Native American

Good Morning!

 Hope that you are all doing very, very well on this beautiful day of 9 October 2007!  Today I thought I’d open up the discussion to talk about a part of our books that is quite a natural offshoot of that gorgeous hunk that we see on the covers of our books, and that gorgeous, wonderful man that we married.

Often today when we think of family, we might consider it in terms of our immediate family, that is, our husband/wife, children, mother, father, brothers, sisters, grandparents.  Many of us might even think of family only in terms of husband/wife, children, since that is where we live and where our attention is directed so much of the time.  Here’s some of my direct family:

My wonderful husband in an oh, so romantic pose and my son-in-law, Patrick; daugher, Alyssa; and daughter, Trina

 But today, I thought I’d share with you the Native American concept of family…and sometimes, you might even say clan.   In Native America, the immediate family consisted not only of one’s children, husband/wife, sisters or brothers, etc., it also composed of anyone related no matter how distantly.  That is to say:  uncles, aunts, nephews, nieces, cousins (no matter how distant).  In fact, anything that could be traced to a shared ancestor was considered one’s immediate family.   It also included special relationships — adoption, god-children, etc.

Here’s some of my more of my immediate family:

From left to right — niece and her husband, Mike, me, mother-in-law, Joyce; grand-niece, Rosena and of course, my husband.  Then next picture is my brother, Jim and his wife; my nephew Kurt and his wife; brother-in-law, Bob and last picture is my nephew Greg and his wife.

Then we have my extended family:

From left to right Samantha (sitting) and Patricia combing her nieces hair; next picture Grandfather George & me; next picture Pat, Patricia and me; next picture my god-grandchildren, Tiara and Chase. 

As a matter of fact, most tribes were really clans of a sort, almost all were related and hunted and camped together.  In those tribes where there were distinct clans, one was never permitted to marry inside his or her own clan, no matter how distantly related.

It was the break up of the extended family that probably, more than any other factor, percepitated the downfall of the Native American culture in the latter part of the 19th Century and early 20th Century.  The Dawes Act in the late 19th Century contributed greatly to this, by redefining the definition of “family” to mean only husband/wife and children, and then granting land to only one’s “immediate” family.  It struck at the root of Native American culture.

Which brings me to the topic that I thought we might discuss today.  First, I’d love to hear about your family and how your family is doing in this, our modern world.  And second (and this might be slightly controversial) do you, in your opinion, believe that we, like the Native American of the late 19th Century, have our very roots under attack today?  By roots, I mean the traditional family unit.  Some say yes, some say no.  What is your opinion?

So come on in and join our discussion.

Good morning bloggers!

 Okay, did the title wake you up yet?  If not, stay tuned.  We’re going to have a look at some of those hunky men on the covers of our books.  As you might know already — or at least suspect — all of my books are about the historical American Indian.  And some of the men on those covers are incredibly good-looking.  And since I don’t have access to others’ covers, if you will bear with me, we will examine some of my own.

This is a past book — or as we like to say — an older title.  Orginally part of the Blackfoot Warrior series, this cover quickly became one of my favorites.  The model is Joseph Anselmo — and isn’t he delicious?

Then we have another cover — again with Joseph Anselmo and again part of the Blackfoot Warrior series — an older title.  The interesting thing about this particular cover is that when it first came out, I was touring in Montana and was on the Blackfeet reservation for their Indian Days Pow-wow.  There is a fellow on the reservation who looks exactly like Joseph here — and I was fortunate enough to meet him.  

This was again one of my favorite covers.                                                    

Then we have a couple of very older titles — these are covers of my first books — LAKOTA SURRENDER was #1 and LAKOTA PRINCESS was #2.

The model for LAKOTA SURRENDER was John D’Salvo and the lady is Cindy
Guyer.

And then we have the most recent favorite cover — however, I don’t know the name of the model for this cover.  If anyone knows who this model is, please let me know. 

Absolutely handsome.  Of course I have other favorites, too.  Here’s one of my most prized, most favorite hunks of all time.

Well, it’s my favorite, although the man is not Native American.  Instead, it’s my husband, Paul.

At the time period when I write, the men were not only handsome — George Catlin describes them in 1834 as rivaling a Greek statue in physique — but there were other romantic values in place, as well.   Integrity, honor, honesty, undying devotion to family and to the tribe were uppermost.  A Jesuit monk once described the Hurons as a tribe of saints.  While I don’t know that I would go so far as to say that, I will agree that at this time in history, there were values of life and liberty that at times seem to be lost in our world nowadays.  And so I write about this time period in history with the hope of not only entertaining the reader, but bringing back to mind as vividly as possible a time when honor was respected above all else; when money meant nothing and when the land and the creatures upon it were free as the wind.

What’s your favorite cover?  Your favorite model?  Your favorite title?  I’d love to hear about them, and even more so, why they are your favorites.  So come on in and let’s talk.

Before we leave for the evening, I wanted to thank you all for joining me here today in our discussion of pow-wows. A special thanks goes to Buffie, AndreaW., Mary Connelly, Debbie, Tanya Hanson, and Lew Gordon for joining me, and of course a special thanks goes out to my fellow Western authors, Linda Broday, Lorraine, Charlene, Pam Crooks, Elizabeth Lane and Pat Potter, who have made the day special. I’ve enjoyed chatting with you all.

Be sure to join us tomorrow for more fun. more stories, and more chatting.

Ah-ho!

Good Morning!

In July, my huband and I spent three weeks on the Blackfeet reservation. We were there with church volunteers and my friend, Patricia, where we were sponsoring some literacy and drug education programs. Plus, last week we were on the Crow reservation where we were again working with volunteers. Therefore, I thought you might like to hear something about the pow-wow, both the historical pow-wow and modern-day event.

The pow-wow — so much a part of the Western landscape and culture — attracts visitors from all over the world.

What are they all about?

Okay, let’s start first with the history of the modern pow-wow. Probably the early beginnings of the modern pow-wow has its roots in the summer/autumn gathering of the tribe. During the winter and spring months, the tribe would separate in their different bands to go their own way, to hunt and to prepare for the coming winter. Spring was of course devoted to gathering food and hunting. But in the late summer or early autumn the entire tribe would come together for ceremonials and religious renewal, as well as for cultural activities. It was a chance for young people to get to know other young people from other bands of the tribe, as well as for relatives and old friends to come together again. Often the Sundance was an part of the gathering, as well.

Today, at the modern pow-wow, you’ll see Indian and non-Indian people from all over the country enjoying the community and inspiring atmosphere of the pow-wow. Before we go any furhter, let me explain some terminology: there are some tribes (like the Navajo), who like to be referred to as Native Americans. But on the Northern Plains of North American, those tribes like the Blackfeet and Lakota, these people prefer to be called Indian. As one person put it to me, “I’m Indian and proud of it.”

Here in Los Angeles we have such a diverse and large American Indian population that if you were to ever attend one of our pow-wows, you’ll notice traditions being observed from all over the country. For instance, here in Los Angeles we have Aztec dancers, something one doesn’t see in the more northern pow-wows.

In the northern pow-wow, you’ll see the men’s Chicken Dance, something you won’t see normally in the Los Angeles Pow-wow.

There is much dancing and gift giving at the modern pow-wow. All ages participate and there is contesting within the different men’s and women’s forms of dancing. There are several different styles of men’s dances as well as women’s dances, as well. At many of the pow-wows in the west, you’ll also see the modern rodeo in action with some different aspects like the Indian relay race and the tepee raising contests.

There are food ventors — Indian fry bread is popular at all pow-wow’s that I’ve attended — and Native American jewelry of all kinds abounds. At the Blackfeet pow-wow there is the hand game and card games that continue well into the wee hours of the morning and at the Crow Fair pow-wow, one is treated to the sight of 500 or more tepees all set in the background of the beautiful Little Big Horn area.

Have you ever been to a pow-wow? If so, what are your observations? Are you thinking of attending a pow-wow? And if so, do you have questions you’d like to ask before attending? I will be checking into the blog all day long, so let’s start a discussion. I’d love to hear from you.

Here are three of us at an LA pow-wow, resting between dances. Patricia, on the left is a Traditional dancer, while Elaine and I are Fancy Dance dancers. As a note, each particular style of dance has its own regalia.

And for your info, all people are welcomed at the pow-wow, and many a romance has been sparked at pow-wow, both the historical, as well as the modern day pow-wow.

So come on in and leave a comment or two. See you later!

A very good afternoon to all you bloggers! I will be your hostess tomorrow on Petticoats & Pistols and, since my husband and I have only returned from the Crow reservation, I thought that you might like to hear a little bit about Pow-wow’s in general — how they started, what they are, what happens at them, who can attend, where they are, who you might see there, what do you eat, etc.

Here is a picture taken of my husband and myself the Blackfeet Indian Days pow-wow in July of this year. In the picture, I’m wearing the Women’s Fancy Dance regalia. I look forward to talking to you tomorrow, so come and join me for a discussion of this, or any other topic of your choice, as well as a Q & A of pow-wow’s.

Cover art for RED HAWK’S WOMAN

Hello again!

It has been a real treat for me being the hostess for today’s blog.  I want to thank all those who left comments, and all those who visited and didn’t comment just yet.  In particular I’d like to thank Cathy Abernathy for her post, Jennifer Y and her delightful remembrances and Crystal Adkins, whose website is www.bookreviewsbycrystal.blogspot.com. 

It has been a complete delight getting to chat with you today.  Be sure to tune in tomorrow where we’ll be talking about all other kinds of happenings in the West.

In the meantime, Happy Trails!            

Good Afternoon bloggers!

 I want to thank Maria Lokken and Tanya Hansen for joining in our discussion this morning, as well as fellow author, Cheryl St. John.  Also a big vote of thanks go to Linda B and Jennifer Y for their comments from yesterday’s blog, as well as Elizabeth Lane — another fellow author.

Well, here I am, getting ready to mail off the revisions for my next book (due out in March 2008), THE LAST WARRIOR.  But before I go, I thought we might discuss the mustang and its importance to Native America.

As you know, before the Spanish arrived with their horses, the Spanish Barb, Native America didn’t have horses.  Instead, the American Indians made use of the dog.  It was the dog that transported their goods from one place to another, sometimes even transporting a baby.  Is it any wonder that some tribes honor the dog to this very day?

As Helen Addison Howard says in her book, AMERICAN FRONTIER TALES,   “(the mustang) completely changed the Indians’ nomadic life-style in hunting and war, in moving camp, in recreation, in trade, raised the owner’s social position, became a status symbol of wealth, and engendered a new standard of well-being.”

Because of its short stature, the mustang was often called a pony.  But that stature was deceiving.  The mustang was an intelligent animal with a stamina that became legend.  It was a mustang who won the 3,000 mile endurance test held in Arabia against the finest Arab horses in the land.  That pony, Hidalgo, was the 800 pound, 8 year old that won that race, even though the race was done was over loose sand, and  in a land where there was very little water.

Did you know that the movie, Hidalgo, was based on a true story?

Well, that’s all for now.  Again, I welcome all your insights into this and any other animal that’s in your life.

Good morning once again, bloggers!

Karen Kay here again.  I want to thank Denna and Stacey Kayne for writing their comments and for sharing their stories with us this morning.  Also I’d like to thank fellow authors Charlene and Linda Broday for sharing their comments with us this morning.

Okay, so the excerise is done — it was weights for me this morning — and as I sit here eating breakfast, I thought we’d talk some more about the hearty mustangs who so captured the heart of the West.

 Of course we owe our thanks for these intelligent animals to the Spanish — the word mustang comes from the Spanish word mesteno, meaning wild.  From Columbus to Hernando Cortez, every Spanish explorer or adventurer brought these animals to the New World. 

It was Hernando Cortez who brought them to us in 1519 –he had only sixteen horses, but of them Bernal Diaz (who was with Cortez) writes: “For after God, we owed the victory to the horses.”

But where did the Spanish get these hardy friends to man?

 Professor Walker D. Wyman writes:  (the Oriental horse) is known to have come into Mesopotamia from Persia about 2500 B.C., to Egypt from there in about 1700 B.C. and thence it spread over North Africa.”

Known in Africia as the Barbs — meaning that they were from the Barbary Coast — these breeds mixed with the Arab breed when the Arabs conquered areas of Africa — this was in about 647 A.D.

It was around 711 A.D. that the Moors — who were descendants of the Moroccans and Moslem Arabs — came to Spain, and for almost 800 years, the Moors held Spain hostage.  Now, when these Moors came to Spain, what were they riding?

You guessed it — the Barb-Arab mixed breed horse.

Okay, enough of ancient history.  In my next post, let’s bring the subject closer to present time and discuss how the horse influenced Native America.

  Hope to hear your comments on this and other things of interest, so please feel free to leave some comments, okay.  To the left, by the way, is the art work for my latest novel, RED HAWK’S WOMAN, a June release of this year.

Isn’t he gorgeous?  And does anyone know the name of this sexy young man?

Till later, then.

Good Morning Bloggers!

 Good morning and welcome to the Western Romance Author’s Blog.  I’m your host for today and the topic of discussion for today — and please do join in with me — is little known Western historical facts.

And today I thought we’d discuss the little horse that settled the West.  Of course I’m talking about the mustang.

The time period is 1863 and 28 year old Conrad Kohns — a Montana prospector — is carrying $5,000.00 worth of gold, with which he plans to buy some cattle for his butcher shop in Virginia City.  It is night, and he lets “Gray Billie,” a gray mustang whose long tail sweeps the ground, graze for the night.

Luckily Gray Billie wanders far that night and is rounded up by Fred Burr, a mixed blood herder who is hunting for wild ponies.  When Kohrs awakens, he goes in search of Gray Billie and finds him with Burr, who warns Kohrs that Dutch John and George Ives — who are notorious road agents (robbers), are looking for Kohrs.

Quickly Kohrs saddles his gray, but soon finds that sure enough Dutch John and George Ives have found him.  Riding into a stream with heavy bush around it, Kohrs unsaddles Gray Billie, throws off his blandets and throws away any heavy articles he carries.  Mounting his little stead once more, Kohrs sets out again for the mining town of Virginia City, with Dutch John and George Ives soon after him.

Upon Gray Billie’s speed depends not only Kohrs gold and his future, but his very life.

Hour upon hour Gray Billie gallops over the rolling plains of Montana, through sage and splashing through streams.

Kohrs later wrote, “In spite of the rapidity with which I traveled, each mile seemed like five.  Up and down hill I flew, clinging to my horse, fearing that each moment my pursuers were gaining on me and realizing that the breaking of the surcingle, a stumble of the horse would bring me to certain death.”

It was a long six hours later that Gray Billie finally raced to their destination.  Writes Helen Addison Howard in her book, AMERICAN FRONTIER TALES, “Although Gray Billie’s race will never be recorded in racing annals, the tough, swift pony won a race over a hazardous course of far greater importance to his master than the winning of the Kentucky Derby.”

Yep, these small, sure-footed little horses, with their long manes and their tails sweeping the ground, truly did help win the West.

Do you have a story you’d like to tell about a horse or a pet?  If you do, or if you’d just like to talk about something else, join in with our discussion.

It’s still fairly early here in Los Angeles.  I’m off to exercise, but I’ll be back in about an hour to discuss this and other Western facts about this incredible friend of the Western Prairies.

My My hubby and I will soon be going to the Crow reservation for Crow Fair.  It will be the first time we’ve ever been to the Crow pow-wow.   We’ll be gone a week — thereabouts — but when we return, I hope to have lots to share.