Gary Robinson's Blog

While my historical novel series, Lands of our Ancestors, is set in California, readers in other parts of the U.S. may find the books informative and meaningful. The books follow three generations of a Chumash Indian family as they face the onslaught of foreigners that invade their lands. First came the Spanish soldiers, priests and colonial settlers (beginning in 1769). Next came the Mexican ranches with their herds of cattle (1830s to 1848). Next came hordes of people from all over the world in search of gold (1849 and following years). Finally, in 1850, when the territory became a state, the murder and displacement of indigenous peoples became the law of the land. What readers of history seldom see is the portrayal of these events from the Native American point of view.