New Mexico Books

This goal of this volume is to present a variety of perspectives on cultural heritage issues to a broad audience, from archaeologists to collectors, museum curators to the general public. As editor of this volume of essays originally published in 1989, and author of the 1999 update, I believe it is extremely important for all of us to be part of an ongoing dialogue about how to preserve the past for the future. When the University of New Mexico Press approached me to update the original volume, I was struck by the changes that have occurred in the last decade. In the United States, the passage and implementation of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, or NAGPRA, has had a major impact on the treatment and disposition of American Indian objects of cultural heritage. And the world wide web has had a major impact on the kinds of information that is readily available to anyone, whether for the trade of antiquities or for tracking down stolen artifacts. At the same time, the problem of illegal and unethical destruction of the past continues--and in some areas of the world, has worsened. I hope the reader will find the essays thought-provoking and the appendices, including an overview of U.S. and international laws, statements of professional ethics, and a listing of resources and organizations, to be helpful in developing one's own stance on stewardship of the past.

Thoughtful and engaging - this is a smart book that examines our relationship with the natural world -- and it takes on the question of how to find solace in times that can seem bleak - how to feel ALIVE in an age of extinction. This is a searching, seeking sort of book -- and it's a pleasure to embark on such a journey with the author.

For all its historical riches, the nineteenth century, particularly the first half, is a period in Mexican history neglected by historians for far too long. Almost forty years ago, Nettie Lee Benson lamented the lacunae when she stated that much was yet to be learned about what actually happened during the period between 1810-1857. Fifteen years ago the refrain was much the same when Eric Van Young called this early national period a "hueco." Four years later, Josefina Zoraida Vázquez focused on the lack of attention to nineteenth century Mexico when she characterized this period the "forgotten years." As late as eight years ago, Professor Vázquez exhorted the historical community to apply social and economic histories to clarify who the actors were and what role they played in the political life of nineteenth-century Mexico instead of shrouding the political realities behind the themes of foreign aggressors and pronunciamentos.

It would be misleading, however, to interpret the introductory paragraph on this review as characterizing a complete void in historical studies of the period in question-much has been done in the last forty years. Seemingly as a response to Professor Vázquez, Mark Wasserman, whose book is the subject of this review, masterfully synthesized a suite of extant historical works-books and articles-which previously had to be consulted collectively to order and place in perspective this neglected period of Mexican history known erroneously for its chaos and disorder.

Everyday Life and Politics in Nineteenth Century Mexico demarcates the nineteenth century into three periods, from the formation of the nation-state until the disastrous war with the United States; Guadalupe Hidalgo through the internecine wars of the Reform ending in the triumph of Liberalism and the Tuxtepec Revolution; and the Profiriato until the dawn of the Mexican Revolution. Wasserman introduces each period with a biographical sketch of the leading figure of the period, in this case being Antonio López de Santa Anna, Benito Juárez and Porfirio Díaz. Additionally, the author provides a brief but useful timeline that orders the period in question.

The overarching theme that the author provides for nineteenth-century Mexico is that it was a time of pervasive wars, the most disastrous one for Mexico being the war with the United States followed by the Reform civil wars. And it is this constant warfare that resulted in the nation's economic stagnation and hence inability to develop fully. Furthermore, this constant warfare reverberated in the social space by creating demographic shifts, particularly of women. War and the resulting migrations also irrevocably altered gender relations as women fought wars with greater frequency than had been thought, and migrated to industrialized urban centers and became workers.

This book is clearly meant for the introductory survey level, hence its limited bibliography and lack of footnotes. While the bibliography is limited, many more studies were consulted in constructing this synthesis as evidenced by the acknowledgement section of the book and the footnoted acknowledgements at the beginning of each chapter.

Everyday Life and Politics in Nineteenth Century Mexico provides a much needed synthesis of nineteenth-century Mexico with an excellent balance of political economy, social and gender history that will surely become the de rigueur introductory survey for students of Mexican history in general and nineteenth-century Mexican history in particular.

This is actually one of the better studies of the gestation of Darwin's theory from his early travels and researches from the 1840's to the publication of Origin. The author brings out the way in which Darwin's thinking crystallized before he had the foundations of knowledge to put forth his thesis, and his hesitations, doubts, and uncertainties are clear from the record. In fact, the lack of evidence for his thesis was central to his difficulties. He was forced to argue not so much for the correct theory as the least objectionable one. And in fact, among other reasons due to the prodding of his sudden competitor Wallace he was forced to publish too soon. Lots of interesting details from Darwin's notebooks, a useful and cogent study.

No problem has given rise to more disagreement among economists than that of economic and social change. Is it a mechanical static concept concerned mainly with economic equilibrium, or an evolutionary dynamic, one concerned with growth, development, and expansion? Hamilton argues that how one answers this question is the fundamental point of difference between classical economics and evolutionary or institutional economics. Hamilton defines classical economists as all those in the economic mainstream, from Adam Smith to John Maynard Keynes, and institutional economists as only those who are followers of Thorstein Veblen. He traces the origin and development of the two points of view by showing how economists have dealt with the problem of change since the time of Smith. He discusses the Newtonian and Darwinian frames of references: change and human nature, change and social organization, and change and progress. For Hamilton, economics as a science is part of a continuum with the other social sciences, one capable of incorporating the major sociological, as well as the economic issues of the twentieth century. It is in theories of dynamics, he charges, that the classical theoretical structure is without foundation, because it accepts a mechanical and essentially static concept instead of a cumulative cultural outlook.

In reviewing Evolutionary Economics, in The Economic Journal, S. G. Checkland said that it should be read as a vigourous attempt to relate economic to general thinking and as a challenge to those who are practitioners of elaborators of narrowly prescribed techniques. The work is of particular interest to social scientists interested in economic development, where the static concepts of conventional theory seem least applicable and where an adequate concept of social and economic change is vital.
--- from book's back cover

In 1845, with war with Mexico immanent, the US government authorized three expeditions to explore the boundary territory between the two countries: two of them were relatively famous (Kearny's survey along the Oregon Trail to South Pass and Fremont's expedition to California), but the third (Abert's exploration of the Canadian River in New Mexico, the Texas panhandle, and Oklahoma) was much less known; this interesting and well-annotated book is the official report of that expedition.

Leaving Bent's Fort near the end of August, with the legendary Thomas Fitzpatrick acting as guide, the command of about 30 men made their way through Raton Pass, then southeast to the Ute River, which they followed to where it enters the Canadian near present-day Logan. Turning east, the men marched through the Canadian River Valley across the panhandle of Texas, where Abert reiterated Stephen Long's opinion that this part of the West was a "great American desert." Fearing the Indians at first, Abert writes of pleasant, friendly encounters with the Kiowas and Comanches. After making an unintended detour when the North Fork of the Red was mistaken for the Wichita River, the party got back on course again and by the third week in October had reached their destination of Fort Gibson in eastern Oklahoma.

Abert was a clear, observant writer, and he describes much of the natural scenery encountered, including plant and animal life; he also writes intriguing accounts of the Indians and traders he met along the way. H. Bailey Carroll's excellent and detailed annotations made for the 1941 reprint (which this version copies) are a chief highlight of the book. The only things wanting in this book are good, detailed maps (only one rather cursory map is included). But as an early first-hand description of this part of the country, Abert's official report is magnificent.

These are reprints of the observations of The Marvelous Country: Samuel Cozzens' accounts of his experiences in New Mexico and Arizona Territories during the mid-1850s. My review of that book is lengthy and every word of it applies to this one as well.
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The Cozzens experience describes an ancient land during the final years before discoveries of gold, Apache wars, the Civil War and a focus of interest from California and the east changed it forever. He visited Zuni, Acoma, Laguna, Mesilla, Tucson and Sacaton and describes them as they'd never be seen again. He saw the Zuni Mountains as an old-growth forest. He met and stayed spent a long while in the Apache camp of Cochise, where he had dealings with Mangas Colorado.
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I love reading Cozzens because I love history and I love the southwest. If those interest you, even a little, I believe you'll love reading him as much as I do.

In "Explorers in Eden," Jerold S. Auerbach, professor of history at Wellesley College, provides an insightful and critical account of the complex relationships between "explorers"--anthropologists, artists, photographers, and entrepreneurs--and the Pueblo Indians of New Mexico and Arizona from John Wesley Powell and Frank Hamilton Cushing at the end of the 19th century to the students of Franz Boas--Ruth Benedict, Ruth Bunzel, and Esther Schiff Goldfrank in the 1920s and 1930s. This followed by a chapter on the more recent feminist scholars who have found "inspirational models among their female predecessors, and grist for their gendered critique of American society" (p. 145). In an Epilogue Auerback places himself among the "explorers." This is an important and provocative book. While there are other explorers Auerbach might have considered, what he has chosen to do he does with wit and grace and, above all, a clearer sense of these encounters in a larger historical framework than any student of the Pueblos has attempted before.

"Los Ojos del Tejedor: The Eyes of the Weaver" is a wonderful regional story based on the author's youth. She is a descendent of the Ortega family of Chimayo. The Ortega family has been weaving in the small, rural community of Chimayo for more than eight generations and the quality of their rugs and blankets is well known. They own a store in Chimayo and in several other locations where their Hispanic style rugs and blankets are sold in many sizes. Chimayo is a mountain community north of Santa Fe best known for the Santuario de Chimayo, an old adobe church pilgrims flock to for its miracles of healing and tourists visit as a fine, historical example of New Mexico adobe churches.

This book beautifully describes Hispanic traditions and the importance of teaching the children these skills. Ten year old Cristina loves going to her grandparents' house, but she is particularly nervous about this trip. She knows that she is going to spend a week there to learn how to weave and is filled with anxiety over weaving as well as her grandfather, and she doesn't speak Spanish as well as she'd like. Her mother suggests that her cousin, who speaks better Spanish, should join her and their grandparents, and that makes Cristina feel more confident about her visit.

This delightful book moves beyond learning to weave on the loom. Cristina weaves in her own memories of Hispanic culture through other activities during this visit. Spanish words and phrases are sprinkled as regional seasoning, adding depth to the flavor of her story. A glossary of these words is found at the back to help non-Spanish speakers navigate their way through this book. Phrases are translated in the text of the book. In addition to stumbling with her grandfather's Spanish, she also picks regional vegetables from the garden and cooks traditional New Mexican foods, which also contributes to the fullness of the text.

The illustrations add a lot to the text. They are done in a "painterly" syle common among the works of the early Taos painters, supporting both the regional and historic feel of this book. The book does a beautiful and complete job of representing the New Mexico Hispanic culture and is a must for anyone who wants to learn more about this subject. But in addition to the social studies lesson, this book is about families and how they relate to one another. It is a personal story about a child's belonging to her family and rising up to their expectations with love and compassion.

This collection of correspondance between Pound and Cutting gives insight into the FDR era and the creativity that pervades it. Drs. Walkiewicz and Witemeyer should be commended for their meticulous research into the scene and political movements that still affect America today. One can not overlook the power of personality and friendships. Allegiances were so strong that formal political connections pale in comparison to the effect Pound had on the day.