This section contains excerpts from the book The Spirit of Huci: Four Seasons of an Ainu Woman, which is a collection of newspaper articles written by Keira Tomoko for the Hokkaido Shinbun (Newspaper) in 1993. Jurousha, the publisher of a revised 2018 edition including translations into English, and the author’s heirs have kindly given permission to use this material. The author lived with an elderly Ainu huci, or “grandmother,” for one year and learned the traditional rhythms of life of the Ainu people. Her goal was to transmit Ainupuri, the Ainu way, from the huci’s heart to younger generations of Ainu people. The author’s words have been augmented with graphics that may help to illustrate concepts and objects that may not be familiar to all readers. Not all readings have exercises provided – please feel free to share any materials created to supplement the readings.
Generally these readings are appropriate for upper-beginner or intermediate-level learners .
学習目標
- Gain a perspective on the Ainu way of life through the words of an Ainu person
- Understand why Ainu people may have chosen to hide their identity
- Learn more about the geography of Ainu Moshir
- Learn more about the life of contemporary Ainu people and their efforts to preserve and promote the Ainu culture and way of life.
- Become familiar with vocabulary, kanji and grammar patterns relevant to the readings
References
Keira, Tomoko. 2018. The Spirit of Huci: Four Seasons of an Ainu Woman. Sapporo: Jurousha Co. Ltd.
計良智子. (新版) 2018. フチの伝えるこころーアイヌの女の四季. 札幌: 寿郎社.
