A Chemehuevi Song

"[A Chemehuevi Song] represents the highest level of academic and community collaboration. . . [It] is the embodiment of an intellectual and cultural relationship that combines an astute analysis from the historian/ethnographer with a melody of rare tribal voices sharing the lived realities—both past and present—that Chemehuevi people experienced, survived, and relied upon to create the cultural resilience they are experiencing today."

"The sound historical research, sources, and extensive employment of oral history interviews makes this account of the history and persistence of the Chemehuevi an impressive work."

"Trafzer’s book is a wondrous portrayal. . . . Compelling historical discourse. . . . A Chemehuevi Song is a song, and a story, that we should all make time to hear."

"Clifford E. Trafzer has produced a thorough history of the Chemehuevi people. . . . This work will appeal to a wide audience. It is certainly an important work for California Indian scholars. . . . This book is a song with a very clear message and chorus, and Trafzer makes very clear that the song continues."

"A well-written and illustrated, carefully documented, masterful contribution to the overlapping fields of ethnohistory, ethnomusicology, Native American and American studies, myth, and folklore. Essential."

"Some academics are good scholars and a few are good storytellers. Clifford Trafzer is both. . . . Trafzer presents a nuanced view of the community's culture, especially their songs as methods of dealing with sorrow. . . . A Chemehuevi Song is a testament to their songs as metaphors for the Chemehuevi's adaptations to adversity and relative prosperity."

"A considerable achievement using extensive archival sources and the voices of Southern Paiute people that analyzes the sweep of Chemehuevi history. This is a significant contribution to indigenous studies and American history, a model for future works on American Indian people."

"Through Trafzerʼs interviews with contemporary Chemehuevi, we understand why these people are still here, still maintaining a culture that by all the 'laws' of history should have disappeared decades ago."

"Driven by oral history interviews and in-depth research, Clifford E. Trafzer, a senior indigenous scholar is at his best in masterly historicizing the Chemehuevi Way, connecting people and the past in rhythm with nature. This holistic approach is a luminous model for understanding the longue duree of native peoples."

"What makes this monograph particularly meaningful is how Trafzer skillfully places the Chemehuevi people as the center of the story—using their voice and their perspective."

"In this deeply compelling book, Trafzer provides a fascinating account of how one Southern California tribe navigated through federal and state government policies to preserve and practice its right to self-determination. Written by a master storyteller, A Chemehuevi Song is the first comprehensive analysis of the Chemehuevi of Twenty-Nine Palms. It is a captivating story that gives voice to the people, and offers a rare glimpse into their history and culture."

"Trafzer should be congratulated for his nuanced rendering of Chemehuevi history, which stems from his longstanding relationship with the tribe . . . I wholeheartedly recommend it for anyone interested in learning the 'true history' of California, the conquest of the U.S. West, and the survival of Native People in the Americas."

"Like the versatile healing properties of Salt Songs themselves, this book remembers, honors, cures and I hope will foster a new generation of too-long-ignored culture histories from the panoply of southern California’s first nations. A stunning, exciting and intimate portrait orchestrated by a sensitive and wise scholar who lets the people and their places speak for themselves."