| Hillerman-ese |
| Hillerman-ese |
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CURIOUS PLACES: Burntwater Trading Post (Dark Wind) A real Burntwater Trading Post existed about 8 miles northeast of the Sanders Arizona exit on I-40. It was closed in 1983 and is now only walls. The name came from a burning shade ramada falling into the water. A replacement quonset hut can still be seen on the road 5 miles north from Sanders. In Robert Redford's movie version, the Red Lake Trading Post northeast of Tuba City Arizona was instead used. The 'real' Burntwater wasn't anywhere near the mystery novel's described location near Wepo Wash (north side of Hopi 2nd Mesa). Coyote Canyon Trading Post (Wailing Wind) This old trading post slowly died, after a murder occurred there inside the building in January 1998. Navajos don't trust the possibility of 'chinde' hanging around after death. You can still, however, see the trading post at Coyote Canyon on N9, west of US666/US491. Kykosmovi Trading Post If you're looking for the old Oraibi Trading Post, this one was originally known as Oraibi Trading Post, when Lorenzo Hubbell bought it in 1905. Red Lake Trading Post This one is located about 20 miles northeast of Tuba City Arizona, and was filmed by Robert Redford in Dark Wind. Chee was the main character. When they renovated the trading post for the film, they uncovered old walls made from wooden Arbuckle coffee boxes. If you get the chance, stop at the post, as well as Red Lake below the post. Another Redford location was in Tuba City, where the Hopi Village was placed inside the BIA Krenz building. It was made of paper mache and later burned. Short Mountain Trading Post and Shorty McGinnis (Listening Woman, Coyote Waits, First Eagle, and Skeleton Man) Short Mountain is clearly meant to be a fictional location (per Hillerman). Unfortunately, he just 'couldn't' resist giving decent directions to its multiple locations! And, to complicate matters further, he even has McGinnis back-reference Listening Woman from Skeleton Man. Lordy. Best we can figure, the first one is located northeast of Tuba City, off a dirt road from Cowsprings. The other is northwest of Tuba City and somewhat west of US89 toward the Marble Canyon rim. See ... you get two for the price of one! Tocito New Mexico (Coyote Waits) Located 3.3 miles west of US666/US491 and 24.3 miles south of Shiprock New Mexico, it was created to compete with Sanostee Trading Post 8 miles away. Sanostee wouldn't disclose the location of the Beautiful Mountain Uprising leaders in 1913 (and their multiple wives). The Sanostee Trading Post was the location of the mediation. This was the last use of a large number of troops against native Americans. |
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HOMES AND MORE, OF THE MYSTERY CHARACTERS: Chaco Area Roads Was where Leaphorn, early in his career, got stuck after marrying Emma. Clothing Preferred Leaphorn wore a battered stetson (First Eagle; ch4). Chee wore size 10 boots (Dark Wind; ch16). Flagstaff Was where Prof Bourebonette lived, working at NAU. Judging from the description of her house being 4 blocks from NAU (Skeleton Man), it would likely be south of Butler, on the east side of NAU. Food Orders at the Navajo Inn Chee always ordered a hamburger. Leaphorn always ordered an enchilada. Additionally, Leaphorn uses sugar with his coffee. (Wailing Wind; ch3). Los Gigantes This was Hillerman's first location for Blessingway. Originally he named the novel 'Enemyway' but changed it at the recommendation of the publisher. Los Gigantes was used again later in Ghostway and Shape Shifter. There's actually TWO 'Los Gigantes' on the Navajo Nation. One is north of Chinle in Arizona. The other is east of Ramah, in New Mexico. You just DON'T get a free lunch with Tony! Mishongnovi (Hopi 2nd Mesa) This was the home village of Cowboy Dashi. Rough Rock Arizona This was where Chee grew up as a member of the imaginary Slow Talking Clan. Chee was introduced in People of Darkness. Uncle Frank Sam Nakai taught Chee the Nightway and Enemyway ceremonies, and had his winter hogan west of Rough Rock (northeast of Hopi). Shiprock New Mexico The Navajo Tribal Police station here was the first assignment for Chee before being transfered to Tuba City. It's located well north of the San Juan bridge on the right side going north. Trucks that Leaphorn drove. Blue pickup, banged up. Rust on right fender. (Wailing Wind; ch3). Dodge Ram king cab early 90's winch on front bumper and scratched paint (First Eagle; ch4). Tuba City Navajo Tribal Police Station Located on the east side of main street in Tuba City Arizona, Chee was transferred here in Dark Wind. Two Grey Hills Trading Post Was the main setting for Ghostway, north and west of Gallup New Mexico. This was where Leaphorn grew up east of the Chuskas, and also where Frank Nakai, Chee's uncle had his summer sheep range. Leaphorn later attended the Kayenta boarding school. If you have time, Two Grey Hills Trading Post is a definite place to visit. The owners are really nice, the interior is historically accurate and the rug displays are unbelievable. Yah-teh-heh NM Located just north of Gallup NM on US666/491, it was the home of Bernie. Her mother lived at Hogback NM (Wailing Wind). |
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READING HILLERMAN: You Can't Put One Down When I started reading Hillerman, it was only a reluctance, after running out of Zane Grey books! But then Redford's 'Dark Wind' had been really good. But after reading one Hillerman, and then another, I became 'hooked'. Each would start out with an odd event, at which point you could safely stop reading. But if you continued, you'd have to pretty much finish the book since the story was always gripping. After reading a few, Sunday afternoons were always reserved for starting a new Hillerman mystery. Navajo A lady here in Sedona panned the mysteries, since they seemed to repeat the 'indian experience'. That kind of upset me. We ARE talking about Chee and Leaphorn. When you are two Navajo Tribal policemen, just HOW DIFFERENT could each book be?? On the other hand, I never liked it when the story strayed too far from the reservation. Sinister Pig was a LITTLE off the track down in southern New Mexico. On the other hand, the pipeline did run up NM44 near the Checkerboard. That's ok. But Washington DC (Talking God) and Los Angeles (Ghostway)? I don't think so. Yes, both Chee and Leaphorn far exceeded any law enforcement talent off the reservation. But there's really no need to waste precious reading there! So Real I was really 'in love' with Tony Hillerman, until I read his 'Great Taos Bank Robbery' only to get a hint of his writing attitude. I was so disappointed. I don't know what I was thinking. He was human, or at least seemed so. But fiction is a special world of the imagination, and no one wants to awaken from the dream. Authors should be more careful with their own reality. Smile! A Culture Forever? As you move from mystery to mystery, you slowly come to appreciate the Navajo Nation, as well as the Hopi. Impossible as it is, you begin to see a tiny bit of the culture as it is and used to be. But what about the future? Our church supports missionaries on the reservation, and we happily attend camp meetings and learn from local Navajo and Hopi Christians. We also love the culture and wonder how it can long co-exist with our culture and religions. Hillerman in his third mystery (Listening Woman) kind of potshotted a Church of Christ mission, and later a traveling missionary (Thief of Time). He was probably right, but it's not a comfortable feeling. |
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TOURING HILLERMAN: Some people like to see the places that surround a book series. We'll admit Green Gables certainly attracted us to eastern Canada! If you'd like to 'tour Hillerman', here's some useful advice: (1) Roads The reservation is essentially 'boxed in' by I-40 on the south, US89 on the west, US64 on the north, and NM44 on the east, with almost all of the mysteries placed inside. The problem is that there's not a lot of asphalt highways, with most running north/south and few running east/west. So making one continuous loop isn't easy. It's best to pick your favorite mysteries, and then pick your route accordingly. (2) Number Changes Hillerman used highway numbers from the 70s to the 90s and kind of stuck with them. So, several of the numbers have changed (most notably US666> US491). Additionally, he doesn't ALWAYS use an existing location, and that can be a LITTLE frustrating. If you can, find an OLD highway map, or old mapping software for Arizona (Topo software is best). And then smile ... you're searching just like Tony! (3) Time of Year Unless you like hot, June through August is just not comfortable, unless you're in the Chuskas. And in the winter months (Dec-Jan?), some of the roads are literally not maintained to clear the snow! So, just to be on the safe side, go either in the spring or autumn and relax along with Leaphorn and Chee. (4) Reservation Rules Non-native-Americans have a hard time realizing that reservations are managed by the Navajo and Hopi. Therefore, you can't just 'go anywhere' ... it's their lands and their homes. Visit with the same ATTITUDE you might have if it were another country and people. Camping and fishing/hunting require special permits from the Navajo. And as you might guess, they have their own tribal police, should there be a problem! Remember that hitting a car on the reservation isn't the same as if in Apache/Navajo(AZ) or San Juan/McKinley(NM) Counties. |
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