Cry of the Wind (59 page)

TIKIYAASDE
(Ahtna Athabascan) Menstruation hut. (The
t
is much like the English
t
. The
i
has a short
i
sound as in the English word
sit
. The Ahtna
k
has no English equivalent. It is similar to the Aleut
x
and is pronounced in the back of the throat with a very harsh, guttural sound. The Ahtna
y
is pronounced like the
y
in the English word
you.
The
aa
carries an
aw
sound; the Ahtna
s
is pronounced almost like an English
sh.
The Ahtna
d
is pronounced with the tongue tip touching the backs of the top front teeth. It carries almost a
t
sound. The
e
carries a short sound like the
e
in the English word
set
.)

TSAANI
(Ahtna Athabascan) Grizzly bear,
Ursus arctos.
(
T
’s takes a sound similar to the
ts
in
sets
. The double
aa
carries an
aw
sound; the
n
is pronounced like the English
n
and the
i
has a short
i
sound as in the English word
sit.
The first syllable is accented.)

TUXAKUXTXIN HI
(Aleut) Do you hear? (The
t
’s take on a nearly
th
sound (unaspirated postdental stop). The first
u
carries a short
u
sound; the second carries a short
o
sound. The first and third
x
’s are voiceless velar fricatives; the second
x
, properly written as
x
, is a voiceless uvular fricative. The
a
is a short
a.
The
k
is a velar unaspirated stop. Both
i
’s carry the short
i
sound, and the
n
, because of the antecedent
i
, is a strong palatalized nasal. The
h
is nearly a glottal stop, merely an aspiration prior to the pronunciation of the vowel that follows.)

ULAX
(Aleut) A semisubterranean dwelling raftered with driftwood and covered with thatching and sod. (Pronounced “oo-lax,” with the accent on the first syllable. The
a
carries a short vowel sound, and the final x is a voiceless velar fricative. Plural:
ULAS
or
ULAM.)

UNANGAX UTING
(Aleut) I am Aleut. (The initial
u
takes on a
y
sound. The second
u
carries a short
u
sound. The first
n
is quite nasal, and the
ng
’s are voiced velar nasals, slightly stronger than the English
rig.
The
a
’s carry a short
a
sound. The
x
, properly written as
x
, is a voiceless uvular fricative. The
i
carries a short
i
sound.)

XOS COGH
(Ahtna Athabascan) Devil’s club, literally “big thistle” or “big thorn,”
Echinopanax horridum.
(See Pharmacognosia.) (The
x
is a voiceless velar fricative. The Ahtna
o
is like the
o
in the English word
for.
The
s
is similar to the English
sh
, and the
c
sounds like an English
k.
The Ahtna
gh
has no English equivalent. It closely resembles the French
r.
)

YAA
(Ahtna Athabascan) Sky. (The Ahtna
y
is pronounced like the
y
in the English word
you.
The
aa
carries an
aw
sound.)

YAYKAAS
(Ahtna Athabascan) Literally, “flashing sky.” The aurora borealis. (The Ahtna
y
is pronounced like the
y
in the English word
you.
The Ahtna
k
has no English equivalent. It is similar to the Aleut
x
and is pronounced in the back of the throat with a very harsh, guttural sound. The
a
is like the
u
in the English word
but.
The
aa
carries an
aw
sound, and the s is similar to the English
sh.
The last syllable receives the accent.)

YEHL
(Tlingit) Raven. (A similar pronunciation to the English word
yell.
)

The words in this glossary are defined and listed according to their use in
Cry of the Wind.
Spellings, pronunciations and words in the Aleut language are used as per their standardization in the
Aleut Dictionary
,
Unangam Tunudgusii
, compiled by Knut Bergsland. Spellings, pronunciations and words in the Ahtna Athabascan language are used as per their standardization in the
Ahtna Athabascan Dictionary
, compiled and edited by James Kari. Both dictionaries are published by the Alaska Native Language Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Pharmacognosia

P
LANTS LISTED IN THIS
pharmacognosia are
not
cited in recommendation for use, but only as a supplement to the novel. Many poisonous plants resemble helpful plants, and even some of the most benign can be harmful if used in excess. The wisest way to harvest wild vegetation for use as medicine, food or dyes is in the company of an expert. Plants are listed in alphabetical order according to the names used in
Cry of the Wind.

ALDER,
Alnus crispa
: A small tree with grayish bark. Medium green leaves have toothed edges, rounded bases and pointed tops. Flower clusters resemble miniature pinecones. The cambium or inner layer of bark is dried (fresh bark will irritate the stomach) and used to make tea said to reduce high fever. It is also used as an astringent and a gargle for sore throats. The bark is used to make brown dye.

AQAMDAX:
See
Cloudberry,
below.

BALSAM POPLAR
(cottonwood),
Populus balsamifera
: A tree of the willow family that grows from the Alaska panhandle region to the Arctic in moist, gravelly soils. It attains heights of up to seventy feet. Leaves are smooth, ovate and slightly toothed, a dark green above and pale underneath. The gray bark becomes thick and ridged as the tree ages. Spring catkins are rich in vitamin C. Like willow, balsam poplar inner bark contains salicin (aspirin), and steeped in hot water is a good gargle for sore throats. The bark, ground and applied to sores, is said to dry seepage. The root—steeped, not boiled—taken as a tea, was used by some Native peoples in an effort to prevent premature birth. The buds are used as an expectorant.

BANEBERRY,
Actaea rubra
: The baneberry is the only deadly toxic berry native to Alaska. It is a vigorous plant that grows in southeastern and coastal Alaska north to the Yukon River area. It attains heights of up to four feet, though two to three feet is normal. Leaves are elongate, dentate and compound; delicate white flowers grow in ball-like clusters. Berries are red or white with a characteristic black dot. Warning: All portions of the baneberry are poisonous, and ingestion will cause pain and bloody diarrhea. Death may result due to paralysis of the respiratory system and/or cardiac arrest. Do not even touch these plants!

BEARBERRY
(ptarmigan berry),
Arctostaphylos alpina
,
Arctostaphylos rubra
: A low, ground-hugging shrub that forms thick mats. Berries are black
(A. al-pina)
or red
(A. rubra)
and edible, but quite tasteless.
A. rubra
grows in lower altitudes. The foliage of both plants turns a brilliant scarlet in autumn.

BEDSTRAW:
See
Goose Grass,
below.

CARIBOU LEAVES
(wormwood, silverleaf),
Artemisia tilesii
: This perennial plant attains a height of two to three feet on a single stem. The hairy, lobed leaves are silver underneath and a darker green on top. A spike of small clustered flowers grows at the top of the stem in late summer. Fresh leaves are used to make a tea that is said to purify the blood and stop internal bleeding, and to wash cuts and sore eyes. The leaves are heated and layered over arthritic joints to ease pain. Caution: caribou leaves may be toxic in large doses.

CLOUDBERRY
(salmonberry),
Rubus chamaemorus
: Not to be confused with the larger, shrublike salmonberry,
R. spectabilis
, this small plant grows to about six inches in height and bears a single white flower and a salmon-colored berry shaped like a raspberry. The green leaves are serrated and have five main lobes. The berries are edible but not as flavorful as raspberries, and are high in vitamin C. The juice from the berries is said to be a remedy for hives.

CRAMPBARK:
See
Highbush Cranberry,
below.

DOG FENNEL
(wild chamomile, pineapple weed),
Matricaria matricariodes
: This small (three- to twelve-inch) plant thrives in all but the northernmost part of Alaska. The leaves are delicate and feathery; rayless domed yellow flowers, usually less than a half inch across, emit a pineapple fragrance when crushed. A tea made of flowers (and foliage, if desired) is soothing and is said to release tension and promote sleep. Aleuts drank dog fennel tea to ease gas pains. Caution: in some individuals, large amounts of the tea may cause nausea or vomiting. Those with sensitive skin may notice minor skin irritation after picking or handling the herb.

FIREWEED
(wild asparagus),
Epilobium angustifolium
: Fireweed grows throughout Alaska and northern North America. Plants grow upright to a height of three to five feet and end in a spikelike flower cluster. Each flower has four petals, which bloom from the bottom of the stalk up during midsummer to late summer. Colors vary from a deep and brilliant red-pink to nearly white. Leaves are willowlike: long and narrow, and medium green in color. Early spring shoots (high in vitamins A and C) may be harvested prior to development of the leaves without harm to the plant. (Harvesting the white stem below the soil level actually promotes plant growth.) The tip of the stem should be discarded due to the disagreeable taste; the rest can be steamed and eaten like asparagus. Leaves should be harvested before flowers bloom to add to soups as seasoning. Flowers are often used in salads and also make good jelly. Fireweed leaves steeped for tea are said to settle stomachaches. Salves made from roots are said to draw out infection.

GOOSEFOOT
(lamb’s quarter, pigweed),
Chenopodium album
: Soft goose-foot-shaped leaves grow in an alternating pattern from stems that average one to three feet in height (though these can grow to ten feet). If grown domestically, the plant can be difficult to contain due to effusive self-seeding. Greens, good in salads, are high in vitamins A and C, and the B complex. Tea decoctions are used as a wash for sores inside the mouth. Leaves are used as a poultice for wounds and rheumatism. Caution: plants contain oxalic acid and when eaten in extremely large amounts might cause kidney damage.

GOOSE GRASS
(northern bedstraw),
Galium boreale
: The narrow leaves grow in groups of four under the fragrant white flower sprays. Young plants warmed (not boiled) in hot water and placed on external wounds are said to help clot the blood. The dried plant, made into a salve with softened fat, was used to treat external skin irritations. Teas (steeped, not boiled) made of young leaves, seeds or roots may be diuretic. Roots produce a purplish dye.

HIGHBUSH CRANBERRY
(crampbark, mooseberry),
Viburnum edule
: This erect but scraggly bush grows throughout Alaska from the Alaska Peninsula to the Brooks Range. Its lobed leaves are shaped somewhat like maple leaves, grow opposite one another and are coarsely toothed. The average height of the highbush cranberry is about four to six feet, though they sometimes reach ten feet. Five-petaled white flowers grow in flat clusters and mature into flavorful but bitter red berries in August and September. (A frost sweetens the berries considerably.) Berries are high in vitamin C and make tasty jelly. The inner bark, boiled into tea, is used as a gargle for sore throats and colds. Highbush cranberry bark contains
glucoside vibumine
, a muscle relaxant. Bark made into tea decoctions is used to relieve menstrual and stomach cramps, and is said to be effective on infected skin abrasions.