Birch Tree Road: An Alaskan Fable

By Keldon Irwin

This real-life inspired, yet fictional, young adult and adult fable focuses on a young Inyupiaq (Northern Native Alaskan) who was born into a troubled home when the U.S. was just beginning its involvement with her rural arctic village.
The text, interwoven with Emily Dickinson inspired poetry, is comprised of vivid descriptions of Alaskan tundra, intense and whimsical dialogue between varied dynamic characters, and action-filled, intelligent, and suspenseful narrative as Samantha ventures into endless Alaska.
One day, Sam wakes up after one of her fathers drunken evenings and leaves her arctic village in the middle of winter with nothing but the essentials to survive.
Mid-walk, she encounters a polar bear and its cub. With her home blocked by these territorial gargantuas, she is tempted to take an adventure into the -20 - -40 degree weather.
With her questionable choice, she ends up having to fend off off wildlife, the elements, and even polar bear.
A mere 80 miles from the Arctic Ocean in the Alaskan wilderness, Sam begins to redefine her perspective on the lifelong stories she has heard from elders, her relationship with her seized sister, supportive best friend, goofy uncle, drunk father, and troubled mother. She even begins to change her perspective on interracial relations.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Dec 31, 2013
• ISBN: 9781491844908

Keldon Irwin

Keldon Irwin is a 20 year old University of Anchorage Alaska (UAA) psychology and education student who wrote his first poem-laden short story, Birch Tree Road, on a wave of inspiration from his 2012 winter trips to Arctic Alaskan villages. He has spent much of his lifetime reading and writing everything from poetry to short stories to UAA published news articles. He also actively composes music - having future musical aspirations in mind.

Book preview

2014 Keldon Irwin. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 12/27/2013

ISBN: 978-1-4918-4492-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4918-4491-5 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4918-4490-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013923078

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Dedications

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Notes

Introduction

I am an Alaskan born, California raised, UAA (University of Anchorage Alaska) student who is fortunate enough to have a father who works in rural northern regions of Alaska*, primarily with the Yupik and Inyupiaq people.

After living in Sacramento, California from age two to 17, I began working with my father in January, 2012. I began to understand the Native Alaskan people, culture, and hardships a bit better when the culture shock of comparing greater Sacramento with a population of 1.4 million people to a village with only 250 residents. We visited Bethel, Barrow, Atqasuk, Juneau, and many surrounding communities for well over three months.

I was enthralled with the heritage that enveloped me, not to disregard the terrifying tundra, wildlife, mountain ranges, and general vastness that the bush in Alaska offers. Sadly, I was also intrigued by what the last 60 years has brought Native Alaskans. They have been one of the most troubled and wronged people of the last 200 years, suffering many trials with Russia, the U.S., and their own neighboring villages and people.

This experience helped drive me to become news editor for the University of Alaska Anchorage’s (UAA’s) paper for two semesters, focusing on Native Alaskan culture as much as I could. I was blessed enough to be the leader of the few The Northern Light (UAA’s student-published newspaper) affiliates to cover the first Alaskan Native Studies (AKNS) Conference ever.

With the aid of my former professor, Dr. Maria Williams, Director of AKNS at UAA, the wonderful Native Alaskan students at UAA, AKNS courses, AKNS news articles that I had a hand in publishing, and my time in the villages, I was inspired to write, edit, and publish a short book that displays many beautiful truths and despicable daily tragedies alike—truths and tragedies unknown and unseen by billions, and disregarded and evaded by thousands of those who have been educated. This tale is largely based on folktales, true stories, dreams, sights seen, life lived and stories you may not believe about my time out there.

Such an unearthing experience not only drastically altered my perspectives on life, death, and this beautiful ball of dirt we call home, but it drove me to write the following short story, to strongly consider becoming a teacher in villages in the next three to five years, and to become an Alaskan resident with a B.A. in psychology and or education in my crosshair sights by mid 2016.

Birch Tree Road was written by March of 2012, shortly after my 18th birthday in January.

After nearly two years of thought, I am now content with tying off my piece as a short story and publishing it. I plan to continue with fiction and nonfiction writing to further push my academic and writing career and to offer a new literary perspective to people abroad… but, furthermore, because I love writing.

Writers hate writing, but love to have written.

I have been muttering that statement for about five years.

That being said, despite some help and input, I was my own editor.

As easily perceptible as it is, I obviously enjoy vivid writing and I am greatly influenced by romanticism-era poetry and surrealism. I have incorporated much of these influences into this work.

I hope my take on village life and the peaks and troughs Native Alaskans have enjoyed and endured over the last 60 (and more) years fascinate you as much as their (potentially sadly diminishing) way of life inspires me.

Life is expendable at the point of principle, one may say.

*Believe it or not, my father sells Kirby vacuums to the Natives of the arctic. He has been working for Kirby since 1983 and he is now a factory distributor in Anchorage who spans nearly all of Alaska with his sales.

Dedications

This fable is dedicated to my little sister, Emily. Without her, I wouldn’t understand the depth of the words I speak or write.

Tewdon will always love you—whether from near or far, Emmy.

I would like to