandak (The First Story), the authors draw upon the words of Elders to discuss the fluidity between humans and vadzaih. Elder Mary Kendi of Aklavik said, “Long ago human was caribou and the caribou was human, and they change” (p. 55). The authors conclude that “because of these stories, the Gwich'in believe that the fate of the caribou is tied to their own future as people,” and “this is manifest in Gwich'in politics and the tireless lobbying efforts of the Gwich'in Steering Committee to keep the pristine Arctic National Wildlife Refuge intact” (p. 55). Yet the book does not make readily apparent the urgency of the situation, combined with increased displacement and climate change.Although the use of Dinjii Zhuh Ginjik throughout is reason to celebrate, other terminology is not. For instance, the use of the word “Indian” when referring to contemporary peoples perhaps highlights the ongoing differences between what is acceptable and ethical terminology in Canada and the United States. The concept of taboo, too, is complex and deserves to be unpacked. Rather than applying a European concept, the book would benefit by analyzing how Dinjii Zhuh forms of governance and law are embedded in our cultural practices.Dinjii Vadzaih Dhidlit is a testament to the relationships that may be established and strengthened between academia and Indigenous communities. It is also a small window into the complexity and beauty of Northern Indigenous cultures and how Dinjii Zhuh cultural practices and relationships with animals can teach the world about storytelling, sustenance, relationships, and respect. I highly recommend this book to all readers with a wide span of interests.

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