In Saguaro Shadow A Historical Novel of the Tohono O'Odham Ernest Schusky 9781604947304 Books
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It is the eve of World War II. When a draft board insists on registering young men from the Tohono O'odham Reservation, a conservative traditionalist named Pia Machita raises the Mexican flag and refuses to allow his followers to "sigh paper." Roswell Manuel is one of the first Tohono O'odham to be educated by Presbyterian missionaries. As the first O'odham interpreter, policeman, judge, and Presbyterian Elder, he attempts to balance his traditional beliefs with a modern lifestyle. After U.S. Marshals invade Pia's village -- and find it empty -- it is up to Roswell to talk Pia into a peaceful surrender. In Saguaro's Shadow is full of surprises and unforgettable outcomes. Based on real-life events, the story enables readers to experience the tragedy and humor that arise when cultures collide.
In Saguaro Shadow A Historical Novel of the Tohono O'Odham Ernest Schusky 9781604947304 Books
the book arrived in great condition and is of a subject I'm greatly intersted in, just haven't had the time to read it.Product details
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In Saguaro Shadow A Historical Novel of the Tohono O'Odham Ernest Schusky 9781604947304 Books Reviews
I loved this book and I found it very readable; this is well-told story from a mostly unexplored part of American history.
In Saguaro's Shadow is a thoroughly researched yet amusing historical novel about life on the Tohono O'odham (formerly Papago) reservation in the 1940's. The author, a retired professor of anthropology who specialized in American Indian tribes, has used the unusual and clever structure of a dual-first-person narrative to tell a story, apparently based on true events, of culture clash as the ultra-traditional life of desert Indians meets the inevitable intrusion of Anglo culture as promulgated by white agents of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and fellow tribe members who have begun to adapt to modernization on the reservation. The author alternates chapters presented through the eyes, ears, and mind of a traditional O'odham village headman/shaman with chapters presented through those of the town-dwelling tribal chief of police. The narrative consists exclusively of dialogue as heard by each of the protagonists, plus their extensive internal monologues. Dr. Schusky uses this device to excellent effect to give the reader a sense of the vast differences in the two characters' assumptions, values, and perceptions that are at the heart of the cultural transition he is portraying.
I was surprised at first by the author's choice to make the shaman a rather unsympathetic character (selfish, insecure, abusive, deceitful, and incompetent) and the police chief an altogether likeable one (generous, tolerant, trustworthy, insightful, competent) I expected him, as an anthropologist, to side with the traditional culture and therefore to portray the displacer as insensitive to the feelings and needs of the displaced. But I gradually realized that his choice made sense, in that the main reason for the shaman's insecurity was the stress produced by his resistance to the inevitable demise, or at least evolution, of a way of life that had been unchanged for generations, and that supported his role and status in his community. Certainly the BIA agent also gets his share of critical portrayal. There is a lot of enjoyable humor in the novel as well, much of it based on the police chief's difficulties understanding his American colleagues' behavioral quirks and idioms, as well as the many absurdities inherent in the vast differences between the two cultures, not the least of which being the Government's attempts to force illiterate, non-English-speaking reservation Indians to register for the draft. All in all an entertaining and enlightening read.
In Saguaro's Shadow A Historical Novel of the Tohono O'odham
In Saguaro's Shadow captivates on two levels. First, there is the conflict between a remote O'odham village and government officials who are attempting to register the young native males for the draft prior to World War II. Blending into this controversy are interesting character studies displaying many aspects of the native culture that are at odds with the prevailing customs of modern America.
There is the aging chief struggling to retain his leadership position while trying to restrain his often more perceptive wife, the O'odham interpreter hoping to bridge the gap of his native birth and the official demands of his employers, to the unswerving Anglo bureaucrats. The author's background in anthropology is displayed in these descriptions of very different customs and life styles. Behavior customs such as the aversion to yelling, not wanting to be singled out for praise, and the limp handshake, in addition to an acceptable obsession with sexual activity with multiple partners, led to many misunderstandings between native and Anglo residents.
The reader begins to appreciate the difficulties that arise between the two overlapping cultures while also enjoying a gripping tale.
Anthropologist by education and writer by passion, Ernest Schusky dedicated a large portion of his life to Native American studies. The passion for the Machita Incident, how it was called by the authorities, makes Ernest to come back to the subject and write a wonderful novel. Starting from real-life characters like Pia Machita and Roswell Manuel, the book is a very consistent study of Native American - Tohono O'odham Nation, their social structure and their relationships with the Federal Government.
the book arrived in great condition and is of a subject I'm greatly intersted in, just haven't had the time to read it.
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