New Book on Navajo Life Stimulates Thoughts
New Book on Navajo Life Stimulates Thoughts
HEBER CITY, UTAH, UNITED STATES, May 22, 2014 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Jim LargoHeber City, Utah
435-503-1816
trickybear@yahoo.com
Press Release
New Book on Navajo Life Stimulates Thoughts
HEBR CITY, UTAH--A new book by a former Navajo newspaper reporter has some positive reviews from readers. The book, “Beyond The Mesas, Navajo Short Stories,” has readers seeing Navajos as they are today. The author, Jim Largo, allows the readers to see Navajo people in the past as well as current times. He has eight short stores, plus some poetry, in his book published in October of 2013 by a Denver area publisher.
The book has stories of the dying Navajo culture, the taming of Navajos through boarding schools, a traditional coyote story, a modern Navajo mystery, Native American powwows, and what Largo calls his favorite, a satire of the anthropological view of Navajo origins. “My aim of the book is to awaken the minds of college, high school, and adult readers,” said Largo in a telephone interview.
A story of what Largo calls, “cultural genocide,” is about an elder Navajo man who does not teach his children the traditional ways. The main character in the story, Moccasin Begay, dies before he teaches his children what he learned from his parents and relatives. His children are all educated in the city schools and adopted the modern life.
Largo's coyote story has a young pup growing up. Ashkee Coyote takes a trip across his country to see what is out there. He learns an important lesson of life with his experience. Upon his return, the young coyote sees himself as a part of a world where many different animals live and that his family shares the land with other animals in the country.
Largo has added two mystery stories, showing the city life of some Navajos who get involved with murder. The story develops scenes from the city to the country. A young Navajo girl is murdered and a Navajo detective solves the mystery, bringing the murderers to justice in the city.
Largo also has a chase story of a Navajo man who was accused of being involved with gang murder on the reservation. The young man is chased by the FBI across the reservation. While avoiding the FBI, the young Navajo man travels through some historical Navajo land marks. Largo makes a comment about the Navajo and federal justice systems.
Largo also has a couple of stories on the federal boarding schools. One of the stories has a bright 13-year-old boy, a seventh grader, living in the dormitory. Besides going to school, the boy gets involved with activities such as pinyon hunting, intramural basketball, sling shot wars, boarding school Christmas, admiration for a boarding school girl, and playing in the mud puddle. “I was trying to create a Navajo Huck Finn,” said Largo, making reference to Mark Twain stories.
Largo also has a powwow story involving a traditional dancer. The dancer is a young part Navajo man living in the city. He goes to a college powwow where he meets his lady friend who also has two tribal ancestry. Besides dancing, they discuss marriage and wonder to which tribe their children would belong. They had four possibilities. Their off spring wold take only one tribe. The dancer decides to campaign for a change in federal policy by making Natives Americans be registered with at least two tribes instead of one.
Largo's most unusual story deals with a Navajo college professor who goes to Siberia to witness the anthropological digging for an ancient Native American man in the frozen ground. Largo's story develops an opposite view of today's promotion of the origins of Native American people. While the world has been convinced that Natvie Americans crossed the Bering Strait from Siberia into Alaska, Largo refutes the view by saying Native Americans have always lived in this country and never came from anywhere.
Largo explained that his stories are met to simulate thought and opinion of today's Navajo and Native American life. The book can be found at Amazon and Barnes and Noble book stores. “I have tried to get the book to the local book stores but no takers,” Largo said. Largo was a long time reporter for the Albuquerque Journal.
Jim Largo
435-503-1816
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