Native Crimes — Steven Wright

Among the aromatic red cedars of southwestern Oklahoma live a small group of Native Americans descendants of the Apache tribe and Geronimo's last band of warriors. 100 years after being freed as prisoners of war, the tribe is still surviving. Payat Daniels is a modern day member of the tribe and a survivor in his own right. Orphaned at an early age, he is now ready to graduate from college and embark on a new life full of hope and promise. His plans change dramatically when his past resurfaces and he is forced to confront his mother‘s murderer as well as deep secrets in his family ancestry. Secrets that swirl around a lost family relic, mysterious medicine men, and a highly prized Indian knife. His story brings to life historically accurate events that document and authenticate the existence of the knife. Thought lost forever to the chaos of the time, its emergence reveals evidence of an astonishing truth…a truth concealed for centuries. In a desperate race to save his own life, he must first learn to embrace his Indian heritage and reconcile it with his Christian faith. Many of the answers he seeks went to the grave with the famous chiefs and medicine men of the late 1800's, during an era of time complicated by lies, deceit, murder, and betrayal with consequences that still haunt the tribe today. Rich in Indian mythology and legend, the story is crafted on true Native American history and events that still haunt a nation coming to terms with the Indian assimilation policies of the 1800's. As Payat begins to dig into the past, he finds himself inspired by the stories of two famous women warriors that fought for justice and survival. Racing against time and over his head in a dangerous situation, his mission is clouded by a young woman from college that is both his friend and foe…with a surprising secret of her own!