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Acknowledgements
While the military battle at Picacho Peak is taken from history and has been written with historical accuracy in mind, the character of Alex McCallister is purely fictional. Pauline Weaver, who is mentioned as being scout, was indeed a true West figure and did serve the commanding officers as scout, as well as being an early Arizona explorer.
This novel is a work of historical fiction based on an actual experience that occurred to this writer while living on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona. The Dine` has a rich culture inherent including tales of the mysterious and supernatural.
In the fall of 1992 several horrific murders happened. It began when an old man was staked out and beheaded in the Chuska Mountains near the small community of Tsaile. Several weeks later a Chinle high school senior lay dead under the bridge on the way to the Canyons; certain body parts missing. A well-known medicine man from the community knew a Sacrificial Alter existed. Many dogs were slain with body parts removed to be used in black magic. The Chinle police feared that a “coven” of “Skinwalker’s” had come. Locals spoke of a terrifying man/animal known as Yenaldooshii. Meetings were held. Teachers wanted to know how to help students cope. Fear spread through everyone like the plague. The FBI was summoned and after investigating concluded that the “creatures” had moved on. Things quieted down, but the fear remained.
A little voice told me I had heard of this creature before. I searched through old notes and found an interview I held in 1969 with my Grandmother. Her mother, a French descendant of the early voyageur and fur trappers in the Upper Louisiana Territory told her this story which she narrated to me. The passage in my notes read:
“…Mr. Edmunds believed that the only way he could kill this deer was by melting down a two-bit piece, turn it into a bullet and shoot the creature to kill. The deer was a ‘Skinwalker. After it was shot, a woman in the village appeared the next morning with a broken arm in the location where Mr. Edmunds had shot the deer.”
I was stunned. Mythology had come full circle for me at that moment.
I searched for any Navajo elder willing to converse with me about the recent occurrences so I could better understand to help my children with their fear. I found no objection from them in writing down the story. I did however find many conditions and I have honored them. It was explained in detail to me that if I were not careful and allowed my thoughts to focus on this negative energy, it would seek me out.
After I began work on the novel my emotions were high. One night a loud scream woke me from a deep sleep. Drenched in sweat, I realized that the scream had come from me. A fierce malevolent face had moved from the darkness, large black pupils just inches from my own. A raspy voice had spoken:
“So, you think you know me…”
I was unable to continue and yes I was afraid. The warnings I had received seemed to be real. I put everything away for many months and tried to forget about it. After much encouragement from my husband I proceeded, but from that point on I was cautious. I still am, but I finally finished it.
To my family and friends, thank you for your support.
McCallister, Alex, (Fictitious Character)Skinwalker (Fictitious Character) Based On Fact/FictionGreene, Lacey (Fictitious Character) Greene, William (Fictitious Character) O’Brien, Shannon (Fictitious Character) FictionJennings, Sam (Fictitious Character) Picacho Civil War Battle-Historical Fact/Fiction Military Officers--Historical FactTucson Arizona, Presidio—Fact/Historical Tubac Arizona Charles Poston Mining---Based on Fact Scherffius, Henry Captain ---Based on FactScherffius, Stephen (Fictitious Character)Scherffius, Mrs. Elizabeth (Fictitious Character)Gopan, Apache Medicine Man (Fictitious Character)
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