Mary Tallmountain

Mary TallMountain (June 19, 1918 – September 2, 1994) was a poet and storyteller of mixed Scotch-Irish and Koyukon ancestry. Her works deal with the interplay of Christianity with indigenous beliefs and the difficulties of her own life. Before her mother died from tuberculosis she was adopted by a white couple where she faced prejudice among whites. Her experience with alcoholism and as a victim of prejudice and child abuse is expressed in the theme of struggle and healing in her work. She started her working career as a legal secretary and began writing around age 50 when she was a contributor to the Native American Renaissance. She eventually owned her own stenography business, which she lost while battling cancer. Her final years were spent in a poor, inner-city neighborhood in San Francisco, where she co-founded the Tenderloin Women Writers Workshop. She lived in San Francisco until her death in 1994.

Early life Mary TallMountain was born on June 19, 1918, in Nulato, Alaska, to a mother of Russian and Native American heritage, and a father of Irish-Scottish descent, who was an American soldier. She was born to the Athabascan tribe, which is believed to be one of the original tribes that came over to Alaska via land bridge from Asia.

She was diagnosed with cancer a second time in 1978, then when she went into remission she located her biological father. He was also battling cancer, living in Phoenix, Arizona, and spent the last few years of his life with her.

Works

The Rasmussen Library at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks houses an archival collection of TallMountain's published and unpublished works.

Listen to the Night, Poems to the Animal Spirits of Mother Earth, SF Freedom Voices, 1995, Edited by Ben Clarke, Introduction by Kitty Costello, Illustrations by Inuk artist Kenojuak: collection of over 40 poems with animal themes.

A Quick Brush of Wings, SF, Freedom Voices/ Red Star, Black Rose, 1991: A collection of 23 poems and 3 chapters from unpublished novel in progress Doyon.

The Light on the Tent Wall, A Bridging, Los Angeles: UCLA Press, 1990: A collection of 52 poems.

Matrilineal Cycle, Oakland, CA, Red Star Black Rose Printing, 1990 (Reprinted from Open Heart Press publication, 1988): Poems: "The Figure in Clay", "Women in Old Parkas", "Grandmother's Dream", "Matmiya", "Where Banshee Wind Is", "The Light on the Tent Wall", "A Song for My Mother", "The Hands of Mary Joe", "Brother Wolverine", "My Wild Birds Flying".THE LAST WOLF

There Is No Word for Goodbye, Oakland, Red Star Black Rose Printing, 1990 (Reprinted from Open Heart Press publication, 1988): A collection of 19 poems.

Continuum, Marvin, SD: Blue Cloud Quarterly, 1988. Poems: "Chant to the Spirit", "Continuum", "Are", "Ashes Unto Eden", "Silence and Small Music", " Folks on the Line", "Is There Light Still Springing?", "In the Night Also", "Francesco: Il Poverello Il Troubadore", "Celebration at the Cross", "One Splendid Note", "Manna at Nazareth".

Green March Moons, Berkeley: New Seed Press, 1987 Story: "Green March Moons".

Nine Poems, San Francisco: Friars Press, 1977. A pamphlet including the poems "Birthing", "Smell of Rain", "I Send You Dulcimers", "Tissue Roses", "Out Where the Pavement Ends", "Girl Thinking of Striped Bass", "Somewhere Little Hawks", "Collage of Hours", "Or Green Tree Lizards".