The Broken Circle: A True Story of Murder and Magic in Indian Country [B0899]

1992 HCDJ in nice clean condition. Broken Circle recounts the April 1974 "Chokecherry Massacre," in which three New Mexico high-school students were charged with the murder of two Navajo Indian men, causing a violent, racial street riot that prompted the governor to call out the National Guard.

The tensions between whites and Native Americans reached a high in the town of Farmington, New Mexico when three white high school students brutally tortured and killed helpless victims from the neighboring Navajo reservation. As the town erupted into a violent, racial street riot and the courts went easy on the sentencing of the high school boys, Barker tells how Navajo militants sought out justice for years of injustice and oppression in response. An illuminating work of contemporary history, The Broken Circle reveals both sides of a dramatic and painful conflict and a turning point in the struggle for Native American rights.

From recent-ish Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "Picking up this book came at the suggestion of a coworker, a Navajo individual who, quite notably, couldn't bring herself to finish it due to its emotional weight. The narrative, deeply entrenched in civil rights discourse, unfolds a compelling exploration of the challenges faced by communities in the Four Corners area. Her inability to complete the book isn't merely a personal choice but a testament to the profound impact of Barker's storytelling. Beyond a conventional narrative, he constructs a literary space that serves as a call to heightened awareness and empathy. For those rooted in the Four Corners region, the book resonates on a visceral level, intricately interweaving the complexities unique to our home. Yet, Barker's narrative stretches beyond geographic boundaries, appealing to a broader audience concerned with civil rights."; "Jounalism at its best; reads like a novel. This is a true story, immensely well-researched and thought about before set down in print. I did not know of this New Mexico-Navajo incident prior to reading the book & I doubt many other readers have. The author misses little of anything in his timeline, statement of facts & analysis of what went on and the principal characters. Navajo mysticism and religion play a large part in understanding this story and the author, to his great credit, admits it is hard for Anglos to fathom as it was for him to comprehend and write about. Great book."; "My new hometown of Farmington NM boasts an unfortunate nickname: "the Selma of the Southwest." This book explains why. An engaging, powerful, important story, and a must-read if you live in the Southwest or have a particular interest in the history of racism and hate crimes, especially against Indigenous peoples."