People of the Wolf
Encyclopedia
People of the Wolf is a 1990 historical fiction novel by husband and wife co-authors W. Michael Gear
& Kathleen O'Neal Gear
. The story explores the migration of humans into pre-historic North America. It is the first book in The First North Americans
series.
valley into what is now Canada and the Pacific Northwest.
Raven Hunter: Dark twin to Runs In Light, he defies his brother's vision and leads a war campaign against the Others (who call themselves the Mammoth People) in revenge for land and captives taken in the past.
Crow Caller: Tribal shaman accused of making up false visions to cover the loss of his powers, he clings desperately to his status, and curses anyone who threatens that status.
Dancing Fox: Love-interest of Runs In Light and Raven Hunter, Dancing Fox is forced by her father to marry Crow Caller in payment for services rendered.
Heron: A fiercely independent medicine-woman, she trains Runs In Light in harnessing his visions so he can lead them through the hole in the ice where the Laurentide ice sheet
and the Cordilleran Ice Sheet
were joined. A powerful vision which comes upon her late in the book presages events which will be shown in more detail in later books, including People of the Fire
and People of the Earth
.
Ice Fire: War Chief of the Mammoth People (known simply as "the Others" by the People), he unintentionally raped a woman of the People while under the influence of a shamanic vision, thus fathering Runs In Light and Raven Hunter.
W. Michael Gear
W. Michael Gear is an American writer, and archaeologist born in Colorado Springs, Colorado on May 20, 1955. He is perhaps best known for his First North Americans series, co-authored with wife Kathleen O'Neal Gear.-Biography:...
& Kathleen O'Neal Gear
Kathleen O'Neal Gear
Kathleen O'Neal Gear is an American writer. Gear is a former state historian and archaeologist for Wyoming, Kansas, and Nebraska for the U.S. Department of the Interior. She has twice received the federal government's Special Advancement Award for "outstanding management" of our nation's cultural...
. The story explores the migration of humans into pre-historic North America. It is the first book in The First North Americans
First North Americans (novels)
The First North Americans are a series of historical fiction novels published by Tor and written by husband and wife co-authors W. Michael Gear & Kathleen O'Neal Gear. The series, which began with 1990's "People of the Wolf," explores various civilizations and cultures in prehistoric North America....
series.
Plot introduction
The plot concerns a man and woman consummating to have a child. Then a band of Siberian hunters pursues game across Beringia during the last Ice Age. Spurred by a vision he had while on a hunt, a young tribesman named Runs in Light, later called Wolf Dreamer, leads a handful of tribespeople, in rebellion against the tribal shaman, south down the Yukon RiverYukon River
The Yukon River is a major watercourse of northwestern North America. The source of the river is located in British Columbia, Canada. The next portion lies in, and gives its name to Yukon Territory. The lower half of the river lies in the U.S. state of Alaska. The river is long and empties into...
valley into what is now Canada and the Pacific Northwest.
Characters
Runs In Light/Wolf Dreamer: A young man of the People who has a vision while hunting. In defiance of the village's aged shaman, Crow Caller, he leads a group of villagers south in search of a hole in the ice sheet there.Raven Hunter: Dark twin to Runs In Light, he defies his brother's vision and leads a war campaign against the Others (who call themselves the Mammoth People) in revenge for land and captives taken in the past.
Crow Caller: Tribal shaman accused of making up false visions to cover the loss of his powers, he clings desperately to his status, and curses anyone who threatens that status.
Dancing Fox: Love-interest of Runs In Light and Raven Hunter, Dancing Fox is forced by her father to marry Crow Caller in payment for services rendered.
Heron: A fiercely independent medicine-woman, she trains Runs In Light in harnessing his visions so he can lead them through the hole in the ice where the Laurentide ice sheet
Laurentide ice sheet
The Laurentide Ice Sheet was a massive sheet of ice that covered hundreds of thousands of square miles, including most of Canada and a large portion of the northern United States, multiple times during Quaternary glacial epochs. It last covered most of northern North America between c. 95,000 and...
and the Cordilleran Ice Sheet
Cordilleran Ice Sheet
The Cordilleran ice sheet was a major ice sheet that covered, during glacial periods of the Quaternary, a large area of North America. This included the following areas:*Western Montana*The Idaho Panhandle...
were joined. A powerful vision which comes upon her late in the book presages events which will be shown in more detail in later books, including People of the Fire
People of the Fire
People of the Fire is a 1991 historical fiction novel written by husband-and-wife co-authors W. Michael Gear & Kathleen O'Neal Gear. It dramatizes the transition of Native American culture from Paleo-Indian to Archaic as a result of climatic warming, set in the High Plains and Western Rockies region...
and People of the Earth
People of the Earth
People of the Earth is set in the plains and basins region of North America, c 5000 bc. It is the third book in The First North Americans series.-Main characters:White AshBad Belly/ Still WaterWind RunnerBrave Man...
.
Ice Fire: War Chief of the Mammoth People (known simply as "the Others" by the People), he unintentionally raped a woman of the People while under the influence of a shamanic vision, thus fathering Runs In Light and Raven Hunter.