This book was wonderful. I love hearing about the history of my tribe (Siletz). Also, the author included information about my great-great-great grandfather Charlie Depoe. I learned about my own family from this book. I cried to see a picture of my ancestor for the first time ever. I thank you E.A. Schwartz for putting together such a comprehensive piece of what is essentially a very important, yet small piece of history for many American Indians. I waited patiently for years for this story to be told. Now I can pass this piece of history on to my children and all of their children. Thank you.

Detailed and thorough, full of entertaining anecdotes andtranscriptions of correspondence; covers major political figures aswell as tribespeople.

It has been four months since lawyer Vicky Holden left her high-powered job in a high profile legal firm to return home to the Wind River Reservation. She finally agrees to face her abusive ex-husband Ben at a local restaurant but they aren't together a few minutes before he loses his temper, makes a scene, and walks out.

A mortified Vicky departs from her public humiliation not long after the incident occurred only to later learn that Ben was murdered. The local FBI agent knows that Vicki had motive and opportunity, but no alibi. The gun is wiped clear of finger points except for a clear one that belongs to Vicki. Unless Vickie can find the real killer, she will be indicted for premeditated murder.

Margaret Coel has written an absorbing and interesting mystery that gives readers a glimpse into the modern day west. The protagonist is a feisty determined woman and her friend catholic priest Father O' Malley is her mirror image. Together this unlikely pair gets in and out of trouble so many times it feels as if they are stars in a Wild West epic.

Harriet Klausner

There are many mystery series out today that feature crime-solvers ranging from cooks to cats. Most are good, light reading with interesting twists and turns.
But if you are interested in a more serious and unique line of mysteries, look to Margaret Coel's Arapahoe series. Set on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming, Coel's cast of characters include Jesuit priest Father John O'Malley and his friend Vicky Holden, who is an Arapahoe attorney from Denver. These two always manage to stumble upon unusual circumstances that need following up on, including murders, disappearances and mayhem.
Her latest book, "The Shadow Dancer," is the seventh in this group, and this time a charismatic leader of the Ghost Dancers is wreaking havoc on the reservation, with people near and dear to Father John and Vicky turning up missing and dead.
Dean Little Horse, a young Arapahoe with a talent for computers, is missing, and his elderly aunts have summoned Father John for help in finding him. During his inquiries about Dean, Father John discovers a man called Orlando has proclaimed himself the prophet of the Ghost Dancers, a religion promising a new world to come that swept the plains during the 1880's. Orlando is stirring up the residents of the reservation with his new group, known as the Shadow Dancers. Is this group responsible for Dean's disappearance?
Meanwhile, Vicky Holden is having troubles of her own. Her despised ex-husband has been murdered, and Vicky quickly becomes the prime suspect. She turns to Father John to help her find her husband's murderers, and it's during their search that they find evidence that the Shadow Dancers might have had a hand in this crime as well.
Coel is adept at weaving her stories with a flair for suspense that keeps her readers intrigued and enthralled. You can start at the beginning of her series or jump in with the latest, and experience a satisfying read either way. Her research into the subject matter is extensive, and she presents the historical background in her stories in a way that lends much to the tale at hand.
So if you're into mysteries and are looking for a change of pace, give Margaret Coel's Wind River Reservation series a try. You'll find them unique and original.

Descola's sojourn in the Upper Amazon jungles reminds us of a sad truth: how much of our neighbours on this planet do we know or understand? Descola readily admits how poorly prepared he was for the study of the Achuar. Yet he was quickly disabused of any idea that this group of the "Jivaro" constituted a "simple native" community. His account shows the complexity of life they endure. Family relationships entwine political situations and Achuar society is sustained by a fine balance among many forces. Not the least of these are the roles played by every plant and animal in the surrounding forest. Each Achuar individual carries immense knowledge of his or her surroundings and performs daily activities within carefully prescribed limits. Living in an Ecuadorian forest is no more complex than dwelling in a "civilized" city in Descola's view. It's simply a matter of learning how.

Descola quickly settled in as guest of a family - unravelling the roots of interaction among its members took longer. Men's and women's lives follow preset roles, however the balance of power between genders, he shows us, must be constantly adjusted to changing circumstances. Marriages and separations are frequent, sometimes leading to long-standing vendettas, complicated by the relationships of the participants which are as twisted as the forest vines. Vendetta, it seems, is far more consequential in the lives of the Achuar than long-term traditions. The stereotypical "tradition bound" native is nonexistent here. Family and personal relationships also preclude the development of our familiar hierarchical society. No community leaders rise to particular prominence since family status has priority. These conditions, Descola points out, obviate the existence of political hierarchies, so dear to Western society.

Life among the Achuar is filled with rituals, from the morning cup of "wayus" through various rites of passage to, possibly, the achievement of "juunt," or "Great Man" status. Anthropology is rife with tales of powerful shamans who guide the behaviour of awed villagers. Descolas sweeps away this image, noting that shamans among the Achuar may be exiled or deposed, perhaps even killed if their powers prove futile, misleading or faulty. To be effective, the juunt must prove his abilities as a healer - a sorcerer will be rejected. Although the position of juunt takes years of effort to achieve, the role may be lost overnight. On the other hand, they are resourceful and caring - they make house calls. Sometimes at great distance, leading them to temporarily profess conversion to Christianity long enough to hitch a ride on the missionary's aircraft to the patient.

Descola's narrative is nearly a daily journal of his own learning and efforts. Although his wife Anne Christine accompanied him, she flits but wraith-like through these pages, nearly obscured by Descola's own revelations. Yet it's clear she provided information on the women's lives that might have endangered Descola had he attempted to garner it. Given the intricate structure of Achuar life, Descola may be forgiven this omission of detail.

Janet Lloyd's translation isn't lively, but the events and ideas Descola relates keep the reader's interest throughout the book. He manages to both dismiss faulty myths about South American peoples and impart a wealth of new information. Dreams, for example, considered random in the West, may actually be "created" among the Achuar depending on circumstances and needs. Dreams drive behaviour and vice versa. Descola sees Achuar dreaming as an extension of conscious thought - an assertion deserving intense study. This is but one example of what keeps this book interesting and valuable.

i don't usually read nonfiction, primarily because the writing styles do not appeal to me (dry, dry, dry). but this book is wonderfully written; descola made a conscious decision to write well and wittily and he succeeds. if you love traveling to unfamiliar worlds and are fascinated by different cultures, this book will capture your imagination and stay with you for years to come.

I am a student of history and local history is especially interesting to me so I love the Arch Merrill books. His writing style is informative and at the same time very easy to read. Every time I travel to Letchworth Park I am reminded of this book and Merrill's vivid description of the beauty and the story of Mary Jemison. Merrill's books should not be out of print because they are the most valuable resource we have in keeping the history of Western New York alive! I aspire to write local history in the tradition of Arch Merrill and I respect him as a role model.

I recently re-read this Arch Merrill classic. His use of language has a flair that is rarely experienced in modern novels. He paints a picture of the Western New York locales that I, as a native, find to be accurate yet remindful of a time when these hills, valleys, and the gorge of the Genesee River must have been so pristine and even more beautiful than today. Merrill tells of the raw truth of savage times without the gore that modern stories find necessary to include. He leaves much to the imagination while describing a multitude of detail. I love the book and the authors quaint style.

This book depicts the many hardships and sacrifices of early American western exploration from Stephen Long and his associates during their 1819-1820 expedition to the Rocky Mountains. Although heavily criticized at the time for not completely fullfilling their expectations, the overall information gathered was considerable. From geography, botany, zoology and geology, to Indian customs and cultures, their individual scientific publications speak for themselves. This is not a book about hostile Indian battles, numerous attacks by grizzlies, etc. which are somewhat expected of journals and narratives of this era. Rather, this is how these men described the various landforms, animals, plants and Native Americans that they encountered while suffering from thirst, hunger, fatigue, fever and climate. It is truly an engrossing book and the writing is very descriptive of how the American west was before westward expansion set in.

After reading Popescu's Amazon Beaming the world does'nt look the same. All the New Age "rubbish" appears to be just superficial while Popescu and McIntyre reveal the truth so clearly. While following Mr. McIntyre's journey to the source of the very beginning of Time, to the source of Amazon, to his own source, the reader discovers his very own inner source. Accompanied with this knowledge he is also able to understand better the native tribes throughout the world and the importance to rescue them by just leave them in peace. My deepest thanks to Mr. Popescu and surely to Mr. McIntyre ("Tayah")

Ancient Monuments (more familiarly known as "Squire and Davis") is the undisputed primary reference source on Indian mounds in the eastern US till the mid-1800s. While there were a few others (such as Caleb Atwater's book), Squire and Davis offers the grandest illustrations of what remained of the unbelievable civilizations that inhabited this continent. Even as they published in 1848, hundreds of mounds were being plowed into oblivion; so few are still extant that theirs is the only guide to what was lost. The text is enjoyable on many levels, and can be forgiven for any lapses of scientific accuracy. They trekked over Ohio at a time when we weren't even sure who made the mounds, so everything they recorded is gold. The engineering prowess, the sheer magnificence and scale of some of the works, is astounding.

Dr. Hann continues to generate impressive works on colonial Florida. This account focuses on the native province of Apalachee (near modern day Tallahassee) and details their story from Prehistory to the present. In the book, Dr. Hann incorporates transcriptions and translations of original Spanish documents as well as modern archaeological research. This book is the standard for Apalachee history.

There are so many stories of the American West that need telling (or retelling). The story of Captain Jack is one. Wonderful book, good characters, fast-paced and involving plot. Don't miss it (or Lassiter's earlier book, First Cherokee Rifles)

Ms. Schlick is the uncontested expert on native American basketry of the Columbia Plateau (eastern Washington and Oregon) and she knows and has the admiration of many--perhaps all--of the current weavers. Her book finally puts a face and name on the creators of the baskets and sees them as individual artists. I can't believe this book has been allowed to go out of print--get it while you can.