Native American Book Review: Navajo

Navajo: Native Americans by Sarah Tieck, Big Buddy Books and imprint of Abdo Books, North Mankato, Minnesota, 2015.

This book indicates that the Navajo originally lived in Canada and moved south to the four corners area of the southwest.  The lived in hogans which are circular homes, or octogan or hexagon.  They were formers who raised corn, squash and beans and also fruit such as peaches.  They also would eat small game, prarie dogs, deer, rabbits and mountain goats.  They also raised sheep and goats for meat and milk.  Children learned by watching adults.  Navajo are experts at making jewelry, rugs, baskets and pottery.  Spirit life is very important to them.  Medicine men will make sand art drawings as part of healing.  Story telling is an important part of their culture.  Men and women both tell stories.  A common story is of the windwalker but some Navajo feel it is bad luck to talk of them.

In 1864 the government foced the Navajo to a reservation in New Mexico, Bosque Redondo.  In the march south, and in the heat in New Mexico, about 2000 Navajo died.  Manuelito had to negotiate to get their land back.  They now have a reservation of 24,000 square miles.  Manuelito stress education as important for the Navajo future and there are many educated Navajo.   

Magazine Article Review: The Haunting of Young George Washington.

 The Haunting of Young George Washington; Celebrating America at 250 by David L. Preston, photographs by Sally Maxson, Smithsonian, January/February 2026 pp 30-39, 110-111.

George Washington had a very close call when he was serving as a colonel during the French and Indian War.  November 12, 1758 Washington was leading his men in support of a group of men that the general had already sent to route a group of French with Native American support.  Because the sound of battle was so loud, General John Forbes sent Washington and his men forward in support.  However when the two units approached each other, the men became confused, thinking they were approaching the enemy.  A fire fight ensued.  When Washington noticed what was happening he came forward trying to intervene.  He ordered his men to stop shooting and was batting his men's guns upward with his sword.  Before the melee ended 16 soldiers had been killed and over 20 more were wounded.  

This was at Fort Ligonier aka Fort Loyalhana.  The result of the battle was a route of the French and Indians with prisoners taken.  The fort has been restored and studies ongoing to determine where exactly the friendly fire skirmish took pace.  Washington himself was in the line of fire, and this event had a profound effect on him.  

Native American Book Review: The Wampanoag

 The Wampanoag: A True Book by Kevin Cunningham and Peter Benoit, Children's Press and imprint of Scholastic, New York, 2011.

This is a good introduction to the Wampanoag.  I have often wondered where the Wampanoag ended up and I find out they are still there, they are just not so many.  There were as many as 30,000 Wampanoag before they were introduced to Europeans and in 1616 an epidemic resulted in the death of 90 percent of the total.  When the pilgrims arrived the Wampanoag population had been depleted so they were willing to enter an alliance with the newcomers.  Massasoit was the head Sachem at the time and negotiated this peace.  Squanto helped with translation and with teaching the Pilgrims how to live in the new world, raising corn, squash and beans (the three sisters).  This resulted in the first harvest feast which later became Thanksgiving.

The good relations did not laugh.  After Massasoit died, his son became sachem.  However he died after having visited with the settlers.  His brother Metacomet/Prince Phillip then became angry thinking the settlers had killed his brother.  This started what is known as Prince Phillip's war.  Metacomet was eventually captured and killed and his head hung on a stake outside the city wall.  His brother's widow, Weetamoo also  became a sachem and waged war with her people until they were ambushed and she drowned in a river trying to get away.  Her body was found and her head too was displayed outside the city wall.  In the war 2000 Native Americans were killed from several different groups.  Over 600 settlers were killed.  Most every white settlement had been attacked.  There are now about 2000 Wampanoag in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.  

Traditional housing was a wetu also known as a wigwam.  Over a frame of saplings layers of mats were placed which created a warm, dry home.  A fire was kept in the middle.  The sachem does not control the people but enters contracts with outside entities.  The Wampanoag language was almost lost but efforts are ow being made to bring it back.  There are now Wampanoag language classes available.  

Gun Fight at the OK Corral, Reenactment

 On October 16, 1981 a long standing feud finally boiled over in Tombstone, Arizona.  The feud was between the cowboys (rustlers) and lawmen.  One of the cowboys was talking about hurting people and making threats.  Consequently Virgil Earp, town Marshal decided to enforce a city ordinance saying all guns must be handed in.  The cowboys refused and the gun battle ensued.  Although the actual gun battle only lasted thirty seconds, it included lots of shooting, including with a shotgun.  Doc Holliday carried the shot gun.  30 shots were fired in that 30 seconds.  It left three people dead, all cowboys, Frank and Tom McLaury and Billy Clanton.  Two other cowboys fled, Ike Clanton and Billy Claiborne.  Of the four lawmen, three were injured, Doc Holliday, Virgil Earp and Morgan Earp.  Wyatt Earp was unscathed.  

The reenactment at Tombstone is very good, and very violent. It builds up to the point of conflict very well with on of the McLaury boys making lots of threats, and drinking too much.  The guns are loud, especially the shot gun.  And it is all over in 30 seconds.

Doc Holliday

The stage is set up next to the actual printing shop by which the gun battle took place.  Fat Nose Kate who was thre common law wife of Doc Holliday witnessed the gunfight from her boarding room.

Tombstone Boot Hill

 This is very impressive with so many tombstones saying "shot."  Afterwards my brother told me that most markers are not where the actual person is.  They had record of who is there, but not where they were so they just added the markers.

Those who died at OK Corral

Book Review: Abandoned Nebraska: Echoes of our Past

Abandoned Nebraska: Echoes of our Past by Trish Eklund, America Through Time, Fonthill Media, England, 2018.

The pictures in this book are much more impressive than the writing.  The writing is too scattered.  There are no chapter breaks no titles or headings.  Sometimes the next paragraph introduces an unrelated story.  It is hard to know exactly what is being talked about at times.

I did gleen a couple of stories.  John F. Kennedy University was in Wahoo.  They had a good women's athletics program but the University only lasted ten years, 1965-1975.  Dana College was a Lutheran Evangelical University which operated from 1896 to 2010 when it closed for financial reasons. It was located in Blair Nebraska.

There was a mental hospital where the Hastings Regional Center is now located.  It now provides rehabilitation services.  However at one tie the operation was much larger with much of the campu abandoned.  It is in Hastings.   Norfolk Regional Center has the same fate.  Established in 1885 it now only has a 120 bed facility for sex offenders.  It once housed over 1000 mentally ill patients.  

She does talk about several ghost towns and provides pictures of abandoned homes and schools.  The author really is a good photographer.  

Hohokam Ball Game

 I don't think the Hohokam played baseball, but they played something that may have been similar.  They had a big pit and balls made out of stone, but I am not aware if anyone known the particulars past this.  However the ball pits were part of a changing society.  Ball pits were used from 750 until perhaps 1250.  So the ball pits preceeded Casa Grande.  There are about 200 pits located in the Arizona area. 

this is a ball pit

two basalt rock balls

Around Casa Grande are many more edifices in addition to the Casa Grande.  Many have been exca vated and then reburied so as to preserve them for future study.

a mound with ancient dwelling not covered for preservation