Humboldt County Historical Society

What would it be like to be born, in the twentieth century, as a medicine woman, a human interface with a spiritual realm that speaks from the depths of geological time? Karuk medicine woman Mavis McCovey offers a rare glimpse into this world as she tells her personal story, interwoven with descriptive stories of tribal life, set against the backdrop of history, ancient and modern. Through her voice, a culture that may seem worlds away and untouchable comes to life. What McCovey says is important, but how she says it is remarkable, too. Reading this book is like sitting down for a chat with her at her kitchen table-which is, in fact, how this book came into being: through many lively and intimate conversations with co-author John F. Salter.