Two Old Women (1993)
Two Old Women: An Alaska Legend of Betrayal, Courage and Survival by Velma Wallis is a novel based on an Athabascan Native American legend passed along from mother to daughter for many generations on the upper Yukon River in Alaska. It follows the story of two elderly women Ch'idzigyaak (80) and Sa' (75) who are seen as burdens and abandoned by their tribe in a winter famine. Wallis, raised in a traditional Athabaskan community, writes about both traditional and contemporary themes and issues, such as the fear many older people have in being abandoned and isolated in nursing homes. The two old women recall their shared wisdom and knowledge, and together they survive the winter and store enough food and supplies to graciously give to their tribe that eventually returns.