| Essay, Research Paper
Karana and her brother Ramo were gathering roots at Coral Cove when the Aleuts cane to
the island. She ran to abush near where they came in the watch what would happen. Her
father, Chief Chowig, greeted Captain Orvol, the Russian who got off of the ship. Captain
Orvol said that he and his 40 men had come to hunt sea otter, and wished to camp out on
the island. The Aleuts would get the otter pelts and they would get the goods that the
Aleuts had. The aleuts camped out about a half a league fromt he villag of Galas-at. One
day when it looked like it was going to storm, the Aleuts and Captain Orvol were getting
ready to leave. All the men from Galas-at ran with spears to to where they were loading
and when they wouldn?t give themtheir fair share battle broke out. The Aleuts left on their
boar and they had killed 27 men, including Chief Chowig.
Since there whhere few men left the women took over their jobs. There was a new
chief, Chief Kimki and one day he went to the country in the east to make a place for
them. It was the time of the year that the Aleuts had come so they prepared in case they
retuned. One day someone spotted a ship. It turned out ot be from the place that Kimki
went to take them to where he had gone. They all went to the village to get their things,
and then went to the ship. Ramo forgot his fishing spear and wanted to go back for it, but
Karana wouldn?t let him so he ran ahead. When Karana got on the boat he was not there.
She then saw him running along the beach with his fishing spear but they could not turn
around or wait for him becaus ethey would be driven into the rocks.
Karana flung herself overboard and swam to shore. When she got there they went
back to the village where they found wild dogs running throught the huts. They scurryed
aawy whent hey heard them coming. They found just enough food for supper. The next
day was spent gathering food. The wild dogs came at night from the scent of fish and sat
on a hill hownling. The next day Ramo, after naming himself Chief Tanyositlopai , wnet ot
get a canoe even though it was very dangerous. Karana ran off to get him but let him go.
He would have to grow up sooner that normal to help her. That morning she gathered
mussels and when she was done she went down the path to were the canoes were and saw
a pack of dogs going around in a circle. In the middle was Ramo, dead. He had been dead
for a while, he hadn?t even made in to the canoes. The dogs followed her to the village
until she came out of one of the huts wiith a club, then they ran off.
She followed them the their cave and made a fire in front of it so they could not
get out in the night. That night she didn?t sleep. She thought that one day she would kill
the dogs, but mostly she thought of Ramo. She stayed at the village for many days until
the food ran out, only to leave to get more food.
One day she decided that she would never live in the village again. She destroyed
all of the huts. She found place tho live while she waiteed for the ship to return. The place
she found was a large rock which was sheltered from the wind, about a half a league from
the cove. There was also a place to store food. It was high up so she didn?t need to fear
the dogs. She had not seen them since Ramo had died.
She had time to make weapons to protect herself from the dogs and get food. But
it forbidden for women to make and that many horrible things would happen while she
was making them and using them. She seached for weaponds that were left by the Aleuts.
It was only jewlery. She threw it all into the ocean beacuse they had belonged to the
people who killed her people. She found no spearheads. For many days she had forgotten
about the weapons until one night the dogs stayed at the bottom of the rock howling all
night and then watched her all the next day. They were also there the next night and knew
that she was there. She wondered if she could go against the law and make weapons and if
the weapons would break in her hands at the time that her life was in danger or something
else. She made up her mind and made them. She was fearful. They were hard to make but
she did it. She ocasionally saw the dogs but were to far away. She kept the weapons with
her at all times. She made a nice bed on the rockand winter and spring passed and the ship
had not come.
It was in the summer that life was best on the island, she thought that the ship
might come, so she was constantly looking for it. Summer went and left and the first
winter storm ended her hopes. The winter storms were so bad she had to sleep at the foot
of the rock. She had the make a fire to keep the dogs away. She killed three of them but
not the leader, who was much larger and different than the other dogs.
She tried to leave the island in a canoe, but when it started to leak she ad to turn
around. When she retuned she realized that she would need a roof over her head . She
slept that night and then the next morning she began to seach for somewhere to build it.
Se found somewhere that was near a sping and was sheltered. But it was near the dogs
lair. A few days later she bagan to build her house. She remembered that a few years back
a few whales had wased ashore. The ribs were still there. She used them and bull kelp for
her fence, but only needed to make one side because there was a cliff on one side. She
then made the house out of wood and other things. She then made things for cooking and
a place for a fire. By the time that winter was over she could sleep comfortably, cook
anything that she please, and be safe from animals. She then prepared to kill the dogs. She
was afraid because she would have to kill a bull sea elephant to make the weapons. She
was fearful of getting hurt and then having to fend off the dogs.She still went. She shot an
arrow at one but missed. She tripped and hurt her leg. Even though two sea elephants
were fighting, and could die, she had to go home. she couldn?t leave her home for many
days. She had to crawlt to the spring when the water ran out
|
