“I am forever in search of stories ‘my kids would enjoy reading.’ Never have I read such a gripping book. Gift of the Desert Dog left me breathless… nodding in awe.”

     Penny Porter, author of Adobe Secrets, The Keymaker

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Gift of the Desert Dog

Secrets of the Medicine Pouch

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Gift of the Desert Dog

A twelve year-old reservation boy, who feels lost and unwanted, makes a last valiant attempt to redeem himself in the eyes of his family and community. The danger and high adventure never stops for Danny Rivas and grandfather, Joseph, as they encounter ruthless drug smugglers, climb treacherous mountain passes, solve the mysteries of ancient petroglyphs, and come face-to-face with the powerful spirits of their people. It’s a quest to discover their roots, gain a glimpse into the tribe’s future, and find salvation together at the place where I’itoi, the first O’odham, walked Mother Earth.

Check here often and follow the link to the author’s blog site where you can leave a message for ‘Top Dog!’ He’ll respond to your questions and comments.

Robert L. Hunton is a long-time veteran of middle school hallways and classrooms, having taught social studies and language arts in the Colchester, Vermont school system. He is the author of The Borderlands Trilogy, a mystery adventure series for young readers set on the Tohono O’odham reservation of southern Arizona. He writes full time, has two sons living in Vermont, and now walks the desert around the adobe-style home he and his wife share near Tucson.

The Tohono O’odham tribal headquarters in Sells, Arizona

Mission San Xavier del Bac, Tucson, Arizona

Click on the flag above to visit the Tohono O’odham Nations website

Calling all young writers, readers and their teachers

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Secrets of the Medicine Pouch

 

At the death bed of Jonathan Luhya Gray Horse, great chief among all the O’odham, old Joseph learns of a lost manuscript, The Book of the Ancients, secreted away by missionary priests ages past. Gray Horse warns Joseph of  impending disaster for the O’odham people if the sacred text is not located and returned to tribal leaders.

 

Joseph also discovers the importance of the medicine bag his grandson Danny received earlier——a gift from Gray Horse. He must warn Danny of the power he possesses, and teach him to control the pouch’s mysterious contents.

 

Danny, his friend, Diego ‘Digs’ Ramirez, and Joseph begin a desperate search for the manuscript, exploring hidden canyons and isolated villages on a quest to save the O’odham people from terrifying destruction.

“A carefully researched and reverent look at Tohono O’odham culture. The Borderlands series follows a twelve year-old boy who is identified as a leader of his people. The Tohono O’odham tribal council thanked the author for his ‘respectful consideration of their traditions and customs.’”

J. C. Martin   Arizona Daily Star

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Coyote-Meeter’s Abyss

 

Strange halos of light are appearing in the night sky above Baboquivari, sacred mountain of the Tohono O’odham. Eerie sounds of weeping echo through the dark canyons. Two reservation men are fiercely attacked by spirits of the dead near the Mexican border!

 

Frightened residents confront village elders for answers to the mystery. Danny Rivas’s grandfather, Joseph, knows their tribal way of life has been ignored for too long. They must move quickly before utter chaos engulfs the reservation!

 

Danny, the coyote-meeter, and his friend Diego devise a plan to appease the powerful spirits and save their people. They will offer the sacred medicine pouch of Chief Gray Horse to the mountain gods. Badly injured in the process, they are trapped in a mine with a nest of rattlesnakes and a family of wolf spiders! Will they be rescued in time?