Synopsis
Mark Brian, a young vicar, is sent to a Native Indian village called Kingcome in British Columbia, where the Kwakwala language is spoken. His bishop sends him, knowing that Mark is suffering from an unnamed, fatal disease, in order to learn life's hard lessons in the time left to him. Mark is unaware of his terminal illness and his bishop does not tell him.
Through various experiences and inter-relationships, Mark learns from the villagers and they from him. By the time he has spent one year there, he considers the small village his home and family, and they consider him part of their tribe.
The title of the book derives from a Kwakiutl belief that when one hears the owl call one's name, death is imminent.
Read more about this topic: I Heard The Owl Call My Name