Crooked on the Stretcher Board: Collected Essays on Gwich'in History, Language and Folk Culture

By Craig Mishler

"Mishler and his collaborator Frank discuss a wide variety of topics, such as the arrival and influence of early missionaries and fur traders, biographies of prominent Dinjii Zhuh community members, the importance of storytelling and orality, traditional naming practices, linguistics, and topics in popular culture such as pastimes, humor, and seasonal celebrations. Importantly, Mishler publishes the words of the people and alerts the reader to where crucial collections are housed." - Native American and Indigenous Studies Journal Vol. 12, Issue 2, Fall 2025

"Mishler's decades of commitment, his long affiliation with the Gwich'in communities and research collaborations with Kenneth] Frank and other Gwich'in knowledge keepers is evident throughout the text. This book clearly is written with the inspiration, tutelage, language, cultural expertise, and teaching experience of Frank, with whom Mishler has been a research and writing partner with since the mid-1990s. It is from their several scholarly publications, oral presentations, and professional papers that these essays are born. Mishler and Frank's unique, meticulously researched, pleasant writing style and ability to inform the reader about the historical connections and context to the subject, is what makes their work so important." - Leslie McCartney, from the Foreword.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0CJ12BH4G
• ISBN13: 9798988473220
• Release Date: February 2024
• Publisher: International Polar Institute
• Length: 432 Pages
• Weight: 2.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.6" x 6.5" x 9.3"