Oklahoma Books

The roadrunner is an icon of the Southwest so you'd think there would be many studies out on the roadrunner already - but it's one of the least understood and rarely receives individual examination. Here to correct that deficit is THE REAL ROADRUNNER, a guide to the behavioral patterns of the bird. Martha Maxon is a retired zoologist and environmental consultant who grew up in southern Texas: her assembly of literature and science about the roadrunner come from years of personal observation and research and provide a scholarly yet accessible survey.

Edited by professor Albert L. Hurtado, Reflections on American Indian History: Honoring the Past, Building a Future is an anthology of five essays by American Indian history scholars discussing key themes of Native history. The five crucial forces contemplated are Indian identity, tribal acknowledgment, sovereignty, oral tradition, and cultural adaptation. A vibrant revelation of Native history continues to impact Native life to this day, written and presented in plain terms for readers of all backgrounds, and especially recommended for college libraries and Native History course reading lists. "...for most tribes, the blood quantum limitation will either markedly decline or be eliminated. Indeed, conversations with tribal enrollment agents indicate that since growing numbers of current tribal members' children currently are ineligible for enrollment, most tribes who still retain a one-quarter minimal blood quantum now are reconsidering their requirements. Some tribes have attempted to increase blood quantums, and others oppose lowering blood quantum restrictions for economic reasons, but they seem to be swimming against a rising tide of intermarriage that is unlikely to ebb."

This 1995 paperback, by David Cohen, honors the memory of 149 men and women and 19 children murdered in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995 when the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building was attacked.

Since the 119-page book's July 1995 publication, questions have been raised as to possible connections between this devastating 1995 attack and the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Concerning those, one can consult The Final Report on the Bombing of The Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building April 19, 1995--conducted by the private Oklahoma Bombing Investigation Committee organized by Oklahoma State Representative Charles Key and Jayna Davis' more recent book, The Third Terrorist.

The Grand Jury which indicted Timothy McVeigh, along with "others unknown," including at least one subpoenaed Jordanian suspect, who had fled. The "others" were never found.

This book is a fine memorial for the victims, and its proceeds from its sale were donated to the family of victims.

Because there are many tribes with only a few books written about them, and over 170 tribes with no books written on their cultures and histories, and many other tribes that have completely disappeared from this earth, Dr. Hale feels it is imperative for the remaining tribes to start assembling tribal histories as soon as possible. Many of the elders who can give valuable information will not be around much longer. This book covers the reasons for writing tribal histories, the choice of subjects for such a study, and a wealth of resources for the search of material. Complete guidelines, and helpful suggestions abound from the selection of the subjects to the printing and publishing of a manuscript. A very useful book!

Volume 216 in the outstanding University of Oklahoma Press "The Civilization of the American Indian Series", Rifles, Blankets, And Beads: Identity, History, And The Northern Athapaskan Potlatch by Northern Athapaskan Native American culture expert William E. Simeone is an impressive presentation and analysis of the Northern Athapaskan potlatch, a Native American tradition in which the hosts have a party for the specific purpose of giving their possessions as presents to their guests, while accepting no gifts in return, and keep very little for themselves. The role of the potlatch in promoting societal cohesiveness, in curbing greed and excess, in encouraging familial and tribal cooperation, and a great deal more is carefully scrutinized in this intriguing study. Rifles, Blankets, And Beads is a welcome and valued contribution to any personal or academic Native American Studies collection.

This is one of a small number of reports on individual Maya archaeological sites that is written for laypeople as well as fans of the Maya. Rio Azul was a riverside city of the ancient Maya located in the forested lowland corner of Guatemala next to Mexico and Belize. The book is an excellent introduction to the format and reasoning of archaeological reports, but in this popular summary of his findings, Adams, who directed mapping and excavation a decade ago, digests all the numbing lists of basic data and highlights the most interesting discoveries. (If new to the Maya, follow the author's advice [Preface] and read his stirring conclusions first.) In his early chapters Adams ably shows how insights and broad implications can be drawn from simple facts by analysis and wide comparisons. He explores his favorite topics like architecture, pottery, tomb ritual, wetland agriculture, population estimation, and rank-size ordering of sites for determining political relations. He has long championed military explanations for ancient Maya events and the rise and fall of their cities, a useful counterpoise to the euphoria over Maya religion and personalities generated by the recent decipherment of Maya hieroglyphics. Strong on comparisons with the regional capital, famous Tikal, to the west, Adams almost ignores the extensive investigations across the river in Belize which he has since led! (This book seems to have been about 5 years in publication.)

Other than six color plates, 60 illustrations are slightly fuzzy because they are printed on ordinary paper. The index is terrible. A completely different way of presenting a Maya city, which looks an awful lot like Rio Azul, can be enjoyed in the oversize pictorial book of fictionalized history titled San Rafael: A Central American City Through the Ages, by Xavier Hernandez.

This book by Melissa Pflug is an excellent investigation of Odawa culture done before the 2005 establishment of the sovereign nation for the Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians. Dr. Pflug is an original researcher and informed writer.

A great story. I found it to be a very unique and insightful. The story was fun, light hearted, and yet serious. It was a very quick read. I found I just wanted to keep reading. It would make a great edition to any high school reading list. Another good addition for a high school reading list is Road To College, also by Kathryn L. Krueger.

This book is currently being updated. I eagerly await the new editon. Topographic lines are on all maps. Section with township and range are very usefull and not on competitor altas maps. I havc all but worn my copy out. Extremely usefull when dispatching a crew to a site. No other state road atlas series can compare!

The corpse of an unidentified drifter is taxidermied and passed off as John Wilkes Booth to paying tourists. A con artist convinces an entire town to plan a big reception for a coming circus, makes off with hundreds of dollars in ticket sales, and the townsfolk after realizing the circus was a hoax, celebrate anyway and begin a tradition that continues to the present day. The sole survivor of a notorious outlaw gang moves to Hollywood and socializes with cowboy movie stars. This book is filled with such stories, hundreds of them. The age of rioting and looting Indians, ramshackle buggy rides through the wilderness, mobs of thousands bidding on ridiculously underpriced real estate which already belongs to others, public executions, Messiah scares, genocide, and the like is brought vividly and frustratingly to life. This book is like a cross between Tom Robbins' outrageous humor and Italo Calvino's novel, Invisible Cities. And all of it, every droll word, is true. 'Beliveve it or not,' as the man said.

I would recommend this book not only to Oklahoma history buffs, but also to people who enjoy more fantastical fiction such as Gabriel Garcia Marquez, even to those with only marginal interest in Oklahoma at all.