The Naming of Aki Swinomish I have come to understand

I have come to understand that it's not her grief

storytelling

Kari Smalkoski

Lumbee people themselves have constructed their identity in layers that tie together kin and place

whether in celebration or in mourning

The Naming of Aki Swinomish I have come to understandThis retelling of a traditional story celebrates what First Human and First Wolf see, taste, hear, smell, and touch as they wander aki, the earth, to be the namers of things. The story begins: "In the time soon after the creation, Nimaamaa Aki, Mother Earth, was new and without names, so the Creator called upon First Human to walk upon aki, earth, and name all things." First Human sets off on a journey that will take him to every corner of aki and