New Mexico Books

This is a beautiful book with stunning colour lithographs,line engravings and halftone engravings. The paper quality is superb and the colours in the lithos is deep and true. The colour plates & line drawings are by the author. I have rarely seen anything as stunning on this subject. Of course musch of the anthropological and historic information is outdated.

In his new book, Indian Country, Sacred Ground, Native People, photographer and writer John Annerino has once again captured the spirit, history and beauty of the American West. Traveling through the sacred land of the Navajo, Hopis, Apache and Pagago people, Annerino bears witness to the majesty, mystery and the spiritual magnificence of this land. His photographs capture awesome vistas and mountain ranges as well as Native ceremonies. He "sees" the light of this land in a way that conveys the deep emotional and spiritual attachement he has to both it and it's people and his words express and explan the history and beliefs of the areas tribes with respect and reverence. This is trully one of his finest works to date. Indian Country is a testament to the sacred history of the West and a lesson that these lands and traditions must be preserved and honored.

This is not a standard listing of Indian wars when describing what happened to the Native American Indians but what happened to them from the encroachment of several nations. The Americans, British, Spanish and French all had effects on the natives creating different policies and treaties. The book starts from the end of the French Indian War when the French become neutralized opening westward expansion. But the book delves immediately into the Spanish attempts to conquer the west particularly Texas, New Mexico and California. Using missions and the Catholic Church to create Missions or Presidios, the Spanish make attempts to subjugate the natives by forcing their religion on them and virtually making them slaves. Many tribes withdraw into the interior and the effects of disease are devastating reducing the populations tremendously. Hurt notes the enterprising trading of the Chinooks and how they were able to deal with the multiple cultures of Europeans. The author notes that Jefferson originated the plan to move natives west of the Mississippi. President Jackson manipulated breaking treaties on technical grounds arguing that State's rights could nullify Federal treaties forcing the removal of the Creeks, Choctaws, and Cherokees. Chickasaw and others. Fascinating that the author pinpoints how government leaders created divisions between full bloods and mixed bloods and among the splinter groiups of tribes to get legal signings that did not always represent the majority. Also, the author speaks of the attempts at confederation of several tribes such as the Shawnees, Miamis, Delewares, Wyandots, and Ottawas etc. to defeat white expansion. Success is shocking initially to the Americans as General Arthur St. Clair's army suffers a far worse defeat casualty wise than Custer's troop as he loses 623 dead and 250 wounded in 1791. Inevitably, the flourishing attempts of resistance are put down requiring natives to move further west causing their own conflicts with the plains Indians. In addition, the book covers accounts of tribes in conflict such as the Comanche who fought the Apache and the some unique forms of tolerance. An example is the New Mexicans tolerated the Comanche raiding Mexico for horses passing through New Mexico as long as the Comanche didn't attack them. Certainly stressed Mexican and American relations. Gruesome account of how the Mexican government attempted to use rewards fostering professional scalp hunters to eradicate the Apache who preyed on their undermanned frontier. This book sets the course of understanding how the natives were force to move or in some cases eradicated due to disease from white contact. This is an excellent book for a platform into the Plains Indian conflicts.

What a find. This is a small book, but I think anyone who makes pots would value it for life. The author, Toni, outlines the entire, traditional process of making Pueblo pottery. And I mean, she starts with collecting the clay and adding grog and goes all the way through the wood-buring, smoke firing process that produces those wonderful black, burnished pots!

She takes you through the process to create just ONE black pot, which turns out to be a prize-winner! There are lots of pictures throughout that show the pot during various stages and the text gives pretty detailed information on the process. She does leave out some things, maybe assuming the reader already knows them, but you could probably create your own Pueblo pot using this book.

I found the description of burnishing using slip to be most valuable, as well as the firing process, which I'd never seen before.

I highly recommend this to potters, especially handbuilders who use the coil method to build pots.

Polly's book is great in that it tells not only about the rock art and the styles but also tells about the cultures that have created it. I have a small rock art tour company in central Utah, and have read both this book and Rock Art of Utah. They are both great and have been a great help to me in my field.

With friendship, comes sharing the burden of the friend. "Inherited Sins" is a moving tale of Reverend Fletcher and his relationship with Johnnie Marie. Together they hoist their collective burden, Fletcher of his loss of his son, and Marie of her dark past and horrible relationship with her father. The strength they gain through each other is inspiring and prove that sometimes secrets are worth revealing. "Inherited Sins" is a solid story, sure to touch readers and pull at their heart strings.

THE INSIDERS' GUIDE TO SANTA FE is a great book about Northern New Mexico. It describes different towns where you can relocate, explains the rules of the road and other essentials, points out where the best shopping and dining are, and tells you where places of worship may be found. Radio stations change formats like the weather, so information in this area that was correct when this book was written might now have to be taken like the humor in such movies/TV shows as FRIENDS, 13 GOING ON 30, DRIVE ME CRAZY, HARVARD MAN, WHAT I LIKE ABOUT YOU, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, THE SWEETEST THING, SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE, AMERICAN WEDDING, THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELLING PANTS, MY BEST FRIEND'S WEDDING, and GARFIELD: A TALE OF TWO KITTIES, but this is a minor quibble, as the general quality of the book is superb.

"Hurtado tackles two of the thorniest of historical subjects--frontiers and sexuality. That he does so with good research, style, and wit makes this an enthralling, sophisticated study." (Anne Butler, JOURNAL OF AMERICAN HISTORY)
INTIMATE FRONTIERS "is a truly masterful piece of history that reveals the significance of gender and sexuality in the American West and further proves the importance of the West to the study of American history in general. The book will prove valuable in U.S. survey, women's history, and American West classes as well as popular among more casual readers of history." (Margaret Jacobs, AMERICAN HISTORICAL REVIEW)
"In INTIMATE FRONTIERS Hurtado has pushed discussions of gender and culture in the Borderlands toward a new level of sophistication." (Dedra S. McDonald, NEW MEXICO HISTORICAL REVIEW)
"INTIMATE FRONTIERS, intended for stuidents and the general reader, does a masterful job of explaining in clear, jargon-free language, the theoretical keystones of contemporary gender scholarship. Hurtado's selection of vivid vignettes regarding the Donner Party, Olive Oatman's captivity, and Amelia Kuschinsky's abortion will engage readers." (Sherry L. Smith, WESTERN HISTORICAL QUARTERLY)

I have always been a Jack London fan. However, every one of his stories has long since been read and reread by me and millions of others out there. Now, we have something new to hold onto, even if it is for just a short time. Thank you Gary and Tom for giving me Jack London once again. Perhaps one of you could sign the book for me sometime. What a pleasure. Thank you for intriguing mind-blowing stories. Jack grabs you once again and throws you, (not takes you,) into the very heart of the story.

The Jailing of Cecilia Capture is a well-written novel that addresses the themes of home, purpose, family, struggles, and foremost identity. Hale writes the story without distracting the reader with anything that isn't needed. Of primary interest to native american readers, such as myself, this work looks at a character, who like so many of us, is trying to balance the past with the present, being native with trying to make a living in American society. The way Cecilia Capture stumbles through her identity and difficulties, and somehow manages a precarious balance that works is a valuable lesson in "seeking life". I highly recommend this book to native readers, and to non-Indians who wish to get a glimpse of some of the challenges we natives are faced with. It is also a book with a great independent woman character, who is portrayed in a realistic and appreciable way.