Plant Them DeepFor the Navajo, to "walk in beauty"-to stay in balance with the natural world around one-is the greatest gift, and the greatest task, of one's life. For Rose Destea, to walk in beauty has meant threading a difficult path between traditionalist and modernist ways. Though she worships at the family shrine, her husband was a Christian preacher. Though her son, Clifford Destea, is a respected hataalii or medicine man, her daughter, Ella Clah, is a Special Investigator with the Navajo Police and a former FBI agent. After decades as a wife, mother, and grandmother, Rose has become a tribal activist. Briefly in the national spotlight when she spoke against bringing casino gambling to the Navajo Reservation, Rose now works to guide not just her family but the whole tribe into a balanced future. When Navajo healers and members of the Plant Watchers society report that healing plants sacred to the Navajo are disappearing from the Rez, the tribal council asks Rose to catalog the plants and their growing places. She faces strong opposition from hataaliis reluctant to reveal their secret herb-gathering spots and from people who think the Rez should cultivate genetically engineered plants instead of native species. Rose finds evidence that many plants have been stolen-plants that may be valuable in the growing market for alternative and natural medications. Rose's home is burgled and her plant notes stolen. Adding to her worries is the serious illness of an old friend and the apparent extinction of a plant essential to the healing ritual that is the sick woman's only hope of a cure. Then a Navajo man is found dead, apparently of a heart attack; Rose is convinced that he was murdered by the plant thief. Rose has picked up a trick or two from her police officer daughter; she begins an independent investigation that soon has her up to her neck in trouble. Plant Them Deep is a stand-alone novel that complements the Ella Clah series and will deepen readers' understanding of the Navajo world. |
Contents
Section 1 | 9 |
Section 2 | 20 |
Section 3 | 34 |
Section 4 | 44 |
Section 5 | 55 |
Section 6 | 66 |
Section 7 | 80 |
Section 8 | 92 |
Section 13 | 172 |
Section 14 | 203 |
Section 15 | 214 |
Section 16 | 227 |
Section 17 | 241 |
Section 18 | 258 |
Section 19 | 275 |
Section 20 | 307 |
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Common terms and phrases
Anglo Beclabito Begay Carolyn Charlie Dodge Charlie's Clani Clara Clifford Code Talker collection sites Curtis Largo daugh daughter Dawn Destea Dinetah dog tag door drove entrenching tool eyes garden Gishii granddaughter hataalii heard herbal herbal tea Herman hogan inside John Joe Kenmore kitchen leave Lena Lena's Maria Poyer medicine medicine men native plants Navajo Navajo Nation never pickup Plant Watchers police pulled remember Rose asked Rose glanced Rose knew Rose looked Rose nodded Rose saw Rose shook Rose smiled Rose walked Rose's Sadie saltbrush she'd Shiprock shook her head shovel someone spot stood stop sure talk Teec Nos Pos tell There's things thought told tonight took a deep traditionalist tribal tribe truck trying wait what's white at night who'd Willie woman worry