Post by Okwes on Dec 28, 2007 13:13:16 GMT -5
Getting Back to American Indian Roots: Author Tells Story of Ojibwe
Ancestry, Self-Acceptance in Powerful True Narrative
Wednesday June 6, 10:28 am ET
biz.yahoo.com/prnews/070606/new058.html?.v=10
<http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/070606/new058.html?.v=10>
BELLEVUE, Wash., June 6 /PRNewswire/ -- In 1977, Alex Haley's Pulitzer
Prize-winning book, "Roots," raised self-awareness by prompting many
Americans to take a closer look into their heritage. Now, 30 years
later, James A. Starkey Jr. revisits this idea under a new light in his
book "Back to the Blanket: A Native Narrative of Discovery" (now
available through AuthorHouse).
[http://us.bc.yahoo.com/b?P=Q4Iyy9htfJCN2pS_Q6BJswT7UZQb_EZn7xMAB2rx&T=1\
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4%2fD%3dLREC%2fB%3d4324550] Based on personal experiences, Starkey tells
the riveting story of his own exploration of his roots in the American
Indian Ojibwe tribe. The impetus for this seven-generation narrative
begins in 1988, when Junior is stricken with chronic myeloid leukemia.
He undergoes a rigorous 45-day treatment in which he is isolated in a
sealed room and subjected to intense chemotherapy while on a
mind-altering morphine drip. During this time, Junior experiences vivid
visions which he never completely comprehends due to frequent
interruptions by his medical treatment. Although curiosity drives him to
ponder the visions, it is not until six years later that he experiences
the same, but uninterrupted visions while on a train with his quirky
half-white, half-Ojibwe father.
"Somewhere deep in his past, there is a dark secret of why he cannot
come to grips with his ill feelings toward Indians and whites alike,"
writes Starkey. "Readers begin to see that it is not really about being
Indian or being white at all; it is about being stuck in the middle,
between the proverbial 'rock and a hard place,' and not knowing why or
how you got there."
The story embarks on a quest into the past, when in 1760 Junior's
ancestors' lives begin to unravel with the introduction of white trade
goods, including alcohol, threatening their core beliefs and customs,
and infectious diseases. As the years progress, the conflicts continue
and century-old events reflect the foreboding Seven Fires Prophecy. Yet,
the legacy of the Red Trade Blanket reveals a presence that will touch
and bring new meaning to modern-day lives.
"Back to the Blanket" appeals to a wide range of readers, with its focus
on mixed-race individuals and family relationships, and offers a time
and place for healing. "The story really exposes the often undisclosed
message that we really are more alike than different," says Starkey.
Already used in multiple educational settings, the book also "has strong
possibilities for use as classroom-related materials, either as a focus
or supplemental reading."
For 36 years, Starkey taught primarily English and social sciences in
the Bellevue School District. Now retired, he continues to play an
active role in Indian education and the advocacy of Native issues. He
holds a bachelor's degree in journalism and master's in education and
served in the U.S. Marines and Army Reserve. He is an enrolled member of
the Minnesota Ojibwe Tribe, Pembina Band. Twelve years of research and
writing are represented in "Back to the Blanket," his first book. For
more information, visit his Web site jamesastarkeyjr.com
<http://jamesastarkeyjr.com/> .
AuthorHouse is the premier publishing house for emerging authors and new
voices in literature. For more information, please visit
www.authorhouse.com
Ancestry, Self-Acceptance in Powerful True Narrative
Wednesday June 6, 10:28 am ET
biz.yahoo.com/prnews/070606/new058.html?.v=10
<http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/070606/new058.html?.v=10>
BELLEVUE, Wash., June 6 /PRNewswire/ -- In 1977, Alex Haley's Pulitzer
Prize-winning book, "Roots," raised self-awareness by prompting many
Americans to take a closer look into their heritage. Now, 30 years
later, James A. Starkey Jr. revisits this idea under a new light in his
book "Back to the Blanket: A Native Narrative of Discovery" (now
available through AuthorHouse).
[http://us.bc.yahoo.com/b?P=Q4Iyy9htfJCN2pS_Q6BJswT7UZQb_EZn7xMAB2rx&T=1\
fb8l7mak%2fX%3d1181216531%2fE%3d7811758%2fR%3dfin%2fK%3d5%2fV%3d2.1%2fW%\
3dH%2fY%3dYAHOO%2fF%3d1015696831%2fH%3dY29icmFuZD0iPGEgaHJlZj1odHRwOi8vd\
XMucmQueWFob28uY29tL2ZpbmFuY2UvbmV3cy9wcm5ld3MvU0lHPTExMnNsZTkzby8qaHR0c\
DovL3d3dy5wcm5ld3N3aXJlLmNvbS95YWhvby8.PGltZyBib3JkZXI9MCBzcmM9aHR0cDovL\
3VzLmkxLnlpbWcuY29tL3VzLnlpbWcuY29tL2kvdXMvZmkvZ3IvcGFydG5lcl9sb2dvcy9wc\
m5ld3N3aXJlXzE3MHgzM19sb2dvLmdpZiBhbHQ9UFJfTmV3c3dpcmU.PC9hPiIgY2FjaGVoa\
W50PSI3ODExNzU4IiBjYWNoZWhpbnQ9Ijc4MTE3NTgi%2fQ%3d-1%2fS%3d1%2fJ%3d8B7C6\
DD8&U=13bh4i067%2fN%3dQw3eEdhtfFk-%2fC%3d499324.10591276.11206123.141469\
4%2fD%3dLREC%2fB%3d4324550] Based on personal experiences, Starkey tells
the riveting story of his own exploration of his roots in the American
Indian Ojibwe tribe. The impetus for this seven-generation narrative
begins in 1988, when Junior is stricken with chronic myeloid leukemia.
He undergoes a rigorous 45-day treatment in which he is isolated in a
sealed room and subjected to intense chemotherapy while on a
mind-altering morphine drip. During this time, Junior experiences vivid
visions which he never completely comprehends due to frequent
interruptions by his medical treatment. Although curiosity drives him to
ponder the visions, it is not until six years later that he experiences
the same, but uninterrupted visions while on a train with his quirky
half-white, half-Ojibwe father.
"Somewhere deep in his past, there is a dark secret of why he cannot
come to grips with his ill feelings toward Indians and whites alike,"
writes Starkey. "Readers begin to see that it is not really about being
Indian or being white at all; it is about being stuck in the middle,
between the proverbial 'rock and a hard place,' and not knowing why or
how you got there."
The story embarks on a quest into the past, when in 1760 Junior's
ancestors' lives begin to unravel with the introduction of white trade
goods, including alcohol, threatening their core beliefs and customs,
and infectious diseases. As the years progress, the conflicts continue
and century-old events reflect the foreboding Seven Fires Prophecy. Yet,
the legacy of the Red Trade Blanket reveals a presence that will touch
and bring new meaning to modern-day lives.
"Back to the Blanket" appeals to a wide range of readers, with its focus
on mixed-race individuals and family relationships, and offers a time
and place for healing. "The story really exposes the often undisclosed
message that we really are more alike than different," says Starkey.
Already used in multiple educational settings, the book also "has strong
possibilities for use as classroom-related materials, either as a focus
or supplemental reading."
For 36 years, Starkey taught primarily English and social sciences in
the Bellevue School District. Now retired, he continues to play an
active role in Indian education and the advocacy of Native issues. He
holds a bachelor's degree in journalism and master's in education and
served in the U.S. Marines and Army Reserve. He is an enrolled member of
the Minnesota Ojibwe Tribe, Pembina Band. Twelve years of research and
writing are represented in "Back to the Blanket," his first book. For
more information, visit his Web site jamesastarkeyjr.com
<http://jamesastarkeyjr.com/> .
AuthorHouse is the premier publishing house for emerging authors and new
voices in literature. For more information, please visit
www.authorhouse.com