American Indian Horse Masks: A Book Review from Delaney Library

American Indian Horse Masks by authors Mike Cowdrey, Ned Martin, Jody Martin, and Winfield Coleman, is a colorful book with over 200 illustrations of horse masks, primarily from the 19^th century. The symbolism of the horse mask and the decoration and painting of horses during times of war and times of celebration is explored through detailed pictures and descriptions. Horse masks of various Native American plains tribes, as well as the Apache and Pueblo tribes of the Southwest, are represented. The authors explain that the people of Native North America observed Spanish-armored horses, which led to their own creative uses and implementation of horse armor. The book is divided by geographical region, and the photographs are well-positioned to prompt explanation and interpretation. American Indian Horse Masks was produced in conjunction with the Smithsonian exhibition A Song for the Horse Nation, which included interviews from local Navajos, examples of horse gear, and other remarkable artifacts. Patrons interested in this book may also enjoy They Sang for Horses: the Impact of the Horse on Navajo & Apache Folklore.

This book review was written by student worker Tia Flippin.

Blood and Thunder: A Book Review from the Delaney Library Collection

This book review by library student worker Arielle Liakat is on a historical work that investigates the life of one of the West’s most well-known figures, Kit Carson:

Hampton Sides magnificently details the history of westward expansion in his epic book on the American West, Blood and Thunder. In the summer of 1846, the Army of the West was ferociously driven by the Manifest Destiny ideology. They rode through Santa Fe on one of the longest marches in American military history and continued their conquest of other Western territories. This march led to two decades of resistance by the Navajos against these “blue suited, New Men.” At the center of this tale, we come to understand the life and times of Kit Carson - trapper, scout, soldier, and frontiersman of the American West. Sides shows us that Carson, who was an illiterate mountain man - while credited with understanding and respecting Native American people better than any other American of his time - was still willing to follow army orders at the cost of many Native American lives. Blood and Thunder is an eloquently told tale of a controversial man and times of turmoil in the history of the American West.

America's First Warriors: A Book Review from Delaney Library

The Delaney Library holds many historical works in its collection, and it also holds works on current topics of significance on the landscape and cultures of the Southwest. One such book is

America’s First Warriors: Native Americans and Iraq by Steven Clevenger, which is reviewed by library student worker Stone Tighe:

 America’s First Warriors: Native Americans and Iraq is a collection of interviews and photographs of Native Americans who have served in Iraq. Most of the interviewees are from the New Mexico State National Guard. The writer investigates the traditional culture of the warrior and the way these traditions are carried on by Native American soldiers in today’s army culture. Steven Clevenger, who is Osage, documents major conflicts and his photographs have appeared in Newsweek and CNN. This book gives insight to the duality of the worlds that Native American people navigate between cultural traditions and the modern military. This book is ideal for anyone who is interested in the service of Native Americans in the U.S. military, who often occupy an in-between cultural space.

A Book Review from Delaney Library

The Delaney Library offers a selection of books that aid professionals, staff, and researchers in their work with the various materials offered in our archival collections, such as photographs. This book review by one of our library student worker covers one such book:

Alan Trachtenberg has put together an impressive book that interprets American life through photography. Reading American Photographs includes works from acclaimed photographers such as Mathew Brady, Timothy O’Sullivan, and Walker Evans. The photographs represented are from as far back as the 1800s and cover 100 years of American history, including two depressions. Trachtenberg does a wonderful job explaining the photographs; Reading American Photographs is a great read and visually interesting. The history of America can be viewed from the lenses of these luminary men, and the photographs are very impactful. The book quotes Ralph Waldo Emerson in Chapter 1 who says most graciously, “Other men are lenses through which we read our own minds.” 

Mountain Lion! exhibit now open

The Center of Southwest Studies and Colorado Division of Wildlife present major new exhibit: Mountain Lion!

By Kevin Britz, Director of the Center of Southwest Studies

Photo by Robert Winslow

The Center of Southwest Studies and the Colorado Division of Wildlife, in partnership with the San Juan Mountains Association, the Southern Ute Tribe, Sorrell Sky Gallery, and Durango Nature Studies, present Mountain Lion! at the Center of Southwest Studies at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado.

The exhibit was developed by the Center of Southwest Studies and the Colorado Division of Wildlife to address the pressing need for greater public awareness on the growing issue of human encounters with mountain lions. Over the last two decades, there has been a dramatic rise in cougar sightings and dangerous encounters on the urban fringes of numerous Western cities. In a few rare cases, there have been fatalities.

The goal of this exhibit is to create an understanding of the nature of these predators and their long, historic relation with people. The exhibit blends science, history and art to provide a comprehensive look at this mysterious predator. Mountain Lion! examines the history of cougars starting from the Ice Age when they roamed the continent along with fierce cats like the giant North American Lion and Smilodon, popularly known as saber-tooth tigers. Another exhibit section looks at the hunting techniques, habits, and physical features of modern mountain lions that have allowed them to survive for thousands of years. Mountain Lion! illustrates the different perspectives of Native Americans and early European settlers toward cougars, how opinions toward the animal changed, and the ways they continue to be portrayed in fine art and popular culture. Other sections teach visitors how to read cougar behavior, listen to cougar sounds, recognize tracks and scat, and offer practical tips on what to do if you encounter a mountain lion.

The exhibit features dioramas, fossil representations of extinct cougar relatives, and the work of leading wildlife photographers including Robert Winslow, Claude Steelman and John Ninneman.

An educational packet, designed by the San Juan Mountains Association, featuring mountain lions, can be accessed via the Center's website: http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/mtn_lion/education.shtml, and educational tours may be arranged through the Main Office, by please calling 970-247-7456.

After a year-long run in Durango, closing in the fall of 2010, the exhibit will travel to museums and nature centers throughout the greater Southwest including the states of Utah, Colorado, California, Arizona, and New Mexico.