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.

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.” 

A Book Review from the Delaney Library

The book collection at the Delaney Library supports the programs of the Center of Southwest Studies and the research needs of its patrons. Some of the books are also on popular topics that community members will find of interest, such as Winging It: A beginner’s Guide to the Birds of the Southwest by family birdwatchers Catherine Coulter, Cynthia Coulter, James Coulter, and Vivian Coulter. It was reviewed by library student worker Tia Flippin:

 

The mother (Vivian) of the Coulter family and her three adult children compile together their memories, resources, and time to produce this light-hearted guide. An educator (Catherine), a physician (Cynthia), and a businessman (James) all add their unique perspectives to the view of a science textbook author and educator (Vivian). It is a colorfully illustrated book that eloquently mashes pictures, diagrams, stories and facts into a quick and easy-to-read guide of 42 common species of birds in the southwest. The bright colors and childhood stories add an almost childlike feel to the book. However, the emboldened terms, real pictures, and various sketches keep this book grounded in the realm of non-fiction.

 
Also check out other related books:   Watchable birds of the Southwest and  Birds of the Southwest.
  
Related material in the archives: M242 Roy E.Wells collection, Series 6, for information concerning the sales, trade, and usage of endangered and exotic birds among Native Americans and M121 Theodore Hetzel field notebooks for an accounts of the 1917 Migratory Bird Act.

Come by Delaney Library to read this and many other books on southwest topics!

For hours and directions: http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/visit.shtml 

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