Chapter 1, Hunger and Cold Take Their Toll Summary

A Native American Alaskan tribe is facing a bitterly cold winter. There isn't enough food to go around, and many of the people are hungry. They are huddled around a small campfire, wearing furs and looking worried. The People never stay in one place for very long because they must follow the animals that they eat for survival. Mainly, they follow the caribou, and they know that it is time for them to move again now because they can't find any meat.

There are two old women in the tribe named Ch'idzigyaak and Sa'. These two women have been looked after by the younger members of the tribe for a while. The younger women carry their belongings and the younger men set up their tents for them. In return, the old...