Today is Native American Heritage Day, a time to remember and appreciate Native Americans and their rich culture. An important element of indigenous culture has always been their sacred sites.
The main theme of the third and final book in the Dead Horse Canyon saga, “Revenge of Dead Horse Canyon: Sweet Medicine Spirits — Novavose” is the importance of the Sacred Mountain, known also as Bear Butte State Park, in South Dakota.
In the final volume of the trilogy Charlie fulfills his vow to make a pilgrimage to the site for a four day ceremonial fast. What he learns there is not only startling, but charges him with the responsibility of bringing his people back to their sacred ceremonies as originally taught by Sweet Medicine, specifically a five-day ritual known as the Massaum, the “earth giving ceremony.”
The video above notes the importance of sacred sites. You can find more information related to the video in the article on the Native American Rights Fund website here.
In writing the Dead Horse Canyon Saga, I have done a tremendous amount of research. Many of the books you see below I have read and/or referenced in writing the trilogy to assure accuracy as well as discover new material to integrate in the plot.
Of course coauthor, Pete Risingsun, is the final authority on Cheyenne culture, but he also discovered new information, especially from the two volumes of Peter J. Powell’s “Sweet Medicine.” What a godsend they were as was the work of many other anthropologists such as George Bird Grinnell and, in more modern times, Karl H. Schlesier. Without their work, the Dead Horse Canyon story would not have all the rich detail we were able to incorporate. We have made every effort to be as accurate as possible with reference to historical events as well as Northern Cheyenne ceremonies.
What I have learned writing this trilogy with Pete has opened my eyes to the many injustices Indigenous people have suffered for hundreds of years due to colonization, not only in the United States but also abroad.
The release date is January 7, 2025! It has taken far longer than expected, for which Pete and I apologize. However, we believe it will be worth the wait.
If you haven’t yet read the first two books, you have time to do so before this one comes out. Without knowing the entire story, you may be able to follow this final volume, but it will have far more meaning if you’re familiar with the other two.
I’m confident that Indigenous readers will be very pleased with the ending as well as those of us who love and appreciate Native American culture and pray they eventually receive the retribution they deserve for centuries of abuse. It’s truly a travesty that immigrants are welcomed and allowed to retain their culture while America’s original inhabitants continue to be treated so unfairly.
On this special day, may we all pray with them that they will receive the respect they deserve and gain access to their sacred sites and cultures and that they will be preserved.
The Curse of Dead Horse Canyon 