Page 24 RAIN April1980 ~ ~- .-"~~~----:" __"r--"'" - ' ...,.. ' ~..~.. • r fit -, >-"\ ~. '~i:':" ~. , • A • •• ~ • ~~' .. ! ..... ~ . -.... .•. ~. ,. , '-' ...... Native Languages of the North Pacific Coast of North America, a two-color map compiled by Wayne Suttles and designed by Cameron Suttles, 14"x371/4", $1.98 ($1.80 if payment included with order) plus $1.00 postage and handling, from: Cameron Suttles 2410 N.E. 48th Avenue Portland, Oregon 97213 At first glance, Native Languages of the Norih Pacific Coast of North America is a marvelous map, showing the native peoples of this region by the languages they have spoken-a diverse grouping of both familiar and strange-sounding names associated with the many homelands of our predecessors. These boundaries of language represent the closest native equivalent of our concept of nation, although there were many dialects, and the names of some of these are more familiar ro us today. In itself, this makes for an educational experience-expanding our sense of time and appreciation of cultural diversity , and teaching us the possihlity for land-based visions that are learned from the past. But Native Languages is much more. Its startling perspective stretches laterally from Alaska's Kodiak Island ro the Monterey Bay in a satellite's ..... ,..., ~ r' Copyright 1978 Cameron Suttles (or spirit's) eye-view that lovingly enfolds the coast around the viewer. It's as if you were about to come in for a landing on the Queen Chariotte (Haida language) Islands. Such a perspective, says the author, is no more distorted than any two-dimensional representation of our three-dimensional world. " We forget that north is not really 'up' and south 'down,' but rather up is really upstream , away from the sea, and down is really downstream, toward the sea . It was this way for the native peoples of the coast, who gave directions and locations by reference to the flow of water . . orienting the map this way gives us something closer to the native view," A most-favored feature of mine is that Native Languages is the combined creation of a father/son team. Wayne Suttles, anthropologist, compiled it, and his son Cameron Suttles designed it. Something about their joint effort fits the map very well. At its modest price this high quality production is almost a gift- as are certainly the perceptions it shares. For bulk order information write ro the above address. . Now, if someone could begin ro adapt Erwin Raisz' engrossing, hand-drawn landforms (Rain book , p. 23) to such a perspective I - Steven Ames 2270 NW Irving, Portland, OR 97210
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