Santana

Drawn from priceless firsthand accounts of the years 1862 to 1880, this book tells the story of a great Mescalero war chief who was targeted for death by the U.S. military as a dangerous renegade. His gifts as leader and negotiator eventually won Santana the confidence of the U.S. government, enabling him to save his people from extermination and secure a reservation on their New Mexico homeland. Written in the 1940s, Almer N. Blazer’s factually based novel presents Indian history from an Indian perspective. A neighbor and close friend of the Mescalero, Blazer faithfully transmitted the oral history and cultural traditions he was exposed to, presenting a vital picture of tribal life, customs, and religious beliefs. The story of Santana himself comes from Dr. J. H. Blazer, the author’s father, who was Santana’s close friend and ally in negotiations with the government. The book includes rare early photographs of the Mescalero Apache.