Tales from Wide Ruins: Jean and Bill Cousins, Traders - Hardcover

Engels, Mary Tate

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0896723682 ISBN 13: 9780896723689

Publisher: Texas Tech University Press, 1996

Synopsis

Mary Tate Engels's account of the lives of the Cousins is a valuable addition to the literature of Western Americana and an astute insight into the rich and complex Navajo culture."—Tony HillermanOnly a few crumbling structures remain of the once thriving community of families who lived at the Wide Ruins Trading Post. Only the stories of Bill and Jean Cousins, their photos and letters, remain to validate the history of a corner of the Navajo Indian Reservation in the early twentieth century.And theirs is a unique history. The couple spent a lifetime in the Indian trading business at Cousins Brothers Post, Thunderbird Post, Borrego Post, Wide Ruins Post, then Cousins Indian Jewelry and Jean's All Indian Pawn Shop in Gallup. In the 1930s and 1940s they managed the Wide Ruins Post, known to the Navajos as Kin-Teel, or "wide house." They aided in the development of the Wide Ruins rug, encouraging the area Navajo weavers to use entirely vegetal dyes to re-create in their rugs the glorious natural colors of the desert.But more importantly, Jean and Bill Cousins were part of the beginning of a new era of relations between the Native Americans of this remote area and the Anglos. They helped to forge a basis for commerce—and for mutual respect. Working with both Zuñis and Navajos to market handmade items for modern trade, the Cousinses became both their advisers and their friends.

About this title

Reviews

YA-The Cousinses, Indian traders in the 1930s and `40s, offer their personal accounts of the past experiences of Native Americans and other ethnic groups living in the desert of the Southwest. Their stories deal with the harsh life of both the traders and the Native Americans with whom they dealt. The editor guides the flow of the Cousinses' words, making the reading effortless and enjoyable, and capturing the intimate feel of these once-oral stories. The chapters include background information as well as personal narratives. Coupled with their intriguing tales, the narratives include the many challenges and failures the Cousinses faced. Teens should enjoy the adventures, memorable personalities, and episodes of humor. Good primary-source material.-Pam Johnson, Fairfax County Public Library, VA

Copyright 1996 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Texas Tech University Press
• Publication date: 1996
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0896723682
• ISBN 13: 9780896723689
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 244