Review Native Men of Courage by Vincent Schilling
Review …
Native Men of Courage by Vincent Schilling
05 February 2010
published by www.indiancountrytoday.com
USA — VIRGINIA BEACH When author Vincent Schilling set forth to document 10 Native Men of Courage, a book in the Native Trailblazer Series published by 7th Generation, he had no idea that one of the interviews would take him to the front lines of a forest fire.
He found the Golden Eagle Hotshots firefighters during a random Internet search for courageous men. Some of the guys came up when I was looking for someone else, Schilling said. I didnt put a lot of effort in it. I just kind of let myself be led.
The inclusion of the firefighters added four more profiles to the book, and the stories serve to inspire readers of all ages.
Schilling, Mohawk, wrote the book in conversational style, intended for pre-teens and teens. Yet, he said book reviewers and readers have asked him why its targeted exclusively to young readers.
The question is a good one, but the answer he gives is simple: young Native men and women need positive role models to identify with that are living in the present.
Some of the men profiled walked away from drug and alcohol addiction to become great role models, or faced great adversity politically and socially. Many of the men share their first experiences in dealing with racism and stereotypes, only to overcome it through perseverance. There are a whole lot of levels of courageousness.
The Golden Eagle Hotshots, a specialized division of Native and minority firefighters, are part of the Sycuan Indian Tribes fire department, located near San Diego, Calif. The hotshots are the epitome of courage, as they travel the country fighting fires in extremely dangerous conditions.
Since the hotshots are based on the West Coast, Schilling figured that phone interviews were his only option. It turns out that shortly after he established initial contact with Chief Raymond Ruiz Sr., the team traveled to North Carolina to fight a blaze, just hours from his home.
To be on the front lines with the Golden Eagles was a complete long shot, Schilling said. It would have never happened if I had planned for it.
The five Native men profiled openly and honestly share how their life experiences led them to become firefighters. For instance, Cody Ridley, Shoshoni, opened up about life in the penitentiary, and how he overcame his dependence on drugs and alcohol to arrive where he is today.
I interviewed them with fires all around, Schilling said. It was just an absolutely incredible experience.
And the incredible experiences didnt stop there.
Schilling traveled to Washington, D.C. to interview former Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, who shared his experiences that primed him to become a three-time U.S. judo champion, as well as how he learned to craft award winning jewelry. He also opened up about his painful childhood, and other experiences that have shaped him into the man he is today an honorary Cheyenne chief, and a notable man of courage.
Often times, courage comes in the form of doing the right thing.
This would be the case of Chief Frank Abraham of the Little Black River First Nation, a reserve on the eastern shores of Lake Winnipeg. When he was appointed the administrator for the Ojibwe band, he noticed some unexplained spending while doing the bookkeeping. It was a gut wrenching and risky decision for him to confront his leaders on their misappropriation of the bands funds. But he did the right thing, and ultimately earned the trust and respect of his people.
In fact, all of the men, including Raymond Cross, Patrick Brazeau, Chief Red Hawk, Chief Tom Porter, Larry Merculieff, Dr. Stanley Vollant, and Lt. Mark Bowman share intriguing stories that define courage.
This is Schillings second book under the Native Trailblazer Series. His first book, Native Athletes in Action! garnered two book awards. His third book, Native Musicians in the Groove! is out now.
