Book Review: How Chipmunk Got Tiny Feet

How Chipmunk Got Tiny Feet: Native American Animal Origin Stories collected and retold by Gerald Hausman, illustrated by Ashley Wolff, Harper Collins Publishers, New York, 1995.

This book tells seven Native American animal origin stories.  They are Navajo four, Koasati Creek two and Tsimsian one.  They tell stores like why Coyote has yellow eyes, and chipmunk has tiny feet.  It seems the animals make bad decisions and then are rescued by mother earth.  I like this book because I like to learn of Indian origin stories.

Book Review: Honor Flight: Celebrating America's Veterans

 Honor Flight: Celebrating America's Veterans by Jeff Gottesfeld, illustrated by Matt Tavares, Candlewick Press, Somerville, Massachusetts, 2026.

Thi is a b ook about something I had never heard of, Honor Flights.  These are flights where they take former service men and women to sites where they served.  This includes "Kilroy, Squid G.I. Joe, Airman, Jarhead, WAC or WAVE."  The flight took the veterans to many Washington D.C. memorial sights where they were honored.  This included the Iwo Jima Memorial, Viet Nam War Memorial, Military Women Memorial, WWII Memorial, Korean War Memorial.  But the most important honor was when they flew home and were greeted at the Airport, something that many of the veterans had missed due to conflict over the Viet Nam War.  At the end of the flight they were given letters from school children thanking them for their service.  I think this is an important book geared to children.

Ute Chief Ignacio

 

Ignacio was leader of the Southern Utah.  He was a member of the Wiminuche Ute Band.  They were a semi nomadic tribe, venturing into San Juan, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah.  During several treaties their area was reduced.  They first accepted a large reservation in western Colorado, which was later reduced.  Gold had been found in the area.  They finally accepted a smaller reservation in southwestern Colorado.  Ignacio's father was a medicine man.  He was killed by a man's family he had been treating when he died.  Ignacio took revenge on the family, killing all twelve members.  The southern Utes recognized Ignacio as their leader and not Ouray.  Ouray deferred to Ignacio in matters dealing with the southern Utes.  He traveled to Washington D.C. in 1880 with Ouray and Ouray's wife Chipeta.  When Ouray died Ignacio was recognized as the chief for the southern Utes by the government.  They were able to stay in Colorado.  The town Ignacio was named in his honor.  

Chief Ouray of the Uncompahgre Ute

 

Ouray was chief of the Uncompaghre Ute Band.  He was also chosen by the United States Government as being the lead person with whom to negotiate in terms of treaties.  The Uncompaghre generally lived in the mountains of central Colorado.  They would also venture onto the plains to hunt buffalo.  They saw there territory decreased on a couple of occasions, but still held most of western Colorado.  However an incident occurred in which the White River Utes attacked the BIA agency and killed the agent and several workers.  They also kidnapped several women.  Ouray and the Uncompaghre were not involved.  In fact Ouray arranged for the return of the women.  For whatever reason, this incident put into play a move to remove all the Utes from Colorado.  Ouray negotiated with the government to make the best deal he could.  There was some hesitance on the Native American part because Ouray received a stipend for his efforts from the government.  A deal was struck to remove the Uncompaghre to Utah.  However signatures were needed to ratify the treaty.  After obtaining the signatures from his own band, he traveled to the Southern Band to get signatures, and died en route, August 1880.  A negotiator bribed Utes for the remaining signatures and the Uncompaghre were removed to the Uintah Ouray Reservation in 1881.   Ouray never lived on the reservation that bears his name.

Magazine Article Review: Justice on the Tracks, How Sidney earned its reputation as Nebraska's toughest frontier town in the Fall of 1875

Justice on the Tracks, How Sidney earned its reputation as Nebraska's toughest frontier town in the Fall of 1875 by Loren Avey, Nebraska Life Magazine, Flagship Publishing, Timnath CO, September/October 2025, pp 22,23.

This short article tells a very interesting story about a murder and a double lynching.  Three en were arguing in town, Chuck Patterson, his friend Joe Reed and livery owner Robert W. Porter.  Patterson drew on Porter and three quick shots left Porter dead.  Sheriff John Ellis quickly arrested Patterson and placed him in jail.  Porter was well liked and had lots of friend being the livery manager.  By the next day a group of 40 men had gathered at the Capitol saloon owned by Cornelius "Con" McCarty.  They worked up quite an anger and with the sheriff out of town they stormed the jail.  The lone deputy did not put up a resistance and they took him out and hung him from a telephone pole.  They then returned to the saloon to celebrate their deed.  Ellis returned in the meantime and cut Patterson down.  He was not dead.  He was taken back to the jail.  When the mob heard this they returned to do the job again.  Ellis put up a resistance and they beat him into submission.  The hung Patterson again, making sure this time.  Sheriff Ellis shortly left town for good and the lead of the mob, Cornelius "Con" McCarty, took his position. 

Chipeta wife of Ouray

 Chipeta is the wife of the Ute Chief Ouray.  She was his confidant and adviser.  She was born Kiowa APache but was raised with the Utes in Colorado.  She was always an advocate for peace in negotiations between the Utes and the U.S. government.  She influenced her husband a great deal.  She attended many tribal councils with her husband.  Women were usually not accepted at tribal councils but Chipeta was always welcome.  She also attended a peace conference in Washington D.C.  After the negotiations of 1880 the Uncompahgre Utes were forced to leave Colorado by the U.S. Army.  They had not taken part in the Nathan Meeker affair but were caught up in it anyway.  Ouray passed away before they were forced to move, but Chipeta was forced to Utah.  She felt betrayed by the government.  They had promised her a house like what she had in Colorado with Ouray.  She was given an unfinished home so returned to living in a teepee.  

1880 peace commission to Washington, Chipeta on right next to Ouray.  Carl Schurz is also seated.  This peace commission resulted in the removal of the Tabeguachi/ Uncompahgre Utes and the White River Utes from Colorado.

Western Shoshone Mary and Carrie Dann, Nevada

 Mary and Carrie Dann were Western Shoshone Native American ranchers and activists in fighting the federal government over land issues and grazing rights.  They were sisters.  They did not feel they should have to pay grazing fees for land that was Native American land.  The contention is the Shoshone did not give away their land but granted rights to Whites to pass through only.  This was based on the peace treaty of Ruby Valley of 1863.  Their case went all the way to the Supreme Court which ruled based on precedent the land did not belong to the Shoshone.  However international court said this was a violation of human rights. In 1979 the Indian Land Commission awarded to the Western Shoshone $26 million for their land.  However the Shoshone have refused to take the money and it is just drawing interest.  The Dann sisters conducted civil protest by refusing to pay grazing fees.  

Even though the United Nations have asked the government to leave the Western Shoshone alone this has been ignored by the federal government.

Mary dann passed away in 2005 from a ranching accident.  Carrie Dann passed away in 2021.  She with the Shoshone Defense Fund sued U.S. and Canadian Barrick Gold and the expansion of Cortez Hills Project at Mr. Tenabo which is considered sacred by the Shoshone.