AUTHOR’S ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Mother Earth, Father Sky is not only my book. It belongs to all those who helped me through their encouragement and by sharing their knowledge, special skills and abilities. Though I have done my best to ensure the accuracy of Mother Earth, Father Sky, any errors are not the fault of those listed below, but the result of my own interpretation of the information given to me.

My appreciation and my thanks go first of all to my husband, Neil Harrison, who is my partner and closest friend. Without his encouragement I would not have had the courage to continue to believe in myself and my work. Also, my heartfelt appreciation to our children, Neil and Krystal, for their pride in my work and their tolerance of late suppers and a mother who, though sitting beside them, was often nine thousand years away.

My thanks to my parents, Bob and Pat McHaney, who gave many helpful suggestions about the manuscript and taught me to love books and wildlife. To my grandfather, Bob McHaney, Sr., who was my inspiration for Shuganan, my love and thanks.

My sincere gratitude to Dr. William S. Laughlin, author of Aleuts: Survivors of the Bering Land Bridge, whose dig site on Anangula Island was the basis for the fictional village site in my novel, for his graciousness in sending me information and answering my questions concerning his work and his discoveries.

Also my thanks to Mark McDonald, who was an exploration geologist for Tenneco Oil and is now with Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Mark spent many hours answering my questions about geology, topography and climate.

To others who gave time and interest to my project, my thanks and highest regards:

• Dr. David Knowles for his help explaining topographical maps;
• Joan Harrison Morton and Linda McHaney Shelby, both nurses, who answered medical questions;
• Jack McDonald, who took my husband and me on an excursion to collect flint;
• Ruth Neveu, who spent much time finding and ordering research materials through the Lake Superior State University Library;
• Artist Cynthia W. Hook, who drew a map for the novel;
• Tom Harrison, my brother-in-law, a master carver;
• Linda Hudson, also a writer, for her suggestions on the manuscript and her encouragement;
• Gary Kiracofe, scrimshander, for sharing his knowledge about his craft, his collection and his books;
• Forbes McDonald, Dick and Carol Beemer, Dick and Jan Johnson, Richard Hook, Patricia Walker, James Moody, Dennis and Jody Harrison and Jaynce and Gerri Leach who lent me resource materials;
• The writers and staff of the Bay de Noc writers’ conferences.

Finally, my most sincere admiration and appreciation to my agent,

Rhoda Weyr, and my Doubleday editor, Loretta Barrett. Without them, Mother Earth, Father Sky would still be stuck in a desk drawer, a small embarrassment to the author, a book that was rejected numerous times by many people. Everyone has days that are very special to them and are remembered each year. This past year I have added two such days to my calendar, January 16, the day that Rhoda called to tell me she would take me as a client, and April 26, the day that Loretta acquired Mother Earth, Father Sky for Doubleday.