Reading Notes: British North America Reading B

Coyote in Snowy Mountains

•  The Making of Lakes and Mountains  by Katharine Berry Judson (1917) 
• I don't know what it is about origin stories that I like but I thoroughly enjoy them. This one is interesting because the items used to create lakes and mountains are very unique. I would never relate hair combings to trees, hair oil to lakes, or whetstone to mountains. 
• I assume that this lady is special in some way because all the things she touches create something. Even the red ochre I assume is the reason birds have color or at least red birds like cardinals. 
• I like this character trait idea that everything she touches creates something 
•  Almost every noun has an adjective with it to give it further context like: "large lake", "fallen trees", "great sea", "big lake", etc.
• Small context details like this help visuals 
• I did have to look up what whetstone was, basically a sharpening stone
•  The Coming of the Salmon by Katharine Berry Judson (1917)
• I like the intro of this story. Sets the scene with a time period of long ago and a setting which is at his house along the Bella Coola River 
• This is an interesting story. Winwina plans to kidnap Salmon people and Berry people but Winwina seems almost like a Thanos kind of character where Winwina believes what they're doing is for good or at least not wrong. Also, the whole community supports Winwina. I like this community aspect of them working together, even though what they are going to do is kind of wrong. 
  
• I like the side character of Mink. The character does not do much and does not seem too important to the overall story, but I feel like there is just enough backstory and tasks for this character to make him interesting
• Could be a good reference if I want to focus on one main character but still have side characters. 
• Coyote and the Salmon by Katharine Berry Judson (1917)
• This is such a fun story. It started out with the wolf easily catching fish and gathering all the supplies he needed for a party. 
• I love how the story makes me think that is the direction it is going but then it twists with the fish coming to life, then it twists with the snowstorm, then it twists again with figuring out that the fish were somehow tricking Coyote into believing it was still winter. 
• A great example of primarily focusing on one character with a narrow story.