TITLE: The White Archer GRADE LEVEL: 5-6 An Eskimo Legend SUBJECT: Social Studies AUTHOR: James Houston THEMES: Resolving anger, cooperation, understanding feelings, resolving conflict, conflict de-escalation and escalation, causes and effects of violence, and appreciation of other cultures SYNOPSIS: Kungo's tight-knit family life is disturbed by the arrival of three men who are received into the family’s snowhouse. They relate their tale of violence against the Native Americans from the Land of Little Sticks in their desperate search for food. Their enemy tracks the men to Kungo's snowhouse and destroys most of his family. Kungo escapes and his sister Shulu is taken prisoner. Kungo vows to avenge his family's death. He seeks the advice of a wise old man and his wife on a distant island. There he learns not only to become skilled in the ways of Inuit life but he becomes a great archer. Through the patience and gentleness of the old couple he comes to share his story. When the time comes to avenge his family and rescue his sister, he sets out armed with new skills and knowledge. When he arrives at the village he finds that the arrows he shoots deliberately miss their mark. Before more violence occurs his sister intervenes and introduces Kungo to her Native American husband and her new people. Kungo returns to the island, and his new family, at peace that his sister is happy, and aware that the violence long ago cannot be erased by new violence. He leaves promising to meet each spring with Shulu's husband to go fishing. The story expresses beautifully the Inuit way of life and how compassion and caring lead Kungo from violence to understanding and new freedom. QUESTIONS: Q.Describe Inuit life. Q.Would you like living their life? What would you like? Why? What would you dislike? Why? Q.Inuit people use cooperative skills to survive in their harsh climate. What ways do you find people helping one another and working together? Q.How did the violence of the three men committed against the Native Americans lead to more violence? Q.What does Kungo learn while staying with the old couple? Q.The old woman warns Kungo saying: "I must say to you that hatred and revenge follow each other like two strong men piling stones one upon the other until the stones fall, killing both men and perhaps many others." What does this mean? Do you think it is true? Give an example of how this is true? Q.Why do you think Kungo's arrows miss their mark? Q.What and who helps Kungo resolve his anger with the other tribe? What are some steps along theway that helped him. Q.Inuit have a great reverence for creation. How is their reverence for creation shown throughoutthe story? Q.What do you think would havehappened if Kungo's sister hadnot intervened? Q.Have you ever experienced violence or do you know someone who did? How did you feel? Who or what helped you work through it? Q. What is more helpful: to respond to violence with violenceor non-violence? A. Why?
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