Untold Stories:  My Name Is Not Easy by Debbie Dahl Edwardson

Reviewed by Donna Kouri

Alaska is a paradox, a magical place with many stories to be told.  It is a land of exquisite beauty with a clouded past - a past that is not easily understood to those who make their way north on cruise ships or airplanes, spending only a small amount of time in this land. In My Name is Not Easy, Debbie Dahl Edwardson captures this past, and tells a story that, though important, is rarely heard.

This is the story of a young Inupiaq forced to adopt the name Luke because his name, a traditional Inupiaq name, is too difficult to pronounce in the world he is about to enter. He and his brothers are sent away to Catholic boarding school where they are promised a better education. Nobody can imagine the unforeseen price of this education.

            Luke and his brothers find a community of students all facing similar struggles. They form a hesitant web of friendship as Indians and Eskimos find themselves living together, two groups skeptical of each other but who must learn to rely on each other. Everything familiar is gone; they must find a way to survive their present situation without forgetting their past.

            Students are promised a better education and must abandon much of what is at their core in the process. They are punished for speaking their native language and are surrounded by unfamiliar people who question their way of life and, indeed, make life-altering decisions for the children at the boarding school.

            Each character has a unique story. They are stories of tragedy and of hope. Stories that separate and isolate at the same time as they unite. Stories that make up the cloudy, yet proud history that many do not understand. Ultimately, Luke and the others must find their voice and the courage to stand up for what they know is right. As they do so, they are unsure of the repercussions that may ensue.

            Edwardson skillfully weaves historical information into this gripping tale. Readers will learn of Project Chariot, of the medical tests performed on unsuspecting native children, and of the native civil rights movement. Readers learn of a people with deep ties to the land, and to each other, who are faced with a rapidly changing world that threatens their culture and traditions. She captures nuances of Alaskan life that can only be captured by someone who truly understands the history of this great land and its people.       

            My Name is Not Easy is a rare and unique story in the vein of Seth Kanter’s Ordinary Wolves. It is not a comfortable story but one that needs to be told. Debbie Dahl Edwardson does so masterfully and creates a tale that will haunt the reader long after the last sentence is read.