Magazine Article Review: Forging a Faith, Nebraska Life

 Forging a Faith by Matt Masich, photographs by Christopher Amundson, Nebraska Life, January/February 2024, pp 40-45.

Echo Canyon Breastworks

We traveled through Echo canyon on the Echo Canyon Road which parallels the I80 freeway.  This is where Great Great Grandfather Isaac helped build and man breastworks made of stones while defending Salt Lake from the federals who were coming as part of the Utah War.  It is hard to see the breatworks from below, but they are there someplace.  

Book Review: A Braid of Lives: Native American Childhood

A Braid of Lives: Native American Childhood edited by Neil Philip, Clarion Books, New York, The Albion Press 2000.

A common theme of childhood Native American is the desire to be an adult.  This is seen over and o ver again in the stories included in the book.  Also of concern is childhood is development of a spiritual self.  This book includes the stories about 50 Native Americans looking back at their childhoods.  There are girl wanting to be like their mothers, and boys playing at war.  There was being forced to get up early and running and swimming so as to be able to withstand the pressures of war.  There are also stories of people form many different tribes.  A Lakota boy at age nine pierced his sister's  ears who was four.  This is usually done by a medicine person with a bone and a giveaway and with songs.  As this was lacking father did a big giveaway and gave the son's horse away.  There were lots of sports and games, such as games like hockey of shooting arrows at hoops.  Some girls enjoyed dolls, and others not so much.  There were a few stories about Indian school and being forced to talk English and cut their hair.  

Henry O. Flipper: First Black Graduate of West Point

 In 1877 Henry Ossian Flipper became the first African American to graduate from United States Military Academy at West Point.  He had been born into slavery in 1856.  He received a commission and served as an officer of Buffalo Soldiers in the 10th Calvary.  He had an eye for the captain's daughter at Camp Davis in Texas.  Because of this he was framed for embezzlement.  He was found not guilty of embezzlement but was found guilty of conduct unbecoming of an officer and a gentleman.  He was dishonorable discharged.  He was unable to clear his name during his life.  However he was cleared after his death. in 1976 his discharge was changed to a good conduct discharge.  In 1999 President Bill Clinton granted a full pardon.  He was also an engineer.  At Fort Sill in Oklahoma he designed a system to drain a swamp which was leading to malaria.  Known as Flipper's Ditch the system is still used today.  

Historical Bulletins, East Bellevue: Rifle Range, Peter Sarpy Trading Post, Presbyterian Mission

 The Rifle Range and the Peter Sarpy bulletin ar both at College Heights Park off of Mary Mallory Kountze Memorial Drive.

The memorial to the Presbyterian Mission is further south and is in someone's yard on Warren street.

African/Mexican Cowboy: Bronco Sam Steward or Stewart

 Bronco Sam Stewart was born in Mexico.  He is of Mexican and African descent with some European mixed in.  They say he could ride anything.  He is known for riding a longhorn through Cheyenne.  The beast diverted into a store and came out decorated with clothing from its horns.  Bronco made it right with the store owner.  It is said he could ride anything.  He always wanted to try his hand at a buffalo.  He eventually settled in Laramie.  He worked for Tom Alsop.  When the Laramie River was overflowing Alsop's three-year-old son fell in.  Stewart jumped in with his clothes on and saved him.  Bronco Stewart met a tragic end.  He married and was told his wife was cheating on him.  He shot his wife and then himself.  He was always thought of as one of Wyoming's best cowboys.

Book Review: Who Is Lionel Messi?

 Who Is Lionel Messi by James Buckley Jr., illustrated by Manuel Gutierrez, Penguin Workshop, New York, 2024.

Lionel Messi is a soccer player, perhaps the best in the world; perhaps the best of all time.  This book was written before the World Cup this year, so does not tell the story of Argentina being the runner up, but it does tell the story of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.  

Messi was born in Rosario, Argentina in 1987.  He has been playing soccer since he was three and got his first soccer ball.  He started playing organized soccer at age four; and he was good, a goal scorer and dribbler.    When he was seven he began playing for Newell's Junior teams.  His father and. brothers had played for Newell.  Messi was still a goal scorer and won every game.  Messi was small due to lack of a growth hormone.  Shots corrected this but were expensive.  He was invited to try out for Futbol Club Barcelona.  By 2001 Messi was playing in Spain.  Most of his family went.  Messi quickly moved through Barcelon's teams, under 16 then under 19.  Everyone moved back to Argentina except Lionel and his father.  This was a hard time missing his mother.  He played his first game in the top division for Barcelona at age 17, the second youngest player to do so.  

He played in the U20 World Cup at age 18 and Argentina won.  He also played his first National Team match, a friendly against Hungary.  Messi came in as a substitute but was red carded when he hit another layer in the throat.  

He retured to Argentina for a time to support a girlfriend who had lost a friend in an automobile accident.  Atonela would eventually become his wife.  They have three children.  At age 20 he started donating some of his money through the Leo Messi foundation.  Barcelona had a near perfect season in 2008-2009.  They won the FIFA Club World Cup and several other major competitions.  Messi won the prize as best soccer player in the world.  Messi started competing in the World Cup in 2006.  Each year they came up short until 2022 in Qatar when they won.  At this last World Cup he broke the record for mowt World Cup goals.  

In 2021 due to the rules of La Liga he had to change teams.  He then played in France on a team with Kylian Mbappé also on the team.  He played against France and Mbappé in the finals of the 2022 World Cup.  More recently he has joined Major League Soccer with the Inter Miami FC team.  They had been flounder

ing but with Messi's signing thay have become one of the better teams in MLS.