Anne Cameron (1) (1938–2022)

Sometimes a book grabs me by the heart and won't let go. "Daughters of Copper Woman" is one of those books. I've been fascinated by myths, legends and folk tales since I was small. I devoured the children's books about Greek myths and quickly moved on to Norse legends and Grimm's tales. For the most part I enjoyed them as adventure and hero stories filled with fantasy, but (except for fables) little in the way of morals or values. I have an informal collection of the classics, plus books show more from the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Knowing my passion, it's not surprising my daughter gave me this book for Mother's Day.

First published in 1981,"Daughters of Copper Woman" is a wonderful retelling of myths and history through the voices of elderly First Nations women from the American Northwest. The author Anne Cameron is of Celtic descent, but lived close to the reservation on Vancouver Island and chronicled their tales in this book and its sequel "Dzelarhons: Mythology of the Northwest Coast". "Copper Woman" is considered an underground classic and has sold over 200,000 copies, in many languages, world-wide.

From the opening story "Copper Woman":

"And then the Creator, who is neither male nor female, man nor woman, but both, and something more than either…took the shells of the sea and the minerals of the rocks and fashioned a skeleton…took the salt water of the ocean and made from it blood…took handfuls of dirt and on the skeleton fashioned a body, which was then encased in skin, made from the skin of the Creator and the same color as copper…she became First Woman, she became Copper Woman."

The story goes on to explain how the first male was made from snot when Copper Woman cried from loneliness, but he was incomplete and incapable of learning and all his sons were lesser creatures. A female spirit had to take on the form of a man to mate with Copper Woman's daughter to create men who could learn and do as much as the women. That story tickles my feminist spirit and sense of fun. The first true men—according to the Nuu-chah-nulth people—had two mommies! But that was typical of the Nuu-chah-nulth people whose family structures were expansive and flexible, providing a strong foundation for the entire community which was taxed to its limits. In the voice of Old Woman:

"There is more than one road to the afterlife, there is more than one way to love, there is more than one way to find the other half of Self in another person, there is more than one way to fight the enemy."

But the stories go far beyond Copper Woman and Snot Boy (yes, she uses that name). Many are told in the voice of "Granny" a stand-in for the old women who shared their stories with Cameron. These histories are set up with typical scenes and background from their modern lives. The announcement over the radio that the red tide affected a certain cove prompts the tale of the first white men who arrived on their shores. The "Keestadores" bring rape, murder, disease and—worse of all—a misogynist religion. The People—both women and men—go to heroic efforts to expel them from their lands, but we already know from history that they win a few battles, but lose the war. I loved the clever framing of these beautifully written stories which illustrated the compassion of a community as it cared for its own.

Whether telling myths of Wolf Mother, stories of travelling to "the Big Island" (Hawaii), or chronicling the government sanctioned destruction of their tribal system, this book is filled with wisdom, love and community spirit. They are tales of tribulation, endurance and triumph over adversity. They articulate a set of values about respect, love and caring for each other and the environment that struck a deep chord in me. Granny has some wonderful lessons for people in this greedy material world. Lessons that, if followed, would enrich all our lives, not just the few.

This book is much more than a collection of myths, legends and folk tales and unlike any collection I've yet to read. The wisdom is timeless and the call for action timely. Women have made progress in the last thirty-two years, but—as the current religious/political climate shows—we've still got a long way to go. Cameron did all women (and the men who love them) a huge favor in sharing these stories with a wider audience. I want to make it clear, that although I consider myself a feminist (and proudly claim the label) these stories appealed to me on a human level—they lay out a set of universal values that we can all share: women and men; people of all races and ages.

Many, many thanks—and love—to my own daughter for giving me this gift. This is an excerpt from a longer post on my blog. show less

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Daughters of Copper Woman by Anne Cameron collects legends, myths, and folk tales from the First Nations women of the American Northwest. Ms. Cameron is a Canadian writer who wrote novels, poetry, as well as screenplays.

This is a short, yet fascinating book that is not just about Native American mythology. Like many other cultures, myths tell of history and culture not just of the “why” behind the “how”.

I enjoyed show more reading a different take on how we came to be here. From the Copper Woman who made the first male from snot (“Snot Boy”), to a female spirit that took on a man form so men can learn to do as much as women. The stories are often whimsical, with a sense of fun and, of course, feminism. Not in a militant way, but in a way that shows how important women were during that time.

However, I thought the real strength of the book is telling of the culture of the Nuu-chah-nulth people. The family structures, the community foundations, hunting, war, and more are many told through the eyes of “Granny”, women who shared their stories with the author.

Some of the stories I found interesting were the ones about the European “Keestadores”. They were viewed as guests but brought with them disease, rape, murder, and a misogynist religion that clashed loudly with the culture they were attempting to impose it on.

Daughters of Copper Woman by Anne Cameron manages to convey the adversity and triumphs of the culture. Even though it’s a short book, it’s filled with wisdom and stories, some of which struck a chord with me. show less

3.5 stars. A lovely written version of oral histories of NW Coast tribes (of North America); the histories (herstories) have been kept & passed on through women in this matriarchal society. The tales range from origin stories to modern-day musings/retellings of the importance of keeping knowledge alive by sharing the wisdom. Enlightening, uplifting, & heartbreaking at the same time. It's like you are listening to someone speak, but through your eyes.

This is a sweet retelling, if far removed from the traditional story of Raven stealing the light. Here, Raven covets the shiny, shiny moon, and disguises herself as an abandoned baby girl in order to steal it from a fisherwoman's house.