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Synopsis
A half century ago, Inupiat Eskimo Paul Green was dismayed by a writer who arrived in his village, stayed briefly, then flew home to print nonsense. So Green began writing down his own stories—about his life, Native foods, legends, games, animal habits, even "rubbing nose kiss." Each of these authentic stories, written in Green's distinctive voice, offered delightful insight into his culture and times. Another notable Alaskan, George Aden Ahgupuk, added his pen-and-ink drawings, and the first edition of I AM ESKIMO was released in 1959, the same year that Alaska became a state. Today this collection is a classic, translated into other languages, excerpted in several textbooks, and collectible as the first title for the fledgling publishing company that would become Alaska Northwest Books. Ahgupuk's drawings are prized among collectors and the Anchorage Museum of History and Art's permanent collection.