Customer Reviews

Ka Ha Si & The Loon (Native American Legends & Lore)

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I think of the Loon as the state bird of Minnesota, which it is, so the idea that it makes its way to the frozen North makes sense since I live in the frozen South. This volume in the Native American Legends series tells the story of Ka-ha-si, an Eskimo boy who lived with his mother in s small hunting village near the sea but who spends all of the day asleep by his lamp. Then one morning, before the sun was up, he was awakened by a beautiful black bird with white speckles on its back. The Loon had brought him a message from Ka-ha-si's grandfather. But first Ka-ha-si must do things to make himself strong for when his grandfather calls for him.

When a season of hunger comes to the village, the Loon tells Ka-ha-si to help his people. The other villagers doubt that the boy they call Lazy One can do what the best hunters cannot, but he surprises them, not once, but twice. Several more times the Loon awakens Ka-ha-si to tell him of a crisis that is affecting his people, and each time Ka-ha-si rises to the challenge. Finally the day comes when the Loon takes Ka-ha-si to his grandfather, and we learn why Ka-ha-si is known as the Strong One.

Of course, I like that at the end of this story the legendary figure of Ka-ha-si has an obvious corresponding figure from classical mythology, and hopefully young readers will pick up on the similarity. I am not sure if "Ka-ha-si and the Loon: An Eskimo Legend" provides an explanation for the way things are that many myths do, but it is still an entertaining tale. Then in the back of the book there is a look at the Eskimo culture, with maps and photographs (the latter coming mostly from the Smithsonian Institution and the University of Washington Special Collections Division) covering their homeland, people, food, clothing, and shelter. This section also talks about the Eskimos today, with a list of important dates, and a glossary of terms from "caribou" to "umiak."

The watercolor illustrations by Reasoner show the variety in style and color of the parkas worn by the Eskimos. One of the strengths of this series is how it combines stories that are fairly detailed and complex with information on the history and customs of the Native Americans from which the story comes, which makes it stand out from other similar series. Other volumes in the Native American Legends series by Cohlene and Reasoner includes "Clamshell Boy: A Makah Legend," "Dancing Drum: A Cherokee Legend," "Little Firefly: An Algonquian Legend," and "Quillworker: A Cheyenne Legend."