Along the 12-mile loop at Rock Rock Canyon is a short hike to some Pictographs and petroglyphs. The hike is short but goes over lots of rocks. Red Rocl Canyon is a National Conservation area managed by BLM. It is west of Las Vegas a few miles.
 |
| etched writings- petroglyphs |
 |
| Pigments used, pictographs |
This petroglyph rock is in Valley of Fire State Park and clearly marked on the state park map.
It is call Atlatl rock because it has a depiction of an atlatl as well as another of someone throwing one. The atlatl was a very effective weapon with a throwing stick. The projectile was larger than an arrow and the arrow head was also larger. They could be very accurate and were used in hunting and in battle.
Atlatl rock is in the air. A short walk and a staircase take you to the rock.
 |
| The first picture shows the atlatl with a mountain goat above. with a thrower beneath |
Indian Grinding Rock State Park is located 12 miles east of Jackson off of highway 88 on Pinegrove Canyon Road. This area was originally part of the Miwok territory. The area had three different types of oak trees which produced acorns which was the primary food of their diet. The park has a limestone outcropping which has been used for many years to grind the acorns. There are 1,125 mortar holes in the park. The acorns need to be leached because of the tannins in the acorn meat. The Miwoks would shell, and then grind the acorn using a pestle in the mortar holes. This is basically a rock that is rounded for grinding. They would then leach the acorns by putting them in a sand basin and then pouring cold water on them. The water would leach through the sand taking the tannins with it. This was repeated until the water ran clear. Also at the State park is a museum with cradle boards and weapons. The park also included a round house and a Miwok village. This included a granary and shelters. The shelters were made from tree bark.
Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard, illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal, Roaring Brook Press, New York, 2019
This is a picture book, but the theme seems more geared towards adults rather than children. It presents the cultural significance of fry bread; as food, as shape, as sound, as color, as flavor, as time, as art, as history, as place, as nation, as everything, as us and as you.
After telling the stories in a storybook fashion, the author goes back and explains in a more adult fashion his reasons for the story. He includes all Native American Nations in the inside cover of the book.
His recipe for fry bread is different than mine or any I am familiar with. My wife makes scones on which he construct Navajo tacos. They are delicious. However I am familiar with the very large and thing fry bread. His fry bread is closer to scones that that. I guess recipes come in all different types, just like people.
4 Silver Stars
5 Bronze Stars
3 Purple Hearts
He earned a total of 42 medals and citations.
Born on January 29, 1922, in Apache, Oklahoma, Poolaw, a full-blooded Kiowa, served with the United States Army in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Poolaw, his father and two brothers joined the Armed forces in 1942 during World War II. He earned his first Purple Heart when he was wounded in September 1944. While serving with the 8th Infantry Regiment's M Company near Recogne, Belgium, Poolaw's unit was engaging fire with the Germans. He pushed his unit forward under heavy fire and hurled hand grenades at enemy machine guns, causing numerous enemy casualties and as a result of his heroic actions, many of his comrades lives were saved and the company was able to continue the attack and capture strongly defended enemy positions.
Poolaw's military career did not end in Belgium or with Germans. During the Korean War, Poolaw saw combat and was wounded again and awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, a second Purple Heart, and two more Silver Stars.
He returned to the U.S. in 1952 and retired from the Army ten years later. This is not where his military career ends.
During the Vietnam War, all four of the Poolaw's sons were in the military. In February 1967, his son, Pascal Jr., was injured by a landmine in Vietnam. This injury resulted in amputation of his right leg below the knee. Poolaw’s youngest son, Lindy, was also drafted. Afraid of what could happen to his sons as the war progressed, Poolaw rejoined the Army at the age of 45. Giving up his rank as a 2nd Lieutenant with the intentions of serving in direct combat, Poolaw hoped to keep his youngest son away from the front lines by taking his place. Regulations prohibited two members of the same family from serving in combat at the same time without their consent. Unfortunately, by the time he arrived on the West Coast, Lindy had left for Vietnam the day before.
Poolaw was deployed on May 31, 1967 as a first sergeant of the 26th Infantry Regiment's C Company. His last Silver Star was for an event that occurred a few months later. On November 7, 1967, Poolaw's unit were part of a search and destroy mission near the village of Loc Ninh. Poolaw and his unit were ambushed by the Viet Cong force with intensive claymore mine, rocket, small arms, and automatic weapons fire. While wounded, he continued moving among his squad making sure everyone was positioned properly while pulling casualties back.
As Poolaw was carrying a wounded soldier to safety, he was struck by a rocket propelled grenade and killed. For his heroic actions Poolaw was awarded a Silver Star and a third Purple Heart posthumously. " He has followed the trail of the great chiefs," his wife Irene said at Poolaw's funeral. His people hold him in honor and highest esteem. He has given his life for the people and the country he loved so much."
Te Ata is a Native American movie produced by the Chickasaw Tribe and starring Q'orianka Kilcher. It tells the story of Mary Frances Thompson Fisher of Te Ata. She was introduced to the stage at college, Oklahoma College for Women through drama instructor Frances Dinsmore Davis. Here she developed her passion of being a Native American story teller. Here senior presentation was a Native American monologue. SHe spent the summer in a traveling company presenting her story. From there she went to Carnegie Institute in Pittsburg. She did go to New York and perform on Broadway. However her true love was her one-woman show in which she told Native American stories. In New York she met Dr. George Clyde Fisher who became her husband. Her father is a traditional Native American and for him it is difficult to accept his daughters goals and career, and accept her husband.
This movie is very well done. It is interesting how it approaches Native American stereotypes without being over bearing. It does this by showing a movie cartoon with caricatures of Native Americans and the reaction of Te Ata to seeing this. It also approaches the prejudice of several people, including a politician. However it shows how the Chickasaw people refused to be conquered and to lose their culture.
I highly recommend this movie, and have greatly benefitted from being introduced to the life of Te Ata. She was an incredible individual who made a difference by presented her story and telling the story of Native American people to others; especially children.
The Mohave Museum of History and Art offers a very good collection of Native American artifacts. My pictures show only a small sample. It also has displays talking of the history of the Native American populations in the area. The displays show many different medium, including beaded moccasins, weaving, basket weaving and pottery. The displays also represent several different Native American groups. Most prominent is Hualapai but there are also Navajo and Hopi. In the doll house collection is a representation of Pocahontas.
 |
| Grinding rock |
 |
| Two depictions of Pocahontas |
 |
| Navajo blanket |
