Napachee

by Robert Feagan

  Enuk carried the pails of fish and water to the dogs who noisily acknowledged his approach. He filled their dishes and stepped back to watch the feeding frenzy. He walked over to one of the plywood boxes the dogs slept inside and sat down. Talik followed and stood silently beside him.

  Enuk finally spoke. "Yes, Talik, I do blame myself. If I hadnórsquot pushed the boy so hard maybe he would have come to me instead of running away. I only wanted what was best for him and I know as well as you do that the city can be a very hard place for someone from the North. There are so many traps in the big city. I have to accept the fact that the world is changing around us and a teenager will want to change with it."

  His eyes met his wifeórsquos and he nodded his head knowingly. "I didnórsquot try to influence the boy, I tried to force things on him and that was wrong. But I wanted to show him the things that my father showed me. Napachee never had time to listen and that was so frustrating. We have tried to teach our children what is best about our culture and where has it gotten us? Over the last year Pannik has stopped speaking our language altogether and Napachee refused to speak unless there was no one around to hear him because he was embarrassed. He once told me that we would have to speak English if we wanted to learn anything or get anywhere.

  "When I went south to look for Napachee I felt helpless! I donórsquot know that land like I know our own. All I could do was follow the others as they led me along like a lost child. I know that James Strong is a good man and even though the government has called the search off he will continue to keep looking, but at some point he will stop. What will we do then? Napachee was just a boy."

  "Napachee is alive." Enuk looked up at these words from his wife. He began to smile.

  "He is not a boy, Talik, he is a man. He knows how to hunt and to survive. He is on his way home!"

  Taking his wife by the hand, Enuk began to walk back to the house.

  "We must phone James Strong and make sure the search continues!"

  As the days passed, the three companions journeyed through the final low mountain range and came upon the Mackenzie River. It flowed from the south to the Arctic Ocean.

  "Are we close to Sachs Harbour? Is this the last leg of the trip?"

  "Itórsquos not quite that easy, Jo," Napachee sighed. "As long as we follow the river we kind of know where we are. My guess is that we are somewhere near Tulita right now. The problem is the river doesnórsquot go straight to the ocean. The Mackenzie River is the largest river in Canada. It will start to twist and turn. If we could fly like that silly raven and go straight as an arrow, it would take us only a couple of days to cover the ground it will take us a week to cover by following the river. The further we go north the more channels we will hit. Then the Mackenzie Delta spreads out into so many channels and streams that you can get lost in minutes unless you know your way. It is the second largest in the world! We are going to need help!"

  Napachee fell silent and stared across the river.

  "Then weórsquoll just have to get the help we need and finish the trip as we had planned!"

  Napachee could see the determination in her eyes.

  "Youórsquore right. I knew we would need some help sooner or later. We will follow the river and hope we come upon Tulita soon."

  The next few days of the journey were easier as the trio entered lower marshy terrain. Jo watched as the bond between Napachee and Hagiyok continued to grow. When the cub was perplexed by the strange world it had been forced into, Napachee would take the place of its mother and show it how to cope. With a glance from Napachee, Hagiyok would head off in the right direction. When the bear cub sensed another animal or what it felt to be danger, without external signals Napachee knew it too.

  This part of the river did not bend back on itself as much as Napachee had thought it would and he felt with each step they were closer to home. By his calculations they should also be getting closer to Tulita. Tulita was on the banks of the Mackenzie; as long as they followed the river they couldnórsquot miss it. They would have to make contact with someone there if they were to continue.

  They had been living on fish and small game that Napachee managed to spear or snare. Jo had recognized some plants that were edible including some types of mushrooms, but they needed more than that if they were to cover the great expanse of land that lay before them.

  These thoughts occupied Napachee one sunny morning as they walked through a thinly wooded area not far from the bank of the river. They emerged from the wooded area they had been travelling through and began to cross a large open field of wild grass and moss.

  Napachee became aware of the sound of a plane not unlike ones they had heard before, but this time something worried him. Jo could hear the sound now too and stopped to look skyward.

  The sound changed as Napachee listened, and he realized it was not a plane but a helicopter. He looked to the horizon and saw a speck which began to grow larger with alarming speed. Napachee looked at the other side of the clearing and realized that it would likely overtake them before they could reach cover.

  "Go!" he shouted at Jo as he broke into a run. He charged ahead across the clearing. Glancing back, Napachee saw Jo fall and raced back to help her up. She winced in pain as she rose to her feet, only to fall to the ground on an injured ankle that wouldnórsquot support her weight. Placing her arm over his shoulder, Napachee hopped ahead as fast as he could with Jo beside him and Hagiyok loping behind. They were still yards from cover.

  "Over here!" Napachee snapped his head sideways trying to locate the strangerórsquos voice. He saw nothing at first but then spotted a boy about his age peering above an indentation in the ground. He was waving at them furiously! Picking up Jo, Napachee rushed the last few feet to the hollow and threw himself in. Hagiyok was close behind and they landed in a gasping heap at the bottom.

  With the sound of shallow breathing in his ears Napachee strained to hear the helicopter, expecting it to land close by.

  It never happened. The helicopter flew overhead and continued on to its destination. Napachee slowly let out his breath in relief.

  Napachee could feel Jo moving behind him. Hagiyok stumbled to get up while Napachee quickly scrambled to help Jo up.

  Jo pushed herself to a sitting position and started to wipe the dirt off of her face. Sputtering, she spit a mouthful of dirt and sand at Napacheeórsquos feet.

  "My name is Alfred," the boy said holding his hand out to Napachee. "I live in a community not too far from here called Tulita," Alfred said pointing. "We should go before it gets too late or before the helicopter gets back.

  "The white man and the helicopter have been here for the past week. He never says what he is looking for, but he heads out every day to look again. He is going to the community of Norman Wells tonight, but he may return. The white man will be in our village until late afternoon. It is just over this rise. Once he leaves we will continue."

  They all settled in the shade and Alfred continued to talk. "Two sleeps ago one of our elders had a dream. In this dream he saw a white bear and a boy, running through the wilderness. The elder said that the boy had a special purpose and when he arrived it would mean well-being and good fortune for the Sahtu Dene who would help the boy and would be blessed as a people for it. The elder also said that a girl followed the boy and the bear. This girl had a head of fire."

  Napachee and Jo looked at each other in disbelief, but said nothing.

  That evening a strange procession quietly made its way into the community of Tulita. Alfred ran ahead and by the time the others arrived many people had gathered to meet them.

  Napachee sat on the porch of Alfredórsquos house and stared out across the Mackenzie River. Many of the homes were made of logs and sat in the trees high on the bank overlooking the river. The homes were otherwise very similar to those in Sachs Harbour.

  He could see how much the land meant to the Dene of Tulita, as it did to the Inuvialuit and Inuit. The river was a source of life and Napachee watched as
boats came and went and people travelled to check their nets. Alfredórsquos father drove Napachee and Jo around the town later in the evening explaining to Jo that Tulita meant "Where the rivers meet."

  The water of the Bear River was clear and pristine where it flowed into the larger, muddier Mackenzie. A huge section of rock on the other side of the Bear River had shapes on its surface. Alfredórsquos father followed their gaze and told them it was called "Bear Rock".

  Jo and Napachee were given a special place at Alfredórsquos house for the night and a small feast was held in their honour. They had felt it best to keep Hagiyok away from the community itself so had placed the cub in a dog pen just outside of the community for the night.

  They sat around a fire high on the bank overlooking the river and enjoyed the company of their hosts. As Napachee witnessed the song and dance of these people, he felt he was nearly home.

  After a few moments, one of the elders came forward to tell them the story of the giant "Yamaria".

  "Many years ago the great giant Yamaria created the Mackenzie River and its surrounding lakes which formed as he walked in the shape of his mighty footprints. The giant was chasing three beavers and when he caught them he placed the three beaver pelts on Bear Rock where you can still see these markings today. He then travelled up the Bear River to Deline and back to the Mackenzie where he placed his staff in the river. A rock in the shape of an arrow still stands in this place where the Bear and Mackenzie rivers meet. For this reason, Bear Rock has special meaning and spiritual power for the Mountain Dene."

  Alfred sat with Jo and Napachee as they enjoyed the evening. Napachee grew quiet, wrestling with his thoughts.

  "I know the elders believe in the spirits and that animals and people can have special powers as well, but it is difficult to believe I could be special in this way."

  Alfred turned to Napachee and said, "I believe that something special is happening. You shouldnórsquot take aboriginal beliefs lightly. I am convinced that the dream of our elder was true and you are here to prove it. I used to question the legends and stories that our people told, but there is wisdom in their words."

  After a brief pause Alfred continued. "Several years ago there was a very bad forest fire not too far from here. With each day it moved closer to Tulita so they started to evacuate the town. Most people knew that the fire was going to destroy the town and all would be lost. As the fire burned it reached Bear Rock, but never came any closer! It changed direction and eventually the firefighters and nature put it out. The elders believed that the power of Bear Rock protected us and turned the fire away. Some people would say it was just coincidence, but I have never questioned the beliefs of my elders again."

  As he slept that night, Napachee dreamed he had entered the world of spirits where mist swirled around his head. Animals ran past him and he saw fires and strange creatures he had never seen before.

  When he awoke the next day he remembered fragments of the dream and set about studying it for signs of what lay ahead.

  NINE

  After being blessed by the elders of the community and being given gifts for their journey (as was the custom) Napachee, Jo, and Hagiyok were taken down river by boat.

  Hagiyok settled quietly on the floor of the boat. Jo's ankle was still sore from her fall and she was grateful for the boat ride and a chance to heal.

  In a few hours they arrived at Fort Good Hope on the banks of the Mackenzie where the Hareskin Dene held another celebration in their honour.

  After the festivities Jo decided to explore the town on her own. She walked along the gravel roads that wound throughout the community; few vehicles or people passed. From the main road through the centre of town she walked past fish drying on racks and smoke houses where caribou meat was prepared. In backyards skins were stretched on racks to be used for clothing or crafts.

  Jo took a path from the main road down to the river bank. She marvelled at the beauty of the land she knew was so important to these people, amazed at the silence and wilderness just moments from the houses on the main street.

  Meanwhile, Napachee came upon the church he had so often heard his father speak of; it was famous across the arctic for its beautiful paintings. He opened the front doors and without taking his eyes off the ceiling slowly lowered himself onto one of the old wooden pews. The entire interior of the church had been painted by priests who had served in the community. The ceiling was a blue sky full of stars. Pictures of saints, Jesus and the Mother Mary adorned all of the walls.

  Later, they sat in the huge log building that served as a community hall and listened as the Fort Good Hope drummers played and sang.

  Jo asked, "Is Sachs Harbour like this?"

  "It is similar yet very different," Napachee replied. "The land itself is unlike this, but its importance is the same. When I was young and lived in Cambridge Bay, many people worked for the government and had day jobs in the community. When the warmer weather came they would set up tents outside town at sites they had held for years. Every morning they travelled in to work and at night returned to their camps. For most aboriginal people of the North the land and their traditional way of living gives them both energy and happiness. If they are away from the land too long, they feel the need to return to it to regain their inner strength.

  "I know my father is happiest when he is on the land. He feels a part of it. I did, too, when I was young, but somewhere along the way I lost that. Seeing the city and making this trip, it is as if that part of me has returned."

  The time had come to move onwards, and the three travellers were taken by boat further north. The country changed as they went. The trees were smaller and the air was cooler. The river banks were very high and two days later they came to the place where the great Mackenzie and the Red River met. Here on the bank, beside the Red River, sat Tsiigehtchic. This was the land of the Gwich'in Dene.

  To leave Tsiigehtchic it was necessary to take a ferry or travel on the river by boat to the Dempster Highway and drive north to Inuvik or west to Fort McPherson. They decided to take the ferry to the west side of the Mackenzie River and take the highway on to Fort McPherson. There they would take the Peel River north to Aklavik deep in the heart of the Mackenzie Delta.

  They chose this route because the alternative, Inuvik, presented too many problems of secrecy. It was a large community so it would be impossible to keep Napachee, Jo and Hagiyok out of sight and unnoticed. Napachee feared that if they travelled to Inuvik they may encounter Jarvis and word would spread before they could finish their journey alone.

  In Tsiigehtchic a light snowfall was on the ground. They were informed that not only had summer come late, but winter was coming early. The warmer weather had been brief and apparently the colder weather was already settling in. If they wanted to get to Aklavik by boat they would have to depart quickly.

  Being careful to conceal the three travellers under a tarp, they were taken across the ferry by truck and driven on to Fort McPherson. Here the Gwich'in took Hagiyok, fed the cub and put it in a dog pen near the banks of the Peel River.

  Jo and Napachee stayed with respected elder Johnny Charlie in Fort McPherson. Johnny Charlie had once been Chief of the Gwich'in and would take Napachee, Jo and Hagiyok on to Aklavik when they were ready.

  While they waited to continue their journey, Johnny Charlie took Napachee in his scow on the Peel River to show him the surrounding area. He pointed to a large rock on top of the river bank.

  "That is Shildii Rock. There is a story about the rock which has been passed down from generation to generation. There once was an old man who lived with his wife, three sons and daughter. The daughter, Ts'eh'in, was said to possess magical powers.

  "In summer they fished and camped at Scraper Hill, Deeddhoo Goonlii. One day the old man spoke to his boys. He said, ‘My children, I am hungry for meat. I want food. Go to the mountains.' The boys left and the daughter remained behind with the old man and her mother. The boys travelled to the mountains west of Fort McPhe
rson, the Richardson Mountains. They were gone for some time.

  "The mother knew of her daughter's powers and spoke to her. ‘My daughter, soon your brothers will be returning. When they do, you must not look at them and you must not say anything.' At that time, around Shildii Rock, there was nothing but barren land. There were no willows on the hill. From where the girl stood, if she looked down river, it would be easy to see her brothers returning. Her mother knew this.

  "Soon she became very lonesome for her brothers and was anxious for them to come back. Although her mother warned her, she forgot what she was told. One day she saw her brothers walking towards her.

  "‘Mother, my brothers are coming home!' she exclaimed. All at once the three brothers turned to stone, three rock pillars in a row. The dog which was with them also turned to stone. This is Shildii Rock.

  "Their mother was cooking bannock when this happened and it is said that the bannock, too, turned to stone. Today if you look carefully at Scrapper Rock, you'll see the stones used to bake her bannock. When people pass Shildii Rock they leave something of their own out of respect for the rock."

  There was snow on the Richardson Mountains and it would be on the ground in Aklavik. With Johnny Charlie as their guide, they headed down the Peel River in his scow towards Aklavik. The trip would take less than a day through the Huskey channel and the Black Mountains past the Rat River.

  "That section of the Rat River is very famous," Johnny Charlie told them. "Years ago a man they called the ‘Mad Trapper of Rat River' lived here. He started to steal food from the traps of the Gwich'in who lived in this area and they complained to the R.C.M.P. The R.C.M.P. went to visit him at his cabin and he shot and wounded one of the officers. While the Mad Trapper was trying to get away he killed another policeman in the chase. They finally managed to trap and shoot the Mad Trapper, but never found out who he really was."