Lone Wolves (15 page)

Glossary of Mushing Terms

Basket
–
The “belly” of the sled in which cargo is transported, including gear, a person, or a sick dog

Booties
–
A kind of doggie boot fastened with Velcro, worn to protect paws (thrown booties are frequently found on the trail)

Brake
–
A hinged metal device mounted at the back of the sled that the musher can depress by foot to slow or stop the sled

Come Gee!
–
Command to turn completely around right

Come Haw!
–
Command to turn completely around left

Dog in Basket
–
Referring to an exhausted or injured dog riding in the basket of the sled

Double Lead
–
Two lead dogs at the front (usually on parallel tow lines)

Dropped Dog
–
A dog that has been “scratched” from the team or race, usually because of poor health or exhaustion

Gee
–
Command to go right (pronounce the hard “g” as in “gate”)

Haw
–
Command to go left

Indian Dog
–
Any sled dog from a Native village

Lead Dog/Leader – The dog at the front of team, usually the smartest and fastest

Line Out!
–
Command to lead dog to pull the team straight from the sled (to help ease hooking and unhooking of the team)

Mush!
–
Command to lead dog to start the team. This command varies. Some mushers say Go! or Let's Go!; some say All Right! Any start command may be used

Neck Line
–
A short rope that connects a dog's collar to the tow line

Overflow
–
Water from rivers or creeks, lakes or ponds, that
rises above the ice and flows—concealed—be
neath the snow. Getting wet at below-zero temperatures can be dangerous, even life-threatening

Pedaling
–
Pushing the sled with one foot while keeping the other on the runner

Rigging
–
A general term for all the lines used to attach dogs to the sled

Runners
–
The two long bottom pieces of a sled, which come into contact with the snow. Modern mushers affix Teflon strips to the runners, which are replaced often

Scratch
–
To remove or disqualify a dog or a team from a race for a variety of reasons, often for poor health

Snow Hook
–
A metal device attached to the sled with a short rope and embedded in packed snow to keep the sled from moving

Snub Line
–
A rope used to secure the sled to a tree or other immovable object

Stake
–
A wooden or metal post (like a long tent stake) driven into the snow to which an individual dog or the tether line is attached

Swing Dogs
–
The dog(s) directly behind the lead dog that help turn the team

Tether Line
–
A long chain or rope with shorter chains or ropes extending from it at intervals, used when trees or stakes aren't available

Tow Line
–
Also called the main line, which connects dogs to the sled

Trail!
–
Yelled between mushers to request right-of-way on the trail

Tug Line
–
A short line that connects the dog's harness to the tow line

Wheel Dog(s)
–
The dog(s) closest to the sled, whose job is to pull the sled around tight corners or trees

Whoa!
–
Command to stop the team. Some mushers simply shout “Stop!”

Discussion Questions for
Lone Wolves

1. 1.
   Denny does not believe that she is brave because she is scared. What does it mean to be brave? When does Denny show her bravery the most?
   
2. 2.
   Denny is the only young person in the village who wants to learn the old ways of her people, including learning to speak their dying language. Why is preservation of culture so important? As a class, share your own family's heritage and traditions.
   
3. 3.
   Silas and Denny discuss peer pressure. Who do you think is right, Silas or Denny? Have you ever felt pressured to do things you normally wouldn't do?
   
4. 4.
   Alexie Senungutuk is a bully who demoralizes Denny. Have you or someone you know been bullied at school? Have you bullied others? What can you do to stop bullies?
   
5. 5.
   Denny's grandfather teaches her about respecting nature. After his death, Denny vows to live like him. What do you think of Denny's choice?
   
6. 6.
   Mary and the other teenagers don't seem to care about their lives; their only concern is to get away from the village. Why do you think someone would feel like that? What would happen to a small, tight-knit community if all the young people moved away? What could they do to change their lives for the better?
   
7. 7.
   Taz is connected to Denny because they are both different, they are both
   outcasts
   . How do our differences make us special?
   
8. 8.
   Many of the villagers want to go to the city to live better lives, but when they get there many end up disillusioned. What does this say about people always wanting more? Is the grass really greener?
   
9. 9.
   How does the relationship between Denny and her mother change throughout the story?
   
10. 10.
    Denny's father pretends that Denny does not exist. Denny's grandfather tells her it is because he is angry at the world and ashamed of himself. Is the way he treats his daughter any different than the way he is treated by other villagers? How do you think the relationship between Denny and her father changes at the end?
    
11. 11.
    As a project, choose a musher in the Iditarod (The Great Race) and follow his or her progress throughout the race, mapping out his 1,100 mile journey. Write a blog about your racer (where he comes from, if he's raced before, the names of all his dogs, etc.) and include facts about the race, dog sledding, and the rugged Alaskan wilderness.
    

The Author

John Smelcer is the poetry editor of
Rosebud
magazine and the author of more than forty books. He is an Alaskan Native of the Ahtna tribe, and is now the last tribal member who reads and writes in Ahtna. John holds degrees in anthropology and archaeology, linguistics, literature, and education. He also holds a PhD in English and creative writing from Binghamton University, and for
merly chaired the Alaska Native Studies
program
at the University of Alaska Anchorage.

His first novel,
The Trap
, was an American Library Association BBYA Top Ten Pick, a VOYA Top Shelf Selection, and a New York Public Library Notable Book.
The Great Death
was short-listed for the 2011 William Allen White Award, and nominated for the National Book Award, the BookTrust Prize (England), and the American Library Association's Award for American Indian YA Literature. His Alaska Native mythology books include
The Raven and the Totem
(introduced by Joseph Campbell). His short stories, poems, essays, and interviews have appeared in hundreds of magazines, and he is winner of the 2004 Milt Kessler Poetry Book Award and of the 2004 Western Writers of America Award for Poetry for his collection
Without Reservation
, which was nominated for a Pulitzer. John divides his time between a cabin in Talkeetna, the climbing capitol of
Alaska, where he wrote much of
Lone Wolves
, and Kirksville, Missouri
. For more information, go to www.johnsmelcer.com.

The Illustrator

Hannah Carlon, 17, is a Cape Cod high school student and artist who studied under Eiblis Cazeault, Sarah Holl, and Carl Lopes.