Southwest Books

Lawrence was a good traveller in these parts and he spent a lot of time carefully observing the Indians he met along the way. He was particularly interested in the ways of thought of the Indians and their religious beliefs and the ways their ideas differed from yours and mine. On simple concepts like time and distance, for example: "To an Indian, time is a vague, foggy reality. There are only three times: en la manana (morning); en la tarde (afternoon); en la noche (night). But to the white monkey (you and me) there are exact spots of time, such as five o'clock and half past three." The Indian's concept of God was different from ours. "With the Indians...there is strictly no god. The Indian does not consider himself as created and therefore external to God, or the creature of God. There is, in our sense of the word, no God. But all is godly. There is no great mind directing the universe. Yet the mystery of creation, the wonder and fascination of creation shimmers in every leaf and stone... There is no God looking on. The only God there is is involved all the time in the dramatic wonder and inconsistency of creation. God is immersed, as it were, in creation, not to be separated or distinguished. There can be no ideal God." Lawrence does a wonderful job of digging into this exotic culture and explaining to us the significance of Indian rituals and dances. I particularly liked one of his statements: "The Indian is completely immersed in the wonder of his own drama." There is also a lovely example of descriptive travel writing in "Market Day", a chapter that makes you slow down your reading pace to savor the beautiful descriptions of small things like a bird's flight or flowers in a doorway. I guess this is the difference between reading and information-processing, which we do so much of today.

D.H. Lawrence writes like a painter would write were he to. What is most real in the writings of Lawrence is the physical world, and of course the body. Mornings in Mexico is really a slight work but with a charm to it. There is a relating of facts (especially about Indian life and thought) that you would expect from a travel piece but the charm is in the kind of easy sauntering pace that the narrative keeps. That feeling that it is vacation time and there really is no hurry. The house he lives in for his stay in Mexico and the surrounding markets and open fields in which he walks and the balcony he stands on in the morning with parrot are all pleasantly described. It feels like a place you want to be. The way time away should feel. There is a slight mournful air to the fact that the Americans are beginning to spoil the place, it is as if the Americans have brought that intruder time itself into this timeless land. It's not so much the details you will remember as the overall feel of the work. And Lawrence himself. And here he seems at ease, searching as always but not desperately so, which is a nice Lawrence to spend time with.

I like this book. Whether you live in Texas or not, it is very helpful for recording things such as temperature, weather, what you planted, what succeeds, etc. I date my entries so I can add from year to year and compare. I bought one for a relative living in Tennessee, as I already have two I purchased previously for myself.

I have used this journal for five years. It is so helpful to be able to review past successes and failures. It is divided into 4 weeks per month so each week actually is a bit longer than 7 days. The book includes information on plants, climate and has helpful hints as you move through the year. It is well worth the search to get one of these out of print journals.

I always knew this area of the Southwest was beautiful, based on my limited firsthand experience. Reading this guidebook makes me want to go back and explore more of the places I missed. Mr. White's use of the language evokes not only the beauty of the area but offers fascinating bits of information about the geology and origins of the places described. Guidebooks are used to guide, obviously, but this one, thanks to Mr. White, also illuminates and entertains. Mr. Huey's photography is first-rate. Highly recommended.

This is one of a series of books provided by National Geographic featuring the famous and lesser-known, less traveled parks in the United States. The series is divided into regions and provides invaluable information about accommodations, trails, activities, optimal times of travel, etc. Don't plan a trip without perusing these books!

Fantastic book which includes beautiful photos of what the dishes should look like -- a must for cooks new to this genre of ethnic cooking. A lot of the recipes were similar to South American and Hispanic dishes, so it wasn't as "different" or difficult as I might have thought. All of the recipes were easy to follow -- and my guests just loved them. I highly recommend getting this book!

I was hunting for a recipe of Indian Frybread because we'd eaten it up at the Makah Nation's summer celebration & wanted some at home. I found Native American Cooking: Foods of the Southwest Indian Nations & gave my Southwest-raised Webmaster a palatable surprise.

I also tried Pozole because hominy has such a primal aroma & flavor - incredible & so simple! We do not, of course, eat anywhere near as elegantly as the photos which present Cornsicles, Arrowheads of Blue Cornmeal Gnocchi or Lamb Stuffed Chiles or Cactus Pad Salad with Fiery Jalapeno Dressing. However, Hohoise Ice or Prickly Pear Ice refresh us up here in our plain bowls just as well!

The Adobe Bread was heavenly, the Dandelion Salad with Mustard Greens Vinaigrette was energizing & the Picuris Indian Bread Pudding with Apricot Sauce - dreamy! What I liked the most was bringing home the sights, smells, tastes & textures of a sunburned country & its people - both in the ingredients I hunted up & Lois Ellen Frank's book.

For a taste of the American Southwest & a glimpse into what has sustained healthy & contented generations, I heartily recommend this one - the recipes work & can easily be adapted to wherever you happen to have settled.

The Native American Indian Artist Directory is simply terrific. I have used it to find several artists and what a wonderful experience. To be able to speak with the artist directly and arrange to meet with them personally has provided experiences that will be remembered for a lifetime.

The book itself has chapters on various pueblo and tribal groups with a brief overview of each group. Several artists are mentioned in this section along with general directions to get to the area. Sometimes special events are mentioned and ideas about visiting are offered.

The idea of being able to contact a Native artist directly, without having to go through a gallery or trading post, offers you a chance to get to know the artist on a personal level. When you buy your art or craftwork you can ask specific questions about the meaning of certain symbols or of the work itself. The artist can also tell you about his technique, his motivation, his interests, etc. As the book says, you have a chance to make a friend for a lifetime. And, if you're lucky, you may arrive at just the right time to have some excellent frybread, horno bread, or other wonderful native food. Overall, a great opportunity!

The book is well indexed, with all artists listed alphabetically in the back, by name and tribal affiliation. It was very current, but I understand that you may find some artists have moved, changed phone numbers or added e-mail or web sites that may not be in the book.

This directory has everything you need to find the Indian artist you're looking for. It's extremely useful, lising artists in alphabetical order in the index and grouped together by tribal affiliation in the book chapters. If you're thinking about buying Indian art of any kind you NEED this book. Whether it's Indian jewelry, pottery, paintings, baskets, rugs, kachinas, fetishes,masks or any number of hand-made Native American items you're looking for - someone who makes them is in this book. It is the only directory I've found anywhere that lists this many artists and provides mailing addresses, phone numbers and even e-mail and web sites for some. It is current - the numbers I called were correct and up-to-date!

There is also some information about various tribal groups and a few helpful hints about buying Native art.

And the price makes it a real bargain. This book should more than pay for itself with your first purchase.

In 1928, Aileen O'Bryan recorded the narration of Sandoval, Hastin Tlo'tsi hee (Old Man Buffalo Grass), then "first chief of the four chiefs of the Navaho People." His nephew Sam Ahkeah acted as interpreter. This book was originally published in 1956 as "The Dine: Origin Myths of the Navaho Indians," by the U.S. Government Printing Office, as Bulletin 163 of the Bureau of American Ethnology of the Smithsonian Institution. As this transcription is both authentic and poetic, I recommend it to the general reader as well as the scholar.

This book is very enlighting on the myths and belifs of the American Idian and their cultural beliefs.

A very dynamic people and culture that has survived a long enduring time of trials. The "white man" taking over their lands and alienating them from the very soil they sewed for hundreds of years.

Mystical beliefs, omens and the rverence of the people in their communities and how everyone was imprtant to the whole.

THis is book is a beautiful example of what makes the Native American people so special, unique and strong. Read it!

Also available in a hard cover edition (1890689490, $39.95), Navajo And Pueblo Earrings 1850-1945: Collected By Robert V. Gallegos by Robert Bauver (a dedicated collector, expert and scholar of Southwestern jewelry for more than thirty years) is a photographic and descriptive showcase presented especially for collectors and aficionados of Navajo and Pueblo jewelry. Full-color photographs and extensive text entries for over 300 pairs of earrings allow the reader to experience the masterwork and subtlety in Navajo and Pueblo creations as surely as if seeing them in person. A brief introduction and history of Navajo and Pueblo earrings rounds out this respectful collection.

Both a historic overview of the Southwestern Native American earrings and descriptions of many individual pieces are done by an authority in the field. In the historical section, Bauver relates characteristics of different periods over the century covered, methods of production, and occasionally certain influential individuals. By the late 1870s, a change from the "annular [ring-shaped] concept of earrings" to the now widely-familiar "pyro-form-shaped drops of silver" had begun. With each of the nearly 50 sets of earrings or single ones pictured in color Bauver writes short essays usually of a couple of hundred words--more than annotations or captions--which are informative to points such as materials and craftsmanship; e. g., "Close examination of the three remaining hoops reveals that they are of native worked copper; each hoop clearly shows evidence of the repeated hammer blows that shaped the metal into a thin, elongated rod that was subsequently formed into a hoop." The 1945 date for the end of the period is somewhat arbitrary, except for marking the end of the Second World War when the Southwest became a popular tourist and retirement area, and commercialization set into the making of the attractive earrings in a significantly larger scale than it had in the preceding decades.

Navajo Nation Peacemaking: Living Traditional Justice is an anthology of essays offering insights from individuals who have served within the Navajo Judicial Branch and practiced the restorative justice program of Navajo peacemaking, as well as articles by other scholars, including Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, offering a comparative perspective. Navajo peacemaking has earned renown as a "horizontal system of justice", in which all participants are treated as equals with the foremost mission of preserving ongoing relationships and restoring harmony. There is no coercion, no "sides", no labels of plaintiff or defendant. Essays discuss the history of Navajo peacemaking, its concepts and practices, assessments of the model, and conclusions as to what can be learned from this system of justice. Especially recommended for legal philosophy shelves, as the ideas within contain the potential to reform and revolutionize flaws in modern mainstream culture dispute resolution systems, whether on a governmental or private level.

Navajo Nation Peacemaking: Living Traditional Justice is an anthology of essays offering insights from individuals who have served within the Navajo Judicial Branch and practiced the restorative justice program of Navajo peacemaking, as well as articles by other scholars, including Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, offering a comparative perspective. Navajo peacemaking has earned renown as a "horizontal system of justice", in which all participants are treated as equals with the foremost mission of preserving ongoing relationships and restoring harmony. There is no coercion, no "sides", no labels of plaintiff or defendant. Essays discuss the history of Navajo peacemaking, its concepts and practices, assessments of the model, and conclusions as to what can be learned from this system of justice. Especially recommended for legal philosophy shelves, as the ideas within contain the potential to reform and revolutionize flaws in modern mainstream culture dispute resolution systems, whether on a governmental or private level.

You can see the desert through the somewhat more genteel environmentalism of Joseph Wood Krutch, the early crusading of Aldo Leopold, or the anarcho-environmentalism of Ed Abbey.

Desert treks? The eight-year struggle for survival of Cabeza de Vaca, the humorous inflated yards, with seriousness behind them, of James Ohio Pattie, and more, are in here.

The literary west? With emphases on different aspects of it? Dryland concerns of both Mary Austin and Wallace Stegner are featured, as is a selection from one of Tony Hillerman's American Indian-based murder mysteries or D.H. Lawrence's Taos-influenced reverie.

If you aren't yet sure why the desert enchants so many, or if your sense of enchanting needs refreshing, this needs to be in your hands.

The New Desert Reader is a 384-page collection of informed and informative writings about the American Southwest that show how perceptions of the great American deserts have changed over time. First Dreamers is a chapter that explores ancient legends of the Tohono O'Odham Indians,; it is followed by Two Dreams Meet, taken from a narrative by Cabeza de Vaca. Among additional authors whose writings are included are, Dean and Lucille Saxton, William L. Manley, Horace Greeley, John Wesley Powell, Clarence E. Dutton, Mary Austin, D. H. Lawrence, Aldo Leopold, Wallace Stegner, Ann Zwinger, Tony Hillerman, and Peter Wild himself. All share a viewpoint and an experience of the desert, and those thoughts its aridity causes to flower. The shift in attitude is really more of a circle, a coming home to the notion that the desert is perhaps a type of sacred space to be cultivated and respected, rather than a despicable environment to be used and abused. The desert is a great teacher, perhaps, is one conclusion, if we are ready for the lesson, and if we survive it. A number of black and white pen drawing illustrations enrich the text. They are taken from a variety of historical sources acknowledged in the book. As an example of the later writers, Joseph Wood Krutch writes in "God's Hand in the Sky:" ""If what I find in the desert is no example to be imitated, it suggests a metaphor...it is .. the kind of thing I learn from an essay by Emerson or a poem by Emily Dickinson... I shall not forget its lesson: much can be lacking in the midst of plenty; on the other hand, where some things are scarce others, no less desirable, may abound (pages 232-233)." The New Desert Reader brings together diverse writers' thoughts about the desert over time. Like a prism, it yields a rainbow of experiences to be distilled by the reader.

The author of this book, Ty Cashion, is a writer with a flair for storytelling. This book is historical in nature, woven together with stories and photographic accounts of the events depicted. I bought it for my father-in-law who loves the FW area, and couldn't resist turning page after page as I previewed it for him. This book makes an excellent coffee table book because you can just pick it up and browse anywhere and find interesting stories and pictures. It also would make a nice gift, as it did in my case. I recommend it highly to anyone with an interest in Ft. Worth or Texas contemporary history. Every local business should have a copy in their reception room!

Biased as I am, because I know Ty and have a few of my photos in the book, I found the book a great storehouse of information on my hometown, Fort Worth, Texas. The New Frontier is a large "coffee table" book that was painstakingly researched, well written and packed with information not readily available from any other sources.