Julie Of The Wolves

The second part of the novel is a flashback. Miyax recalls her early life. She does not remember her mother well because she dies when Miyax was only four. Miyax’s Aunt Martha tells her that her father Kapugen “lost his mind” (76) after her mother’s death. He left a successful job as the manager of a reindeer herd and took Miyax to live at a seal camp and live more traditionally. Kapugen and his friend Naka became close and “sang the song of the wolves” (78). Miyax can remember traditions practiced at the seal camp, like the Celebration of the Bladder Feast, which celebrates bladders for holding “the spirits of the animals” (77).

Miyax recalls how travelers would arrive at the seal camp in the summer. She met Eskimos who spoke mostly English. Communicating with them, she hears her father and herself referred to by their English names, Charlie Edwards and Julie, respectively. Miyax remembers her mother calling her Julie and declaring “I am Eskimo, not a gussak!” (81), which is a term for non-Eskimo.

Kapugen and Martha tell Miyax that she must go to school to comply with the Bureau of Indian Affairs regulations and will live with Martha.