The Yukon River
The Yukon River epitomizes assorted life: “ The riverboat buzzed smoothly down the Yukon. The green riverbanks were fragrant and colourfully alive with the deep purple of arctic lupine, red fireweed, yellow dandelions and pink rose-hips.” On the basis of this description, the river hosts varied life which comprises plants. Furthermore, the fish that it offers to families render it an indispensable resource which backs the nourishment of households.
‘Native People’
Velma Wallis explains, “Our existence as Native people living in villages was quiet, and except for the occasional outburst of excitement, we were languid as the smoke that drifted out of our stovepipes.” Wallis stresses her identity as a Native. Her depiction renders the Natives as stress-free people who prosper in pastoral life. All her declarations are written from the standpoint of a Native (an insider).
Tree
Wallis’ mother expounds, “Years ago, in her youth, Itchoo planted a tree…There was an Old Gwich‘in belief that if she tended and cared for the tree throughout her life, she would live as long as that tree lived.” The tree is emblematic of a lengthy life; its thriving underwrites to the longevity of the planter’s lifecycle. Evidently, Gwich’in culture ratifies ecofeminism (through the grandmother) which guarantees the fortification of the environment (which the trees embody).
