Journal of the Southwest

Oklahoma Treasures and Treasure Tales by Steve WilsonReview by: Kenny A. FranksArizona and the West, Vol. 18, No. 4 (Winter, 1976), pp. 386-387Published by: Journal of the SouthwestStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40168539 .

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386 ARIZONA and the WEST

Hermano Supreme de la Fraternidad Piodosa de Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno (the modern Penitentes), reveals that he has reviewed the manuscript prior to

publication, and that the author "deleted" and "amended" material at his sug- gestion. How much he censored is not revealed.

In contrast, Fray Angelico Chavez has written a highly interpretive volume which is at once historical, philosophical, and fascinating to read. It is doubtless a major contribution to the literature of the Spanish Southwest. Chavez, who

recently retired after thirty-five years as a Franciscan missionary, is a well-known New Mexico historian, theologian, poet, and book reviewer. Apparently uncon- cerned about academic credibility, he omits footnotes and appends no bibliog- raphy to what he terms "the soul story of my Hispanic people." His highly anecdotal and broadly ranging essays read more like sermons, memoirs, or poems than the usual history book. His basic thesis is that the Penitente movement reflects the "soul" of New Mexico's Spanish population and connects it with older- civilizations in Palestine and Spain. "We Hispanic New Mexicans are all Penitentes in some way," he argues, "through blood origins and landscape and a long history of suffering."

Personal preference will determine which approach the reader finds most

satisfying. Historians trained in the scientific method may like Weigle, for she is cautious, documents her work thoroughly, and avoids speculation. On the other hand, she avoids asking searching questions and necessarily reaches few signifi- cant conclusions. As Chavez points out, "mere arrays of facts and dates, by their

very nature, leave the inner core of human things unsaid." In attempting to answer basic questions about the nature of a whole society, his study leaves the reader wondering how far he can trust an author's subjective judgments. Lapses into geographical determinism and somewhat dubious comparisons of ancient Palestinians, medieval Spaniards, and contemporary New Mexicans are particu- larly bothersome. Thus while each book has its weaknesses, together they con- stitute a fairly complete study of New Mexico's Penitente brotherhoods.

Lawrence R. Murphy

The reviewer, an Associate Professor of History at Western Illinois University, Macotnb, has published several books and a number of articles on New Mexico.

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OKLAHOMA TREASURES AND TREASURE TALES. By Steve Wilson. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1976. 325 pp. $15.95.

Lost mines, hidden gold, buried treasure

Legends abound throughout the American West of vast hoards of precious metals secreted in the ground by Indians, Spaniards, outlaws, and miners. Okla- homa is no exception and Steve Wilson, the Director of the Institute of the Great Plains and editor of the Great Plains Journal, has gathered these stories in a well- written and richly illustrated book.

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REVIEWS 387

Though stories of buried treasure are pandemic in the Southwest, previously Oklahoma has not attracted the attention of the surrounding area. This is easy to explain inasmuch as the state experienced no extensive mineral rushes, was not a part of the Spanish borderlands, and was settled long after the remainder of the region. As a result the state has been overlooked; however, the legends exist and whether true or not many believe them so.

In order to ascertain the historical facts behind the many Oklahoma treasure tales, Wilson has researched numerous manuscripts and documents, examined

many books and articles, searched countless newspapers and maps, and inter- viewed an array of historians and "old-timers." The author concedes that "for the most part historians have turned a deaf ear to tales of lost gold," but he is

quick to point out that "if given a chance, the treasure legend - oral tradition - can often paint a picture that history has failed to record." Correct in his assump- tion, Wilson alludes to ancient ruins, crumbled smelters, crudely worked mines, and time-worn tales as evidence.

The book includes every section of the state, from gold mines in the Wichita Mountains to hidden bullion in the Indian Nations, and from buried treasure on the Santa Fe Trail to Pre-Columbian Indian mounds along the Arkansas River. Well aware of the potentially disastrous consequences of his work in the hands of "pothunters," Wilson urges all who might stumble on artifacts to report them, so that they might be recovered for study and evaluation. Those who ravage ancient campsites, burial grounds, or long forgotten ruins for the sake of a few arrow points or pieces of pottery destroy all possibilities for proper investigation and preservation.

Oklahoma Treasures and Treasure Tales provides fascinating reading through the entire spectrum of Oklahoma history. Tales of the wealth of the Mound Builders accumulated well before the arrival of Europeans, of Spanish prospectors of the sixteenth century on the rim of civilization, and of the blood- stained loot of modern outlaws offer new and exciting sidelights to the history of the Sooner State. Coupled with the highly entertaining narrative are numer- ous photographs and illustrations, all of which add to this informative work.

Opening new questions for historians and providing delightful reading for every- one, Oklahoma Treasures and Treasure Tales is a welcome addition to the history of the state and the Southwest.

Kenny A. Franks Dr. Franks is the editor of Chronicles of Oklahoma.

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THE NAVAjOS AND THE NEW DEAL. By Donald L. Parman. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1976. 316 pp. $17.50.

Few fields have grown as rapidly during the past decade as American Indian

history. Although American Indian studies were once largely in the domain of

anthropologists, increasingly historians have sharpened the tools of their craft

bringing its insights to bear on Indian cultures. The problem of writing about a

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