Amazon.com
The Mashantucket Pequot tribe of Connecticut were nearly penniless just a couple of decades ago. Today, they are the richest tribe in America and owners of the world's largest gambling casino. And, writes Jeff Benedict, their wealth is based on a fraud. Without Reservation will remind some readers of A Civil Action, by Jonathan Harr, for its novelistic approach to nonfiction as well as its earnestness. Benedict says that Congress was essentially tricked into granting tribal status to the group--a political process that allowed it to skirt the much more stringent recognition standards maintained by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Benedict's reporting is provocative, showing, for instance, that Skip Hayward, the man who headed the tribe for many years, listed his race as "white" on the application for his first marriage license. And Benedict's narrative is character driven almost to a fault, though it makes reading about congressional hearings and backdoor politics enjoyable.
There is convincing evidence on these pages that pols were duped by Hayward, first in Connecticut and then in Washington. The evidence is strong enough, in fact, to warrant formal congressional hearings on the decisions made in the 1980s to confer official status on the tribe, and perhaps even revoke that status or redirect some casino profits to poor Indians. In short, Without Reservation is the kind of book that can kick-start a controversy--or at least amplify an existing one to the point where the need for reform becomes urgent. If the book has a weakness, it's that Benedict didn't get to interview many tribal officials. But then it's easy to see why they might avoid a man with so many hard questions. This book needed to be written, even without their cooperation. --John J. Miller
Book Description
In 1973, an old American Indian woman dies with nothing left of her tribe but a trailer and a two-hundred-acre reservation in the sleepy backyard of Ledyard, Connecticut. It seems to signal the end of the Mashantucket Pequot tribe. But it is just the beginning. Over the course of the next three decades, the reservation grows to more than two thousand acres and becomes home to Foxwoods, the largest casino in the world, grossing more than $1 billion per year. The Pequots are reborn, immensely wealthy, and in possession of an enormous amount of political influence.
How did it happen?
In compelling detail, Without Reservation tells the stunning story of the rise of the richest tribe in American history.
It begins with the grand ambitions of two men. One, an unemployed navy brat and outsider, is a failed preacher with the uncanny ability to charm; the other is fresh out of law school and armed with a brilliant legal theory to help impoverished Indian tribes. Together they resurrect the Pequots and battle the local townspeople to aggressively expand their reservation, taking on the state government for the right to gamble on their land. Embracing their cause are misguided and misinformed government officials and a former mob prosecutor who brings Malaysian financiers to the table.
The Pequots must also contend with the price of power. Without Reservation reveals the mysterious roots of today's Pequot tribe, the racial tension that divides them, and the Machiavellian internal Power struggle over who will control the tribe's purse strings.
This is a story of the duality of the American dream, the good and the bad that come with enormous wealth. Author Jeff Benedict shines a light on the dreamers and the deal makers, the backroom politicking and courtroom machinations, the trusts and betrayals, and the world of high-powered attorneys, politicians, tribal leaders, and financiers who made the Pequots what they are today.
As compelling as a novel, Without Reservation is must reading for anyone interested in the way today's world really works.
Customer Reviews:
Native Americans get even with Naive Americans.......2005-08-18
I play poker at Foxwoods. I'm glad it exists and that Skip Hayward was successful in his deceptive efforts to build this casino. So I'm biased.
Jeff Benedict does an excellent job of explaining the history of Foxwoods and the tribe that formed it. It is, to be sure, not a complete tale, however, as there are clear gaps in the narrative. The "founder" of Foxwoods, Skip Hayward, clearly has a story to tell about his tribe. It's omission is a glaring one. Benedict explains this by noting that Hayward refused to be interviewed. Even so, I wanted some greater balance in the telling of the tale. It left me curious about the other side of the story.
The bottom line is that Benedict does an excellent job of telling the story of Foxwoods conception that rests dirty and unseen beneath the glitz, the profit and the popularity. he tells it in an engaging and persuasive manner. Now, when I sit for hours playing poker I have something to think about other than the folded cards.
Fascinating and Infuriating.......2001-05-27
An absolute tour de force!!
If you really want to see how "our" government really works, you owe it to yourself to read Mr. Benedict's book.
An historical account, full of details and documentation, of how a number of imposters, steadfastly supported by negligent and naive legilators and judges were able to create an enterprise that just boggles the mind.
I dare anyone to read this book and walk away with anything but disgust over how State and Federal governments operate. I defy anyone to believe that the Ledyard Pequots have any right to claim they are a tribe, based on clear criteria described by the Federal Government but never applied in this case.
Kudos to Mr. Benedict on this masterpiece.
Where is Ledyard CT?.......2001-03-06
When I tell people I live 25 miles from the worlds largest casino they think I must live in NJ or Nevada. No. Right here is Connecticut the Pequot nation has built a facility that is really hard to believe.
This beautiful structure seeps out of the earth and towers over the surrounding hills. It is pretty. It is unique. It is a smashing success. But everyone in CT wondered and now everyone everywhere wonders if this business is legit or not. Jeff Benedict has certainly planted a seed of doubt in this book.
Although much of the book is bogged down with more details than you may want to know the basics are pretty easy to understand. Are they really Indians? Do they deserve what they have? Can it happen in other places? Who knows.
The Mashantucket Pequot tribe has a reservation of some 2000 acres. Twenty years ago this area was woods. But can a group of self proclaimed Indians claim this area and build what has become the largest casino in the world? Yes because they did it. But how it happened will probably infuriate you. A collection of screw ups, political favors, politicians with no sense of ethics and fear of turning down yet another minority group finally got the Pequots what they want.
Read this and other books about Ledyard CT to be totally disillusioned with government on a local and federal level.
But Are They Truly Native Americans?.......2000-12-06
As a writer I was at Foxwoods on that day in February '92 when they opened their doors, covering the event for WIN Magazine. As a poker player living an hour away I have been there countless times since. I thought I knew more than most people do about Foxwoods, but this book opened my eyes quite a bit. Is it all true? Or even largely true? I will wait until another "tell all" surfaces to decide. In the meantime this is a fascinating read about an incredible happening, both in gambling and in government. If Benedict writes a sequal, or a new edition of the original, I would appreciate better documentation . . . particularly where he quotes people or tells us what they are "thinking".
A review from the wild west.......2000-10-13
Jeff Benedict, you have done some amazing research in putting your book together. My husband and I, FULL BLOODED NAVAJO INDIANS, even read the bibliography. Completely familiar with government issues, we can see how these non-Indians fell though the cracks to become what they are today. It is embarassing to hear people call themselves American Indian when they are not. Our people have 4 directions, have come through 4 worlds and have 4 sacred mountains, and to that effect, have 4 grandparents contributing to the culture of each of us. Past the 1/4 "blood quantum" one need not be considered a Navajo. The same should be true of all American Indian tribes. If you are 1/16 Indian, you are 15/16 something else. You cannot contribute to our people. You do not know what extreme poverty is like. Your "reservation" is to you a tax-free haven. Whereas ours is also tax free, it is for many a prison of unemployment, alcoholism, abuse and depression. I am not saying that you need to experience these things to be an American Indian, but you do need to understand what many of us come from and live through. I implore Congress to look into the geneology of these people. If these "Pequots" have made a false claim, I hope that they are made to return what they have wrongfully taken.
Book Description
With compelling detail, Without Reservation tells the stunning story of the rise of the richest Indian tribe in history.
In 1973, an old American Indian woman dies with nothing left of her tribe but a 214-acre tract of abandoned forest. It seems to be the end of the Mashantucket Pequot tribe. But it is just the beginning. Over the next three decades, the reservation grows to nearly 2,000 acres, home to more than 600 people claiming to be tribal members. It has also become home to Foxwoods, the largest casino in the world, grossing more than $1 billion a year.
Without Reservation reveals the mysterious roots of today's Pequot tribe, the racial tension that divides its members, and the Machiavellian internal power struggle over who will control the tribe's funds. Author Jeff Benedict brings to us the deal makers, the courtroom machinations, the trusts and betrayals.
Now, with remarkable new information, the paperback brings us up-to-date on these revelations, which lead to state and federal investigations and calls for congressional hearings.
Customer Reviews:
One of the best ever in nonfiction.......2006-07-24
This is one of the best nonfiction historical books I have ever read. Jeff Benedict is able to convey to the reader the most important details regarding the birth of Foxwoods in a manner which holds the reader's attention as if you were reading a murder mystery. The role of the federal government in creating this multibillion dollar industry is clearly spelled out and incredibly well documented. Kudos to Jeff Benedict for his outstanding research and thorough investigation of the Pequots.
At what costs?.......2006-04-19
I read this book on the suggestion of a friend. It definately is a pager turner and I couldn't put it down until I finished.
As an enrolled member of a 'casino' tribe I see why such a book would be written about a tribe rising to power through gaming. Afterall, Indians are not entitled to this type of wealth. We're supposed to reside on our little enclaves of land and be alcoholics and live close to nature and I ask why can't Indians have wealth? We didn't make the laws and neither did the Pequots. The Pequots just used the laws to their advantage and made it big. Why shouldn't the Pequots be entitled to justices of the land?
However, I can see the otherside of the fence as well. At what costs did this wealth and power come to a tribe that is suspicious of being a true Indian tribe? I'm not naive. It was all done for good purposes in the beginning, but once instant wealth came their way, all sense of what makes a tribe a tribe was lost to the bigger financial picture. The first thing that is cut when an audit happens is to cut the museum budget. The one thing that can disproove the skepticism of them being a real tribe is cut so that members can keep their pockets lined. No sense of community is in the hearts of this tribe because they'd be looking out for the welfare of the future generations.
But when reading this book, if you choose to, is to attempt to put all biases aside and see what this book (and the others written on the same topic) show...that this book does an incredible job of describing the legal and political forces in opposition to each other that led to the creation, and then to the interpretation and application of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. No other book has done a better job of illustrating the distinction between federal Indian law on the books and federal Indian law in practice than this one. It's a fascinating blueprint for how Indian tribes can leverage law, policy, and politics--if they are shrewd--to achieve an almost unimagineable degree of contemporary political and material power. The brilliance of the Pequots is that they figured out how to use white law and institutions to their particular advantage, and this book describes just how they did it. It is fascinating!! But also to Indian tribes reading this book, let this be a lesson in what NOT to do when instant wealth comes one's way.
Bad populist writing.......2005-11-11
Yeah ..this is unfortunate that book sells so well with such a writing!! And the topic.. and so-called investigation>>> Please.. the author would not even filed his interviews! This is no investigation to me... this is populism.. that is all!!!!
I am not American , and not native american, so I guess I am neutral!
Do NOT Give this author any more money.. rather read real academic research about native casinos: such AS "INDIAN gAMING : WHO WINS" edited by Mullis and Kamper or the Eadington book about Indian Gaming and the Law!!
A Tendentious Book.......2004-02-24
Evidently the Pequots didn't speak with this guy. I can see why. The book is really tendentious. I'd suggest instead "Hitting The Jackpot" by a former Washington Post reporter. I heard about it in the local newspaper and it's very good. Much more informed and balanced and powerful. Whichever book you like, get educated on this!
Politics Skews intent and accuracy as well as money.......2004-02-19
I hope that as readers of this book people might venture into doing research on of their own before taking the word of a man that was trying to get "funded" by a White Casino Owner in an area close enough to be affected by Fox Wood, and was trying to run for Governor?
Book Description
From Connecticut to California, Native American tribes have entered the gambling business, some making money and nearly all igniting controversy. The image of the "casino Indian" is everywhere. Some observers suspect corruption or criminal ties, or have doubts about tribal authenticity. Many tribes disagree, contending that Indian gaming has strengthened tribal governments and vastly improved the quality of reservation life for American Indians.
This book provides the clearest and most complete account to date of the laws and politics of Indian gaming. Steven Light and Kathryn Rand explain how it has become one of today's most politically charged phenomena: at stake are a host of competing legal rights and political interests for tribal, state, and federal governments. As Indian gaming grows, policymakers struggle with balancing its economic and social costs and benefits.
Light and Rand emphasize that tribal sovereignty is the very rationale that allows Indian gaming to exist, even though U.S. law subjects that sovereignty to strict congressional authority and compromised it even further through the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988. Their book describes Indian gaming and explores today's hottest political issues, from the Pequots to the Plains Indians, with examples that reflect a wide range of tribal experience: from hugely successful casinos to gambling halls with small markets and low grosses to tribes that chose not to pursue gaming. Throughout, they contend that tribal sovereignty is the key to understanding Indian gaming law and politics and guiding policy reform-and that Indian gaming even represents a unique opportunity for the emergence of tribal self-determination.
As political pressure on tribes to concede to state interests grows, this book offers a practical approach to policy reform with specific recommendations for tribal, federal, state, and local policymakers. Meticulously argued, Indian Gaming and Tribal Sovereignty provides an authoritative look at one of today's most vexing issues, showing that it's possible to establish a level playing field for all concerned while recognizing the measure of sovereignty--and fairness--to which American Indians are entitled.
Book Description
This case study examines the impact of casino gaming on Native American reservations, and also explores why the idea of "rich Indians" and their participation in corporate America disrupts dominant assumptions and attitudes about indigenous peoples, their cultural authenticity, and their place in mainstream urban society. Taking an anthropological approach to studying gaming on Indian reservations, the case study explores the implications and challenges of historically marginalized peoples now participating in a corporate entertainment industry. The study raises broader questions about the nature of capitalism and the enduring stability of predominant cultural constructs about Indians that have dominated the country's political and economic arenas. By linking gaming with tourism, what is occurring within the United States is comparatively discussed with similar developments in Canada, Australia, and Mexico where native peoples are increasingly demanding greater rights to participate in the formal institutions and governments of modern western societies. Using extensive interviews with tribal elders, employees of reservation casinos, Las Vegas casino operators, and a broad spectrum of the California public, the book will serve to: 1. Introduce readers to the legal, political, economic and cultural tensions surrounding casino operations on Native American reservations. 2. Explore why gaming has become such a politically and emotionally charged issue. 3. Emphasize how these tensions existing between Indian and non-Indian communities are representative of wider cultural conflicts and identity politics increasingly confronting many countries.
Book Description
Meet the residents of Gammage, NY, a town on the verge of declaring bankruptcy, when inspiration strikes. Why not go native, and open a casino? With Not Enough Indians, actor, writer, producer, and former Saturday Night Live cast member Harry Shearer joins the ranks of such comedian/authors as Steve Martin and Michael Palin, with a brilliantly funny, whip-smart satire of greed, collusion, distrust and betrayal in the halls of Washington and the casinos of Native America.
Customer Reviews:
Harry always amuses.......2007-08-21
The Bookschlepper reports: In an elongated skit from LeShow, Harry Shearer lampoons the Native American casinos, NPR, the federal government, upstate New York and Albany, lesbians, a Diapercon convention and the mob. The plot is predictable but the side comments are worth the price of admission.
So much potential..........2007-08-15
What should have been a quick little read took me three weeks to get through. I was really looking forward to reading this book, as I love Harry's work with Spinal Tap, The Simpsons, etc. But I just couldn't get into it. Too many characters, not enough focus. It had it's moments, and I appreciated the satirical tone and several humorous passages. But overall I just can't recommend this book to anyone except the most diehard Shearer fans.
doesn't even deserve one star.......2007-08-06
I was intrigued by the premise and expected some wit woven into a fun-to-read satire that would leave me with some sense of social awareness or at least a sense of being glad I read it in the end. Instead, I was left with a sense that I wished someone had driven a spike through my ear rather than wasting those hours of my life in this mind-less twitter of a book. The only persons who would find this book of value are the Beavis & Butthead wanna-bes who can't help but laugh when they see the f-word in print. Otherwise, do yourself a favor: read anything else but this waste of printing!
Clever idea for a novel..........2007-07-09
Although I liked the idea for the book, I was disappointed in the writing and the way the 'story was told.' There were not any characters I simply could not forget or felt strongly about. It was not a book I would recommend to friends as a 'must read.' DZ
not enough indians.......2007-06-12
strange, not funny, not worth the short time it took to read I guess I don't get it.
Amazon.com
Kim Isaac Eisler begins Revenge of the Pequots with a fascinating anecdote: a 1994 phone call between President Clinton and Skip Hayward, the chief of Connecticut's Pequot tribe. Here was the most powerful man in the country thanking Hayward for political campaign contributions totaling half a million dollars--a dramatic reversal from the standard story of American Indians begging the federal government for financial assistance. Eisler calls the incredible Pequot story "one of the greatest about-faces in American history, [how] this obscure Indian tribe, which in 1994 had been federally recognized for only ten years and numbered fewer than 200 people, had nothing if not plenty of cash."
They were (and are) the richest tribe in the United States, and they've done it all on gambling proceeds. The Foxwoods High Stakes Bingo and Casino complex, located in southeastern Connecticut, is "one of the most successful cash-producing enterprises in the world," says Eisler, and a destination for some 25,000 gamblers every day. The entrepreneurial Hayward is at the center of the book's plot, along with a talented lawyer named Tom Tureen, as they carefully go about winning federal recognition for the Pequots and then building Foxwoods. All of this was extremely controversial, with questions about the legitimacy of the Pequots' claims and the probity of their business. (Eisler is considerably more sympathetic to their story than another book on the same subject, Jeff Benedict's Without Reservation.)
The remote descendants of the Pequots had exacted from the system more than a small dose of revenge. They had turned a government, which for four centuries had committed brutal acts of oppression and termination, into knots. Using the same legal processes that had been used against American Indians for so long, they had trumped the ruling class and implausibly become the wealthiest Indian tribe in the history of North America.... Skeptics could and would argue endlessly about whether the new Pequots were or were not authentic Indians, although no one had questioned their right to declare themselves Pequots when they were poor.
Eisler is a veteran of magazine feature writing, and he describes this rags-to-riches accomplishment in great detail, all of it engrossing. --John J. Miller
Book Description
In the mid-1970s, the Mashantucket Pequot tribe had only one member -- an elderly woman who pleaded with her grandson to come live on the impoverished reservation and save it from falling into government hands upon her death. In Revenge of the Pequots, journalist Kim Isaac Eisler tells the remarkable story of how Richard "Skip" Hayward, then an unemployed ship-worker, granted his grandmother's dying wish, revived the moribund clan, and transformed the Pequots into the richest and most influential band of Native Americans in history.
Established in 1992, Foxwoods Resort and Casino is the world's most profitable gambling establishment, grossing over $1 billion a year at its sprawling complex in the backwoods of Ledyard, Connecticut. Making use of arcane laws and court decisions never intended to benefit Native Americans as they have, Hayward brilliantly laid the groundwork for this staggering economic empire. In a story rife with drama, he challenged a succession of Connecticut governors and such worthy adversaries as casino moguls Steve Wynn and Donald Trump, while forming alliances with Malaysian industrialist Lim Goh Tong, renegade Seminole chief James Billie, and President Bill Clinton. As a result of Hayward's strategizing, for one of the few times in history -- and in a truly ironic reversal -- the bizarre legal structure governing Native Americans actually worked to their advantage in a mainstream enterprise. But the Pequots' meteoric rise to fortune has left many wondering: Is this turnabout fair play?
In this riveting rags-to-riches tale, Eisler deftly explores the wide-ranging issues that have framed the great Native American casino debate and the ramifications of the Native American casino boom in a nation still uneasy about its roots.
Download Description
In the mid-seventies, the Pequot tribe had only one member -- an elderly woman who would beg her grandson to come live on the reservation and save it from falling into government hands upon her death. Award-winning journalist Kim Isaac Eisler tells the remarkable story of how Richard "Skip" Hayward, then an unemployed ship-worker, granted his grandmother's wish, revived the dying clan, and transformed the Pequots into the richest and most influential band of Native Americans in history. Making use of ancient laws and court decisions never intended to benefit Native Americans the way they have, Hayward single-handedly laid the groundwork for Foxwoods and its tremendous success. In a story rife with drama, he faced Connecticut governors, and such worthy adversaries as Steve Wynn and Donald Trump, and formed controversial alliances with Malaysian moneyman Lim Goh Tung, renegade Seminole Chief James Billie, and Bill Clinton. And for one of the first times in history -- a truly ironic reversal -- the bizarre legal structure governing Native-Americans worked to their advantage in a mainstream enterprise. Eisler deftly explores the wide-ranging issues that have framed America's great casino debate, and the ramifications of the Native-American casino boom in a nation still fearful of its Native-American roots.
Customer Reviews:
A Superficial Effort.......2003-10-04
This book relies entirely too much on clips from previously published sources. In addition, the authors did not interview many tribal members or people who aided this tribe get on the map. It feels like a book the author was simply rushing to finish. Too bad.
I Wish.......2001-09-24
This is the book I wish I had written -- but I never would have spent the time and effort on research that the writer did. As a Ledyard-based reporter in the early 1970s, I knew about that part of town referred to as the Indian Reservation, and I'd heard of the only old lady who lived there in a trailer, and her occasional grandchildren. Trouble is, in four years I never had the slightest inclination to write about her or the land or the story behind either. Nonetheless, as the casino developed, I was pleased that someone was beating city hall. In painstaking detail the author tells how it happened, including a good bit of history. It's a serious book, not just a compilation of gossip. An interesting part of Americana. But as Ledyard today tries to deal with all the traffic and tourists, I can't help but remember the hundreds of meetings I sat through where the town fathers agonized over how to attract visitors and to expand the town's economic base. The leader of the Historical Society was sure that restoring the vertical saw mill would do draw crowds. He never could have imagined that the answer could have been found in that trailer on that reservation at the far end of town!
Funny, ironic, fascinating.......2001-06-06
I always wondered how Foxwoods came to be. Now I know thanks to this witty and ironic account, which the Boston Globe says is far more accurate and attentive to the facts than the other book on the topic. Also contains a lot of good insight into gambling, why people gamble, and unlike a lot of non fiction, it doesnt bog you down. Great book!
What a Letdown.......2001-05-20
After reading the terriffic "Without Reservation", I egarly anticipated getting another detailed view of how this "tribe" became what it is today. Unfortunately, I got a "soft" account of what happened in this author's view and IMO completely whitewashed the story behind the story: how government at all levels engaged in dereliction of duty and gross negligence in allowing this group to gain the recognition and power it has secured.
While the author does an OK good job of linking many of the favorable aspects of the court rulings to the "tribes" generous gifts to the DNC and Bill Clinton, he fails to delve into the corruption and naivite of the State and Federal governments and how this was a direct driver of the final outcome.
In fact, the author whitewashes a fundamental aspect of this "sovergn nation"- whether they acutally qualify as an Indian tribe according to clear Federal criteria on the subject.
If you want a "soft" and relatively "warm" view on the birth of the Foxwoods windfall, one that is short on details and long on political-correctness, you might enjoy this read. If you want a much more compelling and believable account of this situation, I suggest you read Mr. Benedict's "Without Reservation". You'll be glad you did.
Legal-Political Saga of Developing Special Interest Edges.......2001-02-05
"If you can't beat 'em, join 'em" could be the subtitle for this book. Native Americans suffered in military, social, and bureaucratic maneuvering versus the European settlers and later the United States. In the 1970s, the strategy altered to seeking advantages as another special interest group. That approach benefited from poorly drafted laws, politicans' need for campaign funds, and a bad conscience among politicians to create unexpected and unequaled success for the formerly impoverished handful of Connecticut-based Mashantucket Pequots. The resulting gaming empire of Foxwoods (from the one-time name of "Fox people" for the Pequots) now wields far more power than the tribe ever had in its entire history.
This story reveals a great deal about the nature of modern American politics and law that shows the need for broad reform at every level of government. The weakness of this book is that it takes on the Pequots almost as a special case, rather than as a more typical example of the system we have now. The book is also overly detailed for the interests of most readers, and does not make very entertaining reading except for those who are fascinated by legal and political intrigue from an academic perspective.
The author revels in the irony of President Clinton courting the Pequots for funds and political support in 1994. Historically, it had been the other way around with U.S. presidents and tribal chiefs. In 1994, tribal chairman Richard "Skip" Haywood personally donated $500,000 to the Democrats for the congressional campaigns. After he and the president spoke by telephone, other members of the tribe donated an additional $800,000 to the Democrats that year. After the Republicans won the election, a further almost $200,000 went to the Republicans. But this is just what any other special interest or business does all of the time. The wealth of Foxwoods made it possible for the Pequots to have a large seat at the negotiating table.
Casinos were bound to come someday to New England. Legalizing gaming has been sweeping the country, often led to state lotteries. Cash-strapped state and local governments are always looking for new sources of funds. So the fact that these casinos ended up being owned by Native-American tribes is probably the only surprise to most people.
If you are like me, you have read some of the details of how this happened, but have never seen it all woven together. I was very impressed by the legal innovation of attorney Tom Tureen and the entrepreneurship of ex-chairman Haywood. The work of either one could be the subject of an interesting leadership case history.
The full vision of ex-chairman Haywood is mind-boggling. He worked on bringing a professional football team into the tribe, building a theme park, and tried to establish a bullet train to the casino among other ventures.
I hope someone will also write a business-oriented history of the same events to add more of that dimension to this story.
The lesson of this book is that you can achieve great things by setting very ambitious goals. Are you goals too puny? Why don't you increase them? How much more could you accomplish as a result?
May the odds always be in your favor!
Book Description
From award-winning literary author Thomas King (aka Hartley GoodWeather) comes a stylish mystery debut featuring ex-California cop Thumps DreadfulWater, a smart and savvy Cherokee Indian whose witty exterior belies a clever, stubborn sleuth.
With his cop life officially behind him, Thumps now makes his living as a fine-arts photographer in Chinook -- a western town snuggled up against a reservation that's struggling for economic independence via investment in a glitzy new resort and casino complex called Buffalo Mountain. It's a slow-paced, good life for Thumps and his eccentric cat, Freeway. Most of the time. But when a dead body turns up in one of the just-completed luxury condos, things change fast -- and not for the better. Photographing corpses is not part of Thumps's master plan.
He can't help getting involved, especially when he realizes that the number one suspect is Stanley "Stick" Merchant, anticondo protestor and wayward son of Claire Merchant, head of the tribal council and Thumps's onetime love. If it affects Claire, it affects Thumps.
It seems that Stick disappeared just about the time of the murder. Coincidence? Or just bad timing? Thumps knows that the police often shoot smart-ass teenagers first and ask questions later. He doesn't want that to happen to Stick. But can Thumps find Stick in time? And can Thumps find a killer before a killer finds Thumps?
DreadfulWater Shows Up marks the arrival of a detective with a difference. With energy and verve and a very special voice, Thomas King and Hartley GoodWeather create an engaging and original page-turner that zings with memorable characters and biting social commentary.
Customer Reviews:
Murder follows an ex-cop to the Rez . . ........2004-11-27
This is detective fiction told with tongue firmly in cheek. Unlike Tony Hillerman, whose fictional Navajo world is set with both feet squarely in the real one (you can follow the movements of his characters with an open road atlas beside you), Thomas King's Indians have slipped into a world of clichés and conventions that any crime fiction fan will immediately recognize. Never mind that King makes winking references to TV detectives to remind readers that this story is somehow realistic by comparison. The milieu is a fictional Montana (never referred to) that could easily be anywhere in the Mountain Time Zone, north or south of the US-Canada border.
Still, readers familiar with small-town antagonisms between Indians and whites will recognize the real-world hostility that underlies the sheriff's abrasive opinion of King's ex-cop DreadfulWater (that's one word with a capital W) who oversteps his role as a crime photographer. Those who know the libertarian spirit of the West will also note how the proliferation of hard-boiled characters common to the genre rather naturally springs from a culture of tough-it-out individualism. Everywhere out here, DreadfulWater wryly observes, lives the holy trinity of liquor, tobacco, and guns.
Trumps DreadfulWater is an enjoyable invention, with his cat Freeway, his transplanted Californian sensibilities, his advancing middle years, and his tendency to run out of breath climbing stairs. He comes most to life dealing with the several strong women characters that populate the story even while they keep any prospect for romance pretty much out of the question. One scene that gets a bit further than flirtation gets comically interrupted.
One caveat. Readers who loved King's earlier literary fiction will immediately understand why he uses the pseudonym Hartley Goodweather for this entertainment. There's a feint resemblance to King's fine novel "Medicine River" here, where the central character is also an unmarried Indian photographer living on the fringes of the Rez, but the gentle ironic humor of that novel is replaced here by broad comedy, and with rare exceptions the subtleties are absent. For mystery fans, however, this one will please, as the reviews here already testify.
Thank goodness Dreadfulwater showed up.......2004-05-11
Samuel Goldwyn, a 1940s-era film producer famous for his word mangling, once said: "Let's have some new cliches!"
I agree whole-heartedly and I think we should start with DreadfulWater Shows Up!
Cherokee Indian Thumps DreadfulWater is a photographer in the small native community of Chinook, somewhere on the American side of the border between Alberta and Montana. Chinook is in the midst of a huge luxury resort and casino development. Most of the community looks forward to the economic boom that will accompany the resort, except for a band of protesters, known as the Red Hawks, who are a thorn in the side of the development.
All this is of little concern to Thumps, a somewhat laconic fellow with a passion for golf, until he's called in to photograph a murder victim at the resort. Suspicion quickly falls on Stick Merchant, leader of the Red Hawks and the son of Claire Merchant, the local band council leader and Thumps' sometimes lover.
We soon learn Thumps is more than a shutterbug. He is -- surprise, surprise -- an ex-cop who left his home in California to find a simpler life in Chinook. He begins to snoop around and look into the mystery in the hopes of either bringing in Stick or proving his innocence.
When another man turns up dead, Thumps has to kick his investigation into high gear to keep Stick alive. As he follows a trail that leads all the way to the top of the casino development, events start to take a dangerous turn and it's up to Thumps to solve the mess before even more people are killed.
While the location and players are different, the plot of DreadfulWater Shows Up is as cliched as any of a thousand pulp detective novels over the past 70 years. The reluctant hero proves himself smarter than the local cops, faces danger with a cool head and eventually brings the villain to justice. The end.
And you know what? I loved every single page of it and I can't wait for the next in the series.
That's not surprising, given the author. Hartley GoodWeather is a tongue-in-cheek pseudonym for well-known writer and humourist -- and former University of Lethbridge professor to boot -- Thomas King. He's also the brains behind the late, lamented Dead Dog Cafe, an uproariously funny daily segment on CBC Radio's Morningside.
King is at the absolute top of his game in DreadfulWater Shows Up. In previous novels such as Medicine River, I found King always seemed to hold back a bit on his ability to entertain that shined through on Dead Dog Cafe. I often wondered if it was because he was worried about not being taken seriously as a writer, especially because he was part native and writing about natives.
Whatever the reason, King has finally let loose as Hartley GoodWeather. Thumps -- a very thinly disguised King -- is the most entertaining detective I've come across in a long while. Firmly based on pulp novel style, Thumps is nevertheless an original. While Sam Spade and Mike Hammer were rough-and-tumble slobs, Thumps is a quiet neat freak whose stomach turns at the smell of doughnuts. He's cool but not ultra-confident, tough but not a James Cagney type. And, of course, he's an Indian.
The book is also littered with brilliant supporting characters, from the hilarious Cooley and Ora Mae to the intriguing Claire and Stick. As with Thumps, they're cliches -- not as Indians but as detective novel characters -- but they're GOOD cliches. King can also turn a phrase as well as anyone, and manages to come off as a mixture of Raymond Chandler and Dave Barry while maintaining a distinct style.
DreadfulWater Shows Up is a surefire pleaser for anyone who enjoys a good mystery, a good laugh and a brief trip into an enjoyable, familiar world. I have no doubt this will turn into one of the most popular series in Canadian fiction. I for one am very glad DreadfulWater showed up.
GoodWeather friend.......2004-03-26
From the hoot of a dust jacket (a send-up, heroic, low angle photo: Indian chief in neon) to the climactic scene, this finely wrought, literate, funny novel satisfies in more ways than one might expect. Previous reviews have dealt nicely with its delicious humor and wry tone. I'd like to touch on one element of that humor, which has stuck with me for months after reading the book. As all good humor does, it has a serious aspect.
Poor Thumps DreadfulWater is smitten with Claire Merchant, head of the tribal council of a nearby reservation. Thumps is a pretty bright guy, bright enough to figure out the clever caper at the heart of this novel. But as he attempts to tread the sometimes turbulent waters of a relationship with a strong willed, intelligent, and independant woman, Thumps is badly out of his depth. For instance, he lives in fear of the questions women are wont to ask which seem to have no correct answers. Or, at least, whatever answers he gives always seem to be wrong. Thus, his favorite thing about sex is that, for a short time, he doesn't have to answer any of these questions. Poor Thumps, indeed! Wherever he goes, some variety of female awaits to let some air out of his day.
Women aren't the only element in his life that batter (thump?) Thumps about the head and ego. There's his sad past, his general slothfulness, and things in his refrigerator that shouldn't be green but are all he has left to eat. All that would take a longer review. You should read the book.
All this is uproariously subversive, given the current climate of heightened awareness for women's issues and the general notion that men are dogs. One can almost hear Thomas King (literary novelist), not-so-thinly veiled behind Hartley GoodWeather (mystery writer), chuckling away as he makes his points about the nature of things. In recent years, lots of ink has been used to promote equal treatment for women, and justifiably so. As Garrison Keillor says, one either views life as a comedy or a tragedy. Mr. King, like Chaucer, Shakespeare, and many others before him, has chosen to view a serious issue, conflict between the sexes, as a comedy, and has given us a well placed dab or two of ink on the subject. We're all the better for it.
A Cherokee detective with a dry sense of humor.......2004-01-12
This dryly humorous, character-driven mystery from Canadian author Thomas King (writing under a pseudonym which references his own Cherokee heritage), introduces a smart, laconic Cherokee detective, Thumps DreadfulWater.
Thumps, a former California cop in flight from tragedy, landed near a reservation in Chinook, Montana, looking for a quiet life, which he seems to have found. He's getting a bit of a name for his photography, and has a baffling and bumpy romance going with tribal councilor Claire Merchant.
Claire's satisfaction in acquiring a fancy new resort and casino for the tribe has been somewhat complicated by her teenage son's opposition to the development. But when a casino computer expert is found murdered in one of the condos and all clues point to her computer-savvy boy, complicated becomes something a whole lot worse. Thumps knows Stick didn't kill anybody, but his evasions and disappearance aren't helping.
GoodWeather plays the casino controversy without overplaying, and Thumps' sleuthing is well paced, allowing a range of believably quirky characters to emerge. You may see the ending coming, but you'll only wish it were further off, so as to spend more time with Thumps.
King Lite.......2003-12-14
Graham Greene (the dead British author, not the living Canadian actor) divided his fiction into "novels" and "entertainments". Thomas King's work has grown in sophistication over the course of his three novels: after the complexity of "Truth and Bright Water", I suspect he felt the need to produce an entertainment. This is a lighter narrative than fans of King will be used to, but it's great fun: a strong cast of amusing, memorable characters, a better than average murder mystery, and lots of King's great deadpan dialogue.
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- Good Writing Too
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- A Crash Course on Contemporary Indian Identity
- a blast!
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The Rez Road Follies: Canoes, Casinos, Computers, and Birch Bark Baskets
Jim Northrup
Manufacturer: University of Minnesota Press
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Walking the Rez Road (History & Heritage)
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Tracks
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Mean Spirit
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First Peoples: A Documentary Survey of American Indian History Second Edition
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Indians in Unexpected Places (Cultureamerica)
ASIN: 0816634955 |
Customer Reviews:
Good Writing Too.......2003-01-02
I picked this book up at random while browsing the "Native American studies" shelf at my local book megastore, and I was quickly drawn in, reading it cover-to-cover in a day. Jim Northrop is an Anishinaabe who lives on the Fond du Lac Reservation in Northern Minnesota, and in this book he writes about reservation life, about Native American political issues, and about his own travels and experiences. One of the great strengths of this book is his honesty as a memoirist. While sticking largely to a humorous matter-of-fact tone, he does not shy away from his grief at his son's suicide attempt or his difficulties returning from war in Vietnam. Another strength is the conversational quality of the writing itself. At first it bugged me, short sentences put together into these meandering run-on paragraphs, but after some reading I began to think more of Italian vocal technique, where the tone continues, rising and falling, with words just dotted on the surface. Eventually it felt like I was just hanging out with the guy, listening to his interesting stories. There are times when the writing falls down, for example during an extended series of sports metaphors during a dicussion of racism, or in the rather forced series of kangaroo references when describing a tribal "kangaroo court". But despite these problems I found the writing compelling and accessible. I'm not qualified to analyze the political arguments he sometimes makes, but his perspective on treaty rights, sports mascots, and gambling will certainly stay with me, informing and broadening my thinking when I next encounter these issues in daily life.
Tremendous.......2002-01-18
This book is brutal without being harsh, funny without being lightweight. In a society where everyone (and I do mean everyone) is made to feel guilty for everone else's suffering, this is a breath of fresh air. The problems Northrup faces every day are aired alongside with the joys. For every pain, he offers a happiness.
And he never says you can't understand. He just offers another way to see his life.
Just the Kind of Creative Nonfiction I Like to Read.......2001-08-08
What Northrup has to say is as interesting as the way he says it. I really loved his style of writing: chatty, wry, ironic, funny, serious--often at the same time.
A Crash Course on Contemporary Indian Identity.......2000-10-12
Don't buy Ian Frazier's book if you want any kind of accurate picture of today's Indians. Buy this one instead - this is the book to get if you want to begin to understand the complexities of being an Indian. The author speaks to both the initiated and the ignorant. It's both a moving and a fun read.
a blast!.......2000-06-04
I am so happy that he won the 1999 native american journalism award for his editorials, which appear in indian country today , news from inidan country and the circle. this book is wonderful and very funny! the poem he writes about John Wayne visitng Vietnam is a masterpiece and shows " the Duke" for what he really is a wimp and a wuz! get this book it's truly a gem!
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Public Native America: Tribal Self-Representations in Casinos, Museums, And Powwows
Mary Lawlor
Manufacturer: Rutgers University Press
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Flight: A Novel
ASIN: 0813538653 |
Book Description
The Native American casino and gaming industry has attracted unprecedented American public attention to life on reservations. Other tribal public venues, such as museums and powwows, have also gained in popularity among non-Native audiences and become sites of education and performance.
In Public Native America, Mary Lawlor explores the process of tribal self-definition that the communities in her study make available to off-reservation audiences. Focusing on architectural and interior designs as well as performance styles, she reveals how a complex and often surprising cultural dynamic is created when Native Americans create lavish displays for the public¡¦s participation and consumption.
Drawing on postcolonial and cultural studies, Lawlor argues that these venues serve as a stage where indigenous communities play out delicate negotiations¡Xon the one hand retaining traditional beliefs and rituals, while on the other, using what they have learned about U.S. politics, corporate culture, tourism, and public relations to advance their economic positions.
Book Description
This indispensable guide to Indian Gaming in Southern California has it all: Tribal histories, maps and guides to all of the 22 reservations with active gaming establishments, and charts that summarize everything in the way of gaming, hospitality, and other attractions offered at each casino.
The book also includes easy to use charts and maps, tribal histories, and casino features, plus chapters on the evolution of Indian gaming, and how the advent of gaming is shaping California's economy
Customer Reviews:
Jackpot Trails.......2003-06-19
I recommend highly this book as I find it to be excellently written. It has a great tour guide for each Indian casino and a great one page summary for each casino. It makes you want to take the complete tour. It also has a good introduction and history on the Indians which my wife really enjoys.
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