The Bone Picker: Native Stories, Alternate Histories

by Devon A. Mihesuah

Under the shadow of gray clouds, three children venture into the woods, where they spot the corpse of an old man on a scaffold. Suddenly a wild figure emerges, with long fingernails and tangled hair. It is the Hattak fullih nipi foni, the bone picker, who comes to tear off rotting flesh with his fingernails. Only the Choctaws who adhere to the old ways will speak of him.

The frightening bone picker is just one of many entities, scary and mysterious, who lurk behind every page of this spine-tingling collection of Native fiction, written by award-winning Choctaw author Devon A. Mihesuah. Choctaw lore features a large pantheon of deities. These beings created the first people, taught them how to hunt, and warned them of impending danger. Their stories are not meant simply to each entity has a purpose in its behavior and a lesson to share—to those who take heed.

As a Choctaw citizen, with deep ties to Indian Territory and Oklahoma, Mihesuah grew up hearing the stories of her ancestors. In the tradition of Native storytelling, she spins tales that move back and forth fluidly across time. The ancient beings, we discover, followed the tribe from their original homelands in Mississippi and are now ever-present influences on tribal consciousness.

While some of the horrors told here are “real life” in nature, the art of fiction that Mihesuah employs reveals surprising outcomes or alternative histories. It turns out the things that scare us the most can lead to the answers we are seeking and even ensure our very survival.
 

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Indigenous, Audiobook, Fiction, Fantasy, Mythology

161 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 8, 2024

Reviews

[Michael Burke · Rating 4 out of 5]

It starts with a cornfield and an old man happy to give you directions. Soon the screams gratify the shapeshifter who has been working this field since the 1830’s. The old man is an “opa,” taking the form of an owl, entities who followed the Chahtas during their removal to Indian Territory.

In “The Bone Picker: Native Stories, Alternate Histories,” Choctaw author Devon A. Mihesuah takes tribal folklore characters and casts them as forces in a number of tales. There are the bone pickers, actual people who performed what may have seemed ghoulish practices to non-native eyes. There are the dangerous and tricky little people, “the Kowi Anukasha.” “Shampes,” the tribe’s version of Bigfoot, also makes an appearance.

There is a slightly fictionalized account of Ned Christie, a Cherokee councilman murdered after being accused of killing a deputy marshal. Another true-life character is Solomon Hotema, a man who followed his conscience and earned the label “Choctaw Witch Killer.”

The “Pretendian” issue finds its way here. A non-native assumes an indigenous background in order to capitalize on “the advantages” he is missing out on. The recent Buffy Sainte-Marie scandal opened a painful wound of betrayal to many– and in this story there is an opportunity for this fraud to be dealt with.

More potent than mere horror stories– or humdrum slasher yarns– these tales draw on traditions passed down, effectively conjuring an unsettling atmosphere that will echo with you into the night.

Thank you to the University of Oklahoma Press and Edelweiss for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. #TheBonePicker

[Leo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good collection of short stories where I liked all of them and didn't dislike any.

[Stacia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Bone Picker is really quite an excellent collection reflecting Choctaw lore. Settings in the tales span the 1800s to modern day to highlight the history as well as to reflect their importance even today.

The stories are haunting in multiple ways.

There is an afterword where the author discusses various influences or historical information that went into crafting each tale. Rather than it being at the end, I think it would have been more effective if the specific info for each story had actually been located immediately before or immediately after the correlating story. That's a small nit, though.

4.5 stars. I'm very glad I read this one.

[Kevin L · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

An excellent collection of Mihesuah’s work that gave me insights to the mythology of the Choctaw.

Favorite stories in the collection were:

The Cornfield
Kowi Anukasha: The Little People
Tenure
Kashehtapolo: The Deer Man

Please DO take the time to read the Afterword- it really informs your takes on the various stories in the collection and may inspire you to pick up a few more reads or to watch a movie or show that she references.

Highly recommend.

[Cheng Bogdani]

Shirley Jackson Awards Nominee - Single-Author Collection
Appears to be Kindle only, not available from my libraries' ovedrive 23 JUN 2025

[David Miles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook

A collection of Native American stories from the Choctaw Nation, the author delves into folklore, history, and modern issues facing people of Choctaw (and other Indigenous) descent. The Author's Notes at the end give us a little insight to each story, I'm glad these were included as it enhanced the reading experience to have these touchstones.

For example, the bone pickers were a real job that people did with the bodies of the deceased, which one could imagine was not looked upon favorably by the colonizers. I loved how the author tells us how the Choctaw were from the Mississippi region and forced to relocate, and how some of their new followed the people, while some were stuck behind to the land. There's also a great use of historical fiction about the Cherokee councilman and outlaw Ned Christie. The story involving murder at the election time was fascinating too, I had no idea this happened.

We also see issues facing the modern Native Americans, specifically the story Tenure. The problem in academia where the "Pretendian" fakes their heritage to gain position in the field of history or anthropology.

There are horror and supernatural elements in these stories. From the trickster little people, to Deer Man who leads away hunters, to shape shifters and cryptids like the Shampes.

[Emma Demopoulos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the mix of historical fact and fictional elements. It was short, snappy, and utterly engrossing. Highly recommended the book and the audio book. Hearing the spoken native language definitely added to the experience of the book.

[Kerry Pickens · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting collection of short stories based on Cherokee legend about supernatural spirits that are part of their culture. I enjoyed reading the book and I recommend also reading the author’s history book Ned Christie, The Creation of a Cherokee Hero and as well as Dance of the Returned.

[Tracy Smyth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a book of short American Indian stories. Very interesting to listen to. Might have to check out some more of the authors work.

[Kelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a haunting—and harrowing—collection of stories about the many peculiar and often mercurial beings from Choctaw lore and history.

Individually, each story explores a facet of Native history or experiences. Different ways of knowing and understanding the world are at the center of each story. The forced removal of Native Americans from their land, insidious assimilation practices, systemic discrimination, and the “pretendian” crisis in academia are just some of the overarching topics this collection explores. In most of these stories, the beings from Choctaw lore who appear enact some kind of justice on behalf of the Natives wronged.

As a whole, this collection provides critical commentary on the ongoing injustices and oppression that Natives face in America. It’s also an assertion as well—that the Choctaw are still alive and here. Their stories live on and so do they.

I really enjoyed this collection.

I appreciate the commentary and insight it provides on Native issues—but, I also really appreciate how genuinely scary, eerie, and wholly unsettling the storytelling here is.

This collection contains some of the better horror I’ve read this year.

Mihesuah is a really compelling and visceral storyteller. The way she weaves these stories together and crafts her “reveals” speaks to her skill in this genre. “Hashok Okwa Hui’ga: Grass Water Drop” and “Tenure” have some of the most haunting and chilling endings I’ve read in a while. [I’m talking Junji Ito level of last pages here.] Those stories are going to linger with me.

Anyway.

I don’t think I’m necessarily the intended audience for this collection nor does my recommendation of it quite matter.

But, I do want to express that I think this collection is well worth the read—it’s both informative and engaging. I learned more about Choctaw history, culture, and lore—and I got my socks scared off me at points too. That’s a win-win to me~

[Nico · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an underread gem, I loved this. A compilation of 13 short stories rooted from Choctaw and Native stories and legends: a deer man who terrorizes hunters, a malevolent being that lures travelers into a hole, a bone picker who tears the flesh off the dead, and more. Highly recommend if you’re looking for a shorter compilation. My favorites are: The Deer Man, Grass Water Drop, The Lighthorseman and the Shampe, Tenure, Crazy Indian, The Little People, and The Cornfield.

While this is horror, I would call this baby horror due to its eerie and unsettling style of story telling, without being overtly violent, bloody, or any of the other things that turn people off from the genre. My heart was pounding at some point during every story and I was really worried about a lot of the characters, just wow.

Some stories also explore a question similar to what Akwake Emezi does with Pet: what/who are the actual monsters? And many are rooted in critical moments in US history, like The Trail of Tears/removal, or current issues, like pretendians. The afterward explains the inspiration for each story, including telling what really happened to the real people who inspired some of the stories and it really rounds the reading experience to a chef’s kiss.

[Sara Ferrarese · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book blew me away. It is filled with indigenous stories and deities I feel I might never have heard of were it not for this book. Definitely don't skip the afterword, as it is filled with wonderful details about the myths and traditions discussed within the book, as well as the factual details behind some real events that were fictionalized in the book. Devon Mihesuah writes beautifully, and I am definitely going to be checking out her novels as soon as possible.

[K Ogie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was probably the best selection of folklore I have read in a very, very long time. I took away one star because the formatting of the book is quite confusing and doesn't always lend itself to help the reader understand that all those stories aren't intertwined. I loved Seeds and The Deer Man the most.

[J-l · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well written and interesting book of short stories. The characters are well developed and the legends are intriguing and new to me.

#ARC

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A ponderous selection of short stories from the Choctaw Nation, decolonizing the narrative that you may be more acquainted with. A bold use of story to "right" history. Still, the stories were hit and miss, as with most collections. I also found many of them just too vulgar, for no good reason, so watch out if you're not a fan of gore. The story that sticks to mind most stars a basic white dude capitalizing (in all senses) on a fake connection to Indigenous nations to advance his career. An inside perspective, too, and compelling. I found myself appreciating the author's notes at the end, which provide more explicit context on several strands that went over my head, especially as someone who isn't American.

Thank you to Edelweiss+ and University of Oklahoma Press for the advance copy.

[xoxo · Rating 4 out of 5]

i had a really great time with this collection of stories, some of which will long stick with me afterwards. although some could argue that the writing is simple, i think there is a certain rhythmic quality to it that creates an accessible experience for many readers.

i do think some stories are a little too predictable, but when the stories really shine (for me) is when they refuse to give you a definitive conclusion about their characters

so yes i recommend !!

[Katrina Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this collection of indigenous stories of history and folklore. While a small volume, the stories hit the right feeling of stories being told by elders and was well done. The stories were eerie, politically charged and full of multi-generational hurt against those Native Americans who were hurt by terrible policies meant to eradicate them, yet they persevered.
The narrator is a great choice and brings life to the stories.

[Dragon Winterfell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very unique and steadily paced anthology. A very quick read with stories that both stood out from each other and flowed together. I particularly liked the author's note at the end where Mihesuah explained the origins behind the stories. But I can say that this was an enthralling or spectacular read. It was just ok, and none of the characters stayed with me after any of the stories.

[Kitty Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Some tribes have a Dear Woman, Choctaws have a Dear Man. He appears at night and scares hunters.”

Winter is storytelling season and it's just around the corner. These short stories hit the spot. They're spooky and exciting. As a Taino descendent, I especially enjoyed the story, Tenure.

[Britta · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hate to say it, but the stories in this didn’t really do anything for me. I did, however, like learning about some indigenous lore. And I love that bone pickers were a real human figure in old Choctaw culture, not just a spooky myth.
Love me some funerary/death customs. 🙌🏼

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I continue to be so impressed by everything that Devon A. Mihesuah writes. This collection of short stories based on Choctaw mythology are so good! Lots of revenge and mischief for those who deserve it. Also a Bigfoot! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[myreadingescapism · Rating 3 out of 5]

🥱🫠

[Rachel Drrmrmrr · Rating 4 out of 5]

More unsettling than overly scary, mainly all slow and deliberate tales. Cautionary and pulling from history, I want to learn more about Ned Christie.

[Ryan Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection catalogues a killer crop of monsters, the bone picker being the creepiest one with those long finger nails.

[Melinda Kline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think “unsettling” is a good way to describe this collection of stories.

[Travis]

This is the kind of book that I really should like, but I just couldn't get into it. I may try reading it again sometime later when I have more attention to give it.

[Sierra Cutchin · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75

[Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75/5

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first short story, The Cornfield, is now one of my all-time favorites! Reading the 1.5 page Introduction helps set the tone for the whole collection.

[Hayley · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars