After 30 years of effort and obsession a Texada Island writer has published a retelling of Haida legends in his book, Raven and the Salmonberry Rapture.
Formerly postmaster on Haida Gwaii, author John Wood worked with Haida storytellers to assemble a single chronological narrative retelling in the style of author J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Silmarillion, prequel to the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings
“I wanted to keep all of the flavour and sound of the original,” said Wood. “But I wanted the form in which Haida stories were told to be readable.”
Inspired by Tolkien’s retellings of ancient European and Scandinavian legend, Wood said he wanted to see a similar heroic narrative of Haida tales. Nevertheless, Wood said he required some creative licence to unite Haida legends into a single chronological sequence as Tolkien did.
“Tolkien used the Jewels of Fëanor, or Silmarills, to tie it all together in The Silmarillion,” he said. “So in my book I used a magical hat which I heard in a number of [Haida] stories.”
Other than bringing keen knowledge of Tolkien’s works to the project, Wood also consulted with several Haida storytellers including John Wesley, who authored the book’s forward.
“A lot of people listened to John [Wood] and just rolled their eyes,” said Wesley. “They were thinking he was just another well-meaning outsider telling us how to save our culture.”
Wesley, said that a lot of people who initially dismissed Wood’s project are now reading the stories as a way to remember the stories they were told as children.
“They see John’s words and remember the story that they heard from an auntie or uncle,” said Wesley. “They’re reading it and hearing an elder’s voice.”
For Wesley, although transcriptions of Haida stories exist in museums and university, they are missing the heart of the living tale. Something, which according to Wesley, has been rediscovered in Wood’s book.
“Wood’s obsession brought the true story out,” said Wesley. “He has preserved a modern interpretation of the stories.”
A storyteller for his own son, as well as nieces and nephews, Wesley said he grew up hearing these stories from older relatives. For him, Wood’s book will help younger Haida maintain the storytelling tradition.
“We need people to keep telling the stories so they don’t become a dead thing,” said Wesley. “Our heroes are beings from here; our kids don’t need the Avengers or Batman.”
Proceeds from book sales will be donated to the Council of the Haida Nation for their Haida language-immersion programs.
Copies of the bookare available at Wind Spirit Gallery, Artique and Kingfisher Used Books.
