Red Star and Blue Star Defeat Spexman by Randy Lewis-K'ayaxan

Wenatchee, Washington

This isn't so much a review as it is a reminiscing of when I got to meet this author and go on a tour of the cultural sites listed and described in this book.

When I worked for the government, people always talked about the dreaded and cliched "red tape." Working in central Washington, the biggest amount of red tape came from the requirement for a cultural resources review whenever there was going to be a project that required breaking into the ground. Farmers (mostly white) and employees (more diverse, but also mostly white) both groaned and complained of this lengthy process, which included consulting with the nearby tribes, asking them if the farmer's land could possibly contain cultural sites or artifacts, as well as research from a USDA cultural resources specialist. To try to get us to understand the need for this process, the USDA sent us on a week-long training to gain an appreciation for the Native Peoples that lived and continue to live in Central Washington. Randy Lewis-K'ayaxan, the author of this book, helped lead that training.

Wenatchee is a really cool town in Central Washington. The Wenatchee River converges with the Columbia within its boundaries. The Wenatchi/P'Squosa people, a fishing people, historically lived there. As more white people began to settle there, the Wenatchi people were forced off of their land and were made to relocate into the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. As the name implies, they were merged with numerous tribes, some historic enemies. Despite years of neglect, abuse, and campaigns of "integration," the Wenathi, and many other Native Tribes of Washington, have been able to survive and pass on their traditions.

I no longer live in Central Washington, but that training and the tour given by Randy will always be one of the highlights of my time there. I cherish having this book to remind me of that experience. I highly recommend this book to anyone that is familiar with Wenatchee and the Columbia River basin, as you will gain an appreciation for the cultural history of the area.

Review by the Numbers

Overall: 5/5

Writing: 5/5

Message: 5/5

Plot: n/a - based on an ancient story passed down by generations of Wenatchi people

Character Development: n/a - short story

Challenges Satisfied:

Washington (Reading My Way Around the World Challenge)

Book about Indigenous Experiences (My Diversity Challenge)

Book by an Indigenous Author (PopSugar 2021 Reading Challenge)

Diverse Folktales/Mythology (Celebrity Readers 2021 Diversity Reading Challenge)