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Oracles: A Novel
In this futuristic novel, the natural wilderness is disappearing due to human incursion and urbanization. Small pockets of nature remain and are used for tourist visits and historical interpretations. Television broadcasts pictures, sounds, and smells, and space travel is commonplace.
The Yantuck Indians must find a way to preserve the natural environment that survives on their eastern United States reservation and yet participate in a global economy. This dilemma creates factions within the tribe: the Yantucks who believe in a more traditional way of life and those who seek to enhance tribal finances by marketing and selling "Indian-ness," first through a casino and then a new age movement.
Ashneon Quay, a young medicine woman-in-training, is herself caught between two worlds. Growing up with elderly family members, both medicine people, she attends a local college where she studies anthropology. Quay struggles to find a balance between the traditional and the new and identify a path that's right for her.
Vividly rendered with strong characters and a dose of magical realism, this innovative glimpse of one Indian family trying to maintain tribal culture in the midst of rapid transformation resonates with issues Native peoples currently face.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Melissa Tantaquidgeon Zobel, tribal historian for the Mohegan Nation in Connecticut, received the Native American Authors Award for Non-Fiction for her first book, The Lasting of the Mohegans. Her training in Mohegan traditions and spirituality came from her great-aunt, 104-year-old Mohegan Medicine Woman Gladys Tantaquidgeon, and her great-uncle Chief Harold Tantaquidgeon, both of whom began the Tantaquidgeon Indian Museum with their father, John, in 1931, in Uncasville, Connecticut.
ACCLAIM
"Magic realism meets sf in the fascinating Oracles" -- The Washington Post Book World
"Oracles is an entertaining read and commentary." -- Multicultural Review
"Oracles will enlighten those interested in contemporary Native issues while providing an escapist reader hours of literary pleasure." -- The Resident, Stonington CT
The Yantuck Indians must find a way to preserve the natural environment that survives on their eastern United States reservation and yet participate in a global economy. This dilemma creates factions within the tribe: the Yantucks who believe in a more traditional way of life and those who seek to enhance tribal finances by marketing and selling "Indian-ness," first through a casino and then a new age movement.
Ashneon Quay, a young medicine woman-in-training, is herself caught between two worlds. Growing up with elderly family members, both medicine people, she attends a local college where she studies anthropology. Quay struggles to find a balance between the traditional and the new and identify a path that's right for her.
Vividly rendered with strong characters and a dose of magical realism, this innovative glimpse of one Indian family trying to maintain tribal culture in the midst of rapid transformation resonates with issues Native peoples currently face.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Melissa Tantaquidgeon Zobel, tribal historian for the Mohegan Nation in Connecticut, received the Native American Authors Award for Non-Fiction for her first book, The Lasting of the Mohegans. Her training in Mohegan traditions and spirituality came from her great-aunt, 104-year-old Mohegan Medicine Woman Gladys Tantaquidgeon, and her great-uncle Chief Harold Tantaquidgeon, both of whom began the Tantaquidgeon Indian Museum with their father, John, in 1931, in Uncasville, Connecticut.
ACCLAIM
"Magic realism meets sf in the fascinating Oracles" -- The Washington Post Book World
"Oracles is an entertaining read and commentary." -- Multicultural Review
"Oracles will enlighten those interested in contemporary Native issues while providing an escapist reader hours of literary pleasure." -- The Resident, Stonington CT
193 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 15, 2004
1 person is currently reading
85 people want to read
About the author
Melissa Tantaquidgeon Zobel
5 books16 followersMelissa Tantaquidgeon Zobel is the Medicine Woman of the Mohegan Tribal Nation of Connecticut. She received her MFA in Creative Writing from Fairfield University, her MA in History from the University of Connecticut and her BSFS in History/Diplomacy from Georgetown University.
Zobel grew up giving tours at Tantaquidgeon Indian Museum on the Mohegan Reservation, learning tribal tradition from her great aunt, Medicine Woman Gladys Tantaquidgeon whose life she chronicled ih the book Medicine Trail: The Life and Lessons of Gladys Tantaquidgeon (Univ. of AZ Press, 2000).
Melissa has been employed by her tribe as a cultural leader for twenty-two years and has three grown children—Rachel Beth Sayet, Madeline Fielding Sayet, and David Uncas Sayet.
She is married to her high school sweetheart, Randall Zobel.
You can also find Melissa on Facebook.
Zobel grew up giving tours at Tantaquidgeon Indian Museum on the Mohegan Reservation, learning tribal tradition from her great aunt, Medicine Woman Gladys Tantaquidgeon whose life she chronicled ih the book Medicine Trail: The Life and Lessons of Gladys Tantaquidgeon (Univ. of AZ Press, 2000).
Melissa has been employed by her tribe as a cultural leader for twenty-two years and has three grown children—Rachel Beth Sayet, Madeline Fielding Sayet, and David Uncas Sayet.
She is married to her high school sweetheart, Randall Zobel.
You can also find Melissa on Facebook.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 4, 2020
Somewhere around 12 to 15 years ago I wrote this review and now discovered it in my journal, and I’d like to share it here. Back then I’d sometimes take a long drive to the casino in south eastern Connecticut. That’s where they sold the book and a lot of the stores and look of both casinos were different back then and better in my opinion. A lot has changed over the years, but the old memories are still there for me. The following is the review:
Oracles is a novel by Melissa Tantaquidgeon Zobel. Melissa Tantaquidgeon Zobel is a tribal historian for the Mohegan Nation in Connecticut. I first learned of this book by reading an article about it in a newsletter offered at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut. I was excited about picking up the book there at the Trading Cove, a shop in the casino. This store is no longer in business. The book was released in 2004 and published by University of New Mexico Press.
The novel is set in a fictional town Fire Hollow in New England sometime in the future. Fire Hollow was home to a massive casino called Big Rock, but the story begins right as this casino burns to the ground. Throughout the book you get a good idea of the life in fire hollow and how the future impacts the lives of its civilians. The main Character is Ashneon Quay and her great uncle and grandmother, who raised her. They both are medicine people and train her to become a medicine woman herself. Her life does encounter regular activities like college, dating, etc but in many ways she is different from others due to her supernatural abilities and training in traditional and ancient medicine.
I’ll describe what I believe is the major plot or conflict in the book. Ashneon who I see as an appealing and levelheaded young woman is influenced by different people throughout her life who have contradicting beliefs and advice for her. Brought up by an older generation with especially old traditions has value for her indeed yet sometimes her outside friends are seen as not right for her by her great uncle. Many others are part of the New Lighters, a group of spiritual people who even organize missions into outer space and seek the involvement of Ashneon’s great uncle and Grandmother who are opposed to this group. Ashneon’s cousin Obed is a part of this group and again is another character who will conflict with her. So Ashneon’s main objective is deciding what she wants to do, have, and become in life.
Oracles is a novel by Melissa Tantaquidgeon Zobel. Melissa Tantaquidgeon Zobel is a tribal historian for the Mohegan Nation in Connecticut. I first learned of this book by reading an article about it in a newsletter offered at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut. I was excited about picking up the book there at the Trading Cove, a shop in the casino. This store is no longer in business. The book was released in 2004 and published by University of New Mexico Press.
The novel is set in a fictional town Fire Hollow in New England sometime in the future. Fire Hollow was home to a massive casino called Big Rock, but the story begins right as this casino burns to the ground. Throughout the book you get a good idea of the life in fire hollow and how the future impacts the lives of its civilians. The main Character is Ashneon Quay and her great uncle and grandmother, who raised her. They both are medicine people and train her to become a medicine woman herself. Her life does encounter regular activities like college, dating, etc but in many ways she is different from others due to her supernatural abilities and training in traditional and ancient medicine.
I’ll describe what I believe is the major plot or conflict in the book. Ashneon who I see as an appealing and levelheaded young woman is influenced by different people throughout her life who have contradicting beliefs and advice for her. Brought up by an older generation with especially old traditions has value for her indeed yet sometimes her outside friends are seen as not right for her by her great uncle. Many others are part of the New Lighters, a group of spiritual people who even organize missions into outer space and seek the involvement of Ashneon’s great uncle and Grandmother who are opposed to this group. Ashneon’s cousin Obed is a part of this group and again is another character who will conflict with her. So Ashneon’s main objective is deciding what she wants to do, have, and become in life.
November 29, 2015
Briefly, this book is fascinating and I would definitely recommend it. The prose is occasionally a little stilted, but once you get going you hardly notice it — the premise and the execution thereof are definitely worth it.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews