AUTHOR OF YAVAPAI SUN DISCUSSES NOVEL WITH ELDERS
By Harrison J. Bahe
On October 28th, the Fort McDowell Library hosted a Chat & Chew event in which author Byron Russell M. ED. visited the Fort McDowell Elder Center to discuss his book Yavapai Sun.
In the year 1650, a young White Eagle was nurtured in the land of Yavapai territory, a land of family, acceptance, and freedom. After a long journey to visit forgotten relatives, the Pai Pai in Ensenada, Mexico, he finds himself caught in a web of war, hatred, and lies. He is pulled into a leadership role to help defend the working class of Mexico against Spanish conquistadors. However, his feelings compel him to fear, run, and hide. With his God-given gift of listening in on conversations thousands of miles away, he stays one step ahead of an evil Spanish king and an imperial Arab king of Morocco. Now, he must face the wrath of Spain. Will the talent and ancient values of young White Eagle be enough to grant him and others victory in a battle against the Spanish conquistadors and Arab Moors? Do these battles forever seal his fate of what he is destined to become?
Elders from across the community gathered to discuss and critique the novel which was selected by them for their monthly book club meetings. Russell was born in the Prescott area and would always visit Fort McDowell as a child; back when the tribal office was a temporary trailer. The reason why he wrote Yavapai Sun was due to the rich history of the Yavapai people. “Even though it’s a fiction book, it’s non-fiction based on fiction.” Russell shares.
The book makes mention of historical events such as the tragic Skeleton Cave Massacre as well as the Bloody Basin Massacre. “These stories are not very welcoming but they are a part of Yavapai history and that’s why I wanted to write the book.”
One of the themes within the book is the concept of a Creator sometimes referred to as God in the book. Interspersed throughout the book are poems that heavily revolve around the Christian God. Russell addressed the hypocrisy of indigenous people worshiping the Christian God versus the Creator but he believes that they are both one and the same. “We are a Christian nation. We are a Christian tribe. We pray to God and we have a Creator we pray to.” Former President Raphael Bear was incredibly open with his past addictions and how his views on the Creator influenced his sobriety. Bear celebrates over 4 years of being sober.
One of the concerns Russell shared with the Elders was how they could instill the beliefs that he grew up with for today’s youth. “How do we pass on those values to our children? My heart goes out because of the addictions that our youth are going through. Suicide is a very, very sad part that I would like for all of us to address. Our youth don’t have to be caught up with depression or oppression.” Russell stated. The main protagonist of Yavapai Sun is named White Eagle and Russell wrote that character to be a hero for the Yavapai youth. “Our kids need a hero. Other cultures have their own heroes. Why can’t we have our own heroes too?” Journeying far from home, White Eagle becomes the central figure in a bitter battle between a maniacal Spanish king and an imperial Arab king. Utilizing ancient values taught to him by his own people, he is able to turn the tide in the face of adversity. It’s a classic “hero’s journey” of a young man’s humble beginnings to becoming the face of revolution against tyranny.
The elders in attendance generally had positive reviews of the book and even commented about the authenticity of the Pai Pai people who reside near Ensenada in Mexico. Having worked in the Culture Center for a couple of years, I was told of a tale of elders who were fluent in Yavapai visiting Ensenada and discovering that they could understand what they were saying because they were speaking Yavapai. Russell shared an iteration of that story which was further validated by silent nods from the elders in attendance.
The most enduring part of the Chat & Chew was when Russell asked the audience, “Who are the Yavapai people?” Various responses included that we are resilient people and that we are still here; that we are strong people and we are still thriving; that we are fighters and protectors. Elders also mentioned the struggles we have gone through and that despite all the tragedies and losses, we have survived.
Another topic of discussion was assimilation; on whether or not it was good or bad. The consensus of the audience was that it was both good and bad. Living in a modern world, it would be incredibly arduous to live without modern conveniences such as technology and advances in science and health. Assimilation is a very tricky subject to discuss amongst indigenous communities since we have very obviously assimilated into the white man’s world. However, many believe assimilation has benefited modern day indigenous people. Some who grew up in the white world were able to return to their respective reservations with all the knowledge they acquired through college or through work and were able to bring it all back to their people. “It’s an advantage for us to assimilate but not to the point where we’re white. We still hold on to our traditions and how we do things, but we get to know how they [the white world] do things as well. That’s how it’s beneficial to us.” Stefanie Camacho shares. This statement can easily be applied to Fort McDowell’s own hero Dr. Carlos Montezuma who was purchased by Italian photographer Carlo Gentile for thirty silver dollars, raised in a predominantly white world, attended the University of Illinois in Chicago, earned his medical degree and brought all his acquired knowledge back to his people. He was an influential figure in the early 1900’s when the US government attempted time and time again to remove the Yavapai people from their ancestral homeland for its water.
Yavapai Sun is a sprawling hero’s journey revolving around a brave Yavapai warrior journeying into the unknown and utilizing his people’s teachings to turn the tide of two tyrants hellbent on domination. Limited copies are now available at the Fort McDowell Library so be sure to head on down and read about White Eagle’s perilous adventures down south.
