Celtic Indian Boy of Appalachia

Celtic Indian Boy of Appalachia
Author: Rickey Butch Walker
Publisher: Bluewater Publishing
Total Pages: 226
Release: 2013-09
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 9781934610756

There have been many books written about the poor country hill people of the Appalachian Mountains, as well as the Indians of this historic place. In Celtic Indian Boy of Appalachia: A Scots Irish Cherokee Childhood, Butch Walker tells his personal tale of two cultures that influenced the stories of his upbringing. His roots are deeply planted in the mountains and valleys of the southern foothills of Appalachia; so springs forth this raw story of his life. Nothing is hidden from the reader as you are taken from the cotton fields, to the creek bottoms, and backwoods in a tale of heartache and adventure. People from all ages and backgrounds can appreciate stories from a Celtic Indian childhood that has not been forgotten. In the age of our fast paced and technologically advanced society, when most do not know the meaning of hard work, it is nice to be reminded of a simple time that revolved around family and living off the land. Celtic Indian Boy of Appalachia takes a personal approach to history, where memories become real; it takes you back to a time long forgotten in the hills and hollows of the Warrior Mountains. You will feel his sting of a poverty driven area; you will cry at his heartaches; you will feel the pain of needs to be met; and you will laugh at the little joys that meant so much to him, but all these things would be considered minor in today's world. Butch Walker's stories are true and full of life; his struggles and trials were real. Some folks might call people like Butch Walker, hillbilly, redneck, or just plain country; to him, the old ways and ways of the wild were just life, as it is, not retouched. Celtic Indian Boy of Appalachia is Butch Walker's best work yet; because it is from his heart, it is personal, and it is not sugar coated. I hope you find as much joy as I did while you laugh, cry, feel the triumph, and the pain of a Celtic Indian boy growing up in the southern foothills of the lower Appalachian Mountains.

Appalachian Indians of Warrior Mountains

Appalachian Indians of Warrior Mountains
Author: Rickey Butch 'Walker
Publisher: Bluewater Publishing
Total Pages: 230
Release: 2013-01-01
Genre: History
ISBN: 9781934610725

Appalachian Indians of the Warrior Mountains embodies the American Indian history of southern Appalachia, along with an underlying deep love of great Native places such as the High Town Path, Melton's Bluff, and Doublehead's Town. Rickey Butch Walker describes his childhood backyard using details that will paint a picture before your eyes of the life and times of Indian people. Find out the history of our Native Americans of the Southeastern United States, hear a story about a battle and love of a young Chickasaw maiden Magnolia, listen to the passion of Walker's voice as you read about the struggle of the removal of his own people to another land, and embark through time as you read this book. It is so important to preserve the history of our aboriginal people and realize that they played an important part of what our country is today. Some historians and books would like to start American history with Columbus, the founding presidents, or the first Thanksgiving where Indians are first mentioned. The truth is our story as Native Americans and our American history starts way before Columbus; the first people struggled for survival thousands of years before European explorers made their first appearance in this country. Rickey Butch Walker does an excellent job in this book of keeping our past alive for present day; and, he gives this gift to our youth in order for them to have a record and recollection of their ancestors for years to come. Without these facts being passed or these stories being told, our heritage would slowly fade and dry up like a grape in the sun. I appreciate the fact that Rickey Butch Walker fights to keep our American Indian stories of the Southeastern United States fading from the pages of history. Brandy W. Sutton

On Trails

On Trails
Author: Robert Moor
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 352
Release: 2016-07-12
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 1476739242

New York Times Bestseller • Winner of the National Outdoor Book Award • Winner of the Saroyan International Prize for Writing • Winner of the Pacific Northwest Book Award • “The best outdoors book of the year.” —Sierra Club From a talent who’s been compared to Annie Dillard, Edward Abbey, David Quammen, and Jared Diamond, On Trails is a wondrous exploration of how trails help us understand the world—from invisible ant trails to hiking paths that span continents, from interstate highways to the Internet. While thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail, Robert Moor began to wonder about the paths that lie beneath our feet: How do they form? Why do some improve over time while others fade? What makes us follow or strike off on our own? Over the course of seven years, Moor traveled the globe, exploring trails of all kinds, from the miniscule to the massive. He learned the tricks of master trail-builders, hunted down long-lost Cherokee trails, and traced the origins of our road networks and the Internet. In each chapter, Moor interweaves his adventures with findings from science, history, philosophy, and nature writing. Throughout, Moor reveals how this single topic—the oft-overlooked trail—sheds new light on a wealth of age-old questions: How does order emerge out of chaos? How did animals first crawl forth from the seas and spread across continents? How has humanity’s relationship with nature and technology shaped world around us? And, ultimately, how does each of us pick a path through life? Moor has the essayist’s gift for making new connections, the adventurer’s love for paths untaken, and the philosopher’s knack for asking big questions. With a breathtaking arc that spans from the dawn of animal life to the digital era, On Trails is a book that makes us see our world, our history, our species, and our ways of life anew.

A History of Appalachia

A History of Appalachia
Author: Richard B. Drake
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
Total Pages: 304
Release: 2003-09-01
Genre: History
ISBN: 0813137934

Richard Drake has skillfully woven together the various strands of the Appalachian experience into a sweeping whole. Touching upon folk traditions, health care, the environment, higher education, the role of blacks and women, and much more, Drake offers a compelling social history of a unique American region. The Appalachian region, extending from Alabama in the South up to the Allegheny highlands of Pennsylvania, has historically been characterized by its largely rural populations, rich natural resources that have fueled industry in other parts of the country, and the strong and wild, undeveloped land. The rugged geography of the region allowed Native American societies, especially the Cherokee, to flourish. Early white settlers tended to favor a self-sufficient approach to farming, contrary to the land grabbing and plantation building going on elsewhere in the South. The growth of a market economy and competition from other agricultural areas of the country sparked an economic decline of the region's rural population at least as early as 1830. The Civil War and the sometimes hostile legislation of Reconstruction made life even more difficult for rural Appalachians. Recent history of the region is marked by the corporate exploitation of resources. Regional oil, gas, and coal had attracted some industry even before the Civil War, but the postwar years saw an immense expansion of American industry, nearly all of which relied heavily on Appalachian fossil fuels, particularly coal. What was initially a boon to the region eventually brought financial disaster to many mountain people as unsafe working conditions and strip mining ravaged the land and its inhabitants. A History of Appalachia also examines pockets of urbanization in Appalachia. Chemical, textile, and other industries have encouraged the development of urban areas. At the same time, radio, television, and the internet provide residents direct links to cultures from all over the world. The author looks at the process of urbanization as it belies commonly held notions about the region's rural character.

Warrior Mountains Folklore

Warrior Mountains Folklore
Author: Rickey Butch Walker
Publisher: Heart of Dixie Publishing
Total Pages: 360
Release: 2011
Genre: Reference
ISBN: 9781934610657

Many years ago, Rickey Butch Walker took his tape recorder and camera and systematically began interviewing some of the oldest living descendants of the pioneer families of the Warrior Mountains of northwest Alabama. No price can be put on the stories that he recorded. He captured sanpshoots of Americana and family history that would have been lost forever. These historical sketches and photographs will be revered forever by the descendants of the families who lived on mountain farms in one of Alabama's most rugged back country. His down-to-earth style of writing is reminiscent of summer afternoons that I have spent in a front porch chair capitivated and fascinated by listening to the old timers telling of the old days and the old ways. My, the world has changed and maybe not for the better. - Lamar Marshall, Cultural Heritage Director, Wild South

Doublehead

Doublehead
Author: Rickey Butch Walker
Publisher: Bluewater Publishing
Total Pages: 280
Release: 2013-06
Genre: History
ISBN: 9781934610824

Among all the famous Native American Indian chiefs, people today easily recognize names like Geronimo, Sitting Bull, Tecumseh, and Crazy Horse. However, unless you live in North Alabama or Central Tennessee, chances are you've never heard of Cherokee Chief Doublehead. Described as overbearing, hot-tempered, and haughty, he possessed possibly one of the strongest personalities of any man who lived at the time. Through sheer force of will, Chief Doublehead became the principal leader among the Cherokees. Refusing to cede the valuable hunting grounds to white intruders, he managed to confederate several tribes of Indians to wage war for twenty-five years. It has been said tha Doublehead killed more men than anyone who lived during that time period. Butch Walker has written an excellent biography on the great chief, which has been long overdue. Walker takes Doublehead from warrior to famous chief to shrewd businessman. Butch Walker has painstakingly researched all available material on the fierce Cherokee Chief Doublehead. This is a must-read for anyone interested in Native American history.

Chickasaw Chief George Colbert

Chickasaw Chief George Colbert
Author: Rickey Butch Walker
Publisher: Bluewater Publishing
Total Pages: 268
Release: 2013-06
Genre: History
ISBN: 9781934610831

Very few people have lived a life comparable to that of Chickasaw Chief George Colbert; Butch Walker tells the story of this little known Celtic Indian man that lived a life worthy of a Hollywood movie in Chickasaw Chief George Colbert: His Family and His Country. This historic timepiece tells Colbert's story from a son of a Scots father and Chickasaw mother to a decorated military leader, successful ferry operator, plantation owner, businessman, and Chickasaw chief. George Colbert was a relatively unknown historical figure and decorated military hero that led the Chickasaws through Indian removal which was one of the darkest eras of American history. This man was trusted by the Indians, friends to the whites, and respected by local and national figures alike, including former presidents of the United States. Butch Walker has diligently researched the history, family, and overall historical significance of this Chickasaw Chief; Walker spent countless hours researching the life and legacy of George Colbert who was half Celtic (Scots) and half Indian (Chickasaw). George was never defined or limited by his blood quantum; he was a proven leader of the Chickasaw Nation. This book takes the reader from the birth of George's father, through the time of the French-Chickasaw War, beyond the Chickasaw Removal. The tale of the "Half-Blood Prince" of the 17th century is for anyone wanting to increase their knowledge of southeastern Indians, particularly the "Unconquered Unconquerable Chickasaws." The life of George Colbert appears to be taken right from the pages of a Hollywood script. Chickasaw Chief George Colbert: His Family and His Country is a must read for anyone wanting to learn more about the Chickasaw Colbert family.

Hiking Sipsey

Hiking Sipsey
Author: Rickey Butch Walker
Publisher: Bluewater Publishing
Total Pages: 202
Release: 2014-03
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 9781934610930

In the book, "Hiking Sipsey-A Family's Fight for Eastern Wilderness," Rickey Butch Walker teams with Jim Manasco to produce an ultimate guide to the Bankhead National Forest which includes the Sipsey Wilderness Area. It tells of the struggles to prevent the destruction of one of Nature's greatest gems which is located in the Warrior Mountains of Northwest Alabama. You will read of the efforts of those who cherished the unique treasures found in the Bankhead Forest and launched a determined and successful campaign to preserve it for this, and subsequent, generations. With the attitude that anything of value this great is worth fighting for, the Sipsey Wilderness was established. Meet the family of Jim and Ruth Manasco who have dedicated their life's work to preserve the natural beauties of the Warrior Mountains and the Rocky Plains. Follow the struggle to designate the heart of the Bankhead, the crown jewel of the forest, as a wilderness area so that it might return to its primitive state, that which proceeded the effort to turn it into a pine plantation. The book allows the reader to walk the trails of the forest and smell the wildflowers that grow in profusion within its boundaries-look but don't pick! Through words you visualize the habitat of the forest, listen to birds sing, frogs croak and the hoot of an owl. Read the messages left on the ancient Beech trees and recognize the different species of vegetation by examining the leaves and bark of the plant. Search for the herbal plants such as ginseng-but no digging allowed! Let the great variety of moss amaze you, but in all this, be careful to preserve this treasure for future generations.

Cold Mountain

Cold Mountain
Author: Charles Frazier
Publisher: Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
Total Pages: 500
Release: 2007-12-01
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0802197175

A wounded Confederate soldier treks across the ruins of America in this National Book Award–winning novel: “A stirring Civil War tale told with epic sweep.” —People Sorely wounded and fatally disillusioned in the fighting at Petersburg, a Confederate soldier named Inman decides to walk back to his home in the Blue Ridge mountains to Ada, the woman he loves. His journey across the disintegrating South brings him into intimate and sometimes lethal converse with slaves and marauders, bounty hunters and witches, both helpful and malign. Meanwhile, the intrepid Ada is trying to revive her father’s derelict farm and learning to survive in a world where the old certainties have been swept away. As it interweaves their stories, Cold Mountain asserts itself as an authentic odyssey, hugely powerful, majestically lovely, and keenly moving.