C. M. Wendelboe | Writing Truths in a Fictional World

I write mysteries involving Indians, or what most folks collectively refer to as "Native Americans." I made a conscious decision when beginning the Spirit Road Mystery Series that I would have no stereotypes within those stories. That I would leave misconceptions at the door of Page 1. That I would present my characters truthfully - no matter how painful or pleasant.

I have read, and have watched on television and the big screen, as Indians have been portrayed in stock ways. There are the Edward S. Curtis photos of Indians appearing as if they are sucking on lemons, with their dour stares into the camera. There have been enough depictions of bloodthirsty indigenous people preying on innocents to fill a teepee. There have been whole movies based on Indians as alcoholics with no thought for betterment or for family life. I'm here to say none of these stereotypes apply.

First, Indians have humor as do other cultures: they laugh, they joke with each other, and they have a love of life. Just as do other cultures. I talked some time ago with a Lakota friend of mine, Ernie LaPointe (Sitting Bull's Voice) who served with the 101st. Airborne in Viet Nam. Having never been in Airborne, I was curious, and I asked him if he yelled "Geronimo" when he jumped out of the plane like the other soldiers. He looked at me straight-faced and answered, "No, I yelled Custer." Then he broke out into a long laugh. That illustrates Indian's love of humor.

Indians often warred with other tribes over territory, and they fought the U. S. Government and white encroachment in their lands as well. These were disciplined cavalry, capable of mounting a strong offense, or fighting a rearward action to protect their families. And if non-Indians crossed into their lands, whether to hunt or trap or pan for gold, Indians would take up arms and defend their lives and lands. But they rarely did so for the sole sake of shedding blood needlessly. They did precisely what other nations do in similar circumstances.

Indians have their share of alcoholics, just like all communities. And like other communities, caring, compassionate people work daily on reservations to help those that want help. I recently spoke with an alcoholic councilor on Crow Agency about the problem. He had such optimism that he insisted the problem would be solved with the resurgence of cultural awareness. For the Indians never had an alcohol problem in their traditional society. It is not native to their environment.

Which brings me back to writing about these wonderful people. Read my stories and you will experience reservation life as it actually is. There are the deaths that come with writing fictional murder mysteries, but there are also the truths that are portrayed. Drive through any Indian reservation and you will see fathers playing catch with their sons. You'll see ladies washing their cars, teasing their toddlers with quick sprays of water. You'll see kids riding bareback through the streets, their heads tilted back with glee. But what you won't see in the pages of a Spirit Road Mysteries are drunks lying passed out in streets, or rows of grouchy-looking old men sitting in front of a general store glaring at passersby, or people lurking in the shadows waiting to pounce on the hapless tourist walking by. What you will see are truths - no matter if painful or pleasant.

About Death on the Greasy Grass

FBI agent Manny Tanno is taking some much needed R and R at the site of the Battle of Little Big Horn. But when a death on the reservation cuts his vacation short, he learns that the secrets of the past have a way of stirring up trouble in the present. As a scout for the legendary General Custer, Crow tribe member Levi Star Dancer kept a journal chronicling his exploits from the Battle of the Greasy Grass onward. Now, the missing journal has been found and the descendents of those mentioned in the account, including Levi’s own, want to keep their family secrets hidden at all costs… Manny’s trip to the Crow Agency Reservation turns out to be ill timed when a reenactor of the Battle of Little Big Horn is killed right in front of him.

It turns out the victim was the one who found Levi Star Dancer’s famed diary and was planning on selling it to the highest bidder. And while the dead body is hard to miss, the coveted book is nowhere to be found. Now, Manny has to watch his back while searching for a murderer and the missing journal, because this slippery killer will do anything to make sure the past stays buried.