Birchbark Books and Native Arts

Frank and Rocky

Frank and Rocky know that Winter means the lake freezes over and they get to run like mad dogs, bounding through snow, skidding over ice on unimpeded romps through a big frozen field. They also know that Winter means it gets dark very early and when Frank looks up over the lake, it reminds him of the month he spent in Diné Bikeyah (Navajo country) with Carolyn when he was just a youth. He once told his brother Rocky that the stars were so bright down there that he thought if he could leap up just right, he might be able to catch one in his mouth. At first Rocky thought Frank was an idiot until he realized what he meant on his last night walk on the lake. Frank's enthusiasm for stars might be contagious because Rocky was ecstatic when he ran across a book about the Diné night sky called Sharing the Skies: Navajo Astronomy. Since the Diné and many other tribes tell their star stories between October and February, it is the perfect Winter time book. It gives you an overview of each Navajo constellation and their Greek equivalents accompanied by breath taking photos taken by the Hubble Telescope and lovingly rendered depictions of constellations by Navajo artist, Melvin Bainbridge.  A great accompaniment to this book is They Dance in the Sky: Native American Star Myths. This is a compilation of star stories from several tribal nations. Frank and Rocky, being the lovable but mischievous tricksters that they are, relate to stories about Coyote. They especially love the story where Coyote steals the star pouch from Black God and scatters them about the cosmos. This Winter will fly by for these brothers as they learn about Navajo astronomy, listen to Carolyn read star stories, and spend their nights gazing up at the bright stars over frozen water.

Frank and Rocky have been spending many mornings near Carolyn's feet as she becomes totally engrossed in Blood and Thunder: An Epic of the American West by Hampton Sides. Carolyn recently realized that her ancestor, Narbona makes a prominent appearance in this book, so she decided to pick it up. Mostly the book follows the very fascinating, on-the-go life of Kit Carson, but it also gives you an overall history lesson of the Southwest and describes the many characters who had a hand in colonizing the area. So much of Carolyn's attention becomes consumed by this book that Frank and Rocky start to feel a little jealous. The boys decide to make a game out of it to see if they can get her to look up. First they try doing various tricks. Frank sits attentively. Rocky, especially proud of a new trick he learned, tries rolling over several times. This doesn't work, so they try growling and barking at every car that drives by. Lastly, they try wrestling and knocking into every object contained within the living room, but when Frank bumps into that odd-looking, yellow monster that they call a "vacuum cleaner," his skiddish nature gets the best of him, and he bolts into the safety of the bedroom. Rocky gives up and curls into a ball, invariably alert as to be ready for whatever happens that might involve him, God forbid a walk!

Since it's gotten cold outside, Rocky and Frank have naturally been spending much more time indoors. Rocky has an inadequate fur coat; it is short and sparse compared to Frank's thick, dense coat, so Rocky cuddles into Frank for warmth as Carolyn reads Fatty Legs: A True Story by Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton. It is a true story about a young Inuvialuit (Western Canadian Inuit) girl named Olemaun who is determined to go to boarding school so she can learn to read. This book is engrossing as well as educational. Frank and Rocky learn about the impact that Catholic boarding schools had on Inuvialuit people and what life was like for them in the mid-1940s. Additionally, they learn about Inuvialuit clothing including kamiks and Mother Hubbard parkas. The story leaves Frank with a sense of amazement for Olemaun's perseverance as she is challenged by the heartlessness of one particularly cruel nun that seems to have it out for her. Rocky is left in awe of the beautiful illustrations and the accompanying photographic references. He is also left wishing that he had one of those Mother Hubbard parkas to keep warm.

This past summer, Frank has been spending almost all of his time with his new brother, a 10 year old tan American Staffordshire Terrier named Rocky. Sometimes they get to spend entire weekends outdoors in northwestern Wisconsin. For the first few hours on these excursions, Carolyn watches with mixed feelings of unease and amusement as Rocky desperately attempts to prevent Frank from playing fetch, a game with which Frank is obsessed. Since Frank is passive, all Rocky has to do is charge towards Frank with a snarled lip, and Frank immediately drops it. Rocky then takes it from him and chews it into nothing, but it isn't before long that Frank is running up with a new stick, and of course, Rocky isn't far behind. At some point Frank gives up, which must be a relief to Rocky--twice Frank's age and obviously exhausted. That is when they finally decide to relax, to sit in the warm sun and appreciate the quietness and incomprehensible beauty of nature in Ojibwe country.

And what better book to read than Books and Islands in Ojibwe Country by Louise Erdrich. This book gives Frank and Rocky an renewed appreciation for the land. The wording and tone of the book is peaceful, personal and meditative, and soon Rocky has forgotten all about his jealousy issues. Another favorite summer read has been Hakawati by Rabih Alameddine. This novel blends stories of a family's history and traditional stories from the Middle East into a rich myriad of interesting characters, places and events. It is at once magical, serious, profound, funny, and even naughty--which is something that both Rocky and Frank can both relate to.

Inside he is a mild-mannered, gentle creature. During his down time, his mind becomes still and meditative, and he is likely to become enchanted by the deep and profoundly beautiful words of Sufi poetry. Like Carolyn, one of his favorite books is The Gift by Hafiz.

Don't be fooled, Frank is no angel. As soon as he hears the word WALK, Frank begins to whine and occasionally he lets out a defiant and impatient bark. As soon as his paws hit the ground, he becomes exhilarated and cannot contain himself. He loves to bark, run, jump, and play with such energy and ferocity that Carolyn sometimes worries that he might hurt himself. After expending some of that extra energy, Frank likes to read something with equal intensity and fierceness, and Flight by Sherman Alexie is a whirl-wind of a book that leaves both Frank and Carolyn awestruck.