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Black Wolf, a Chumash Chief, watches the priests and the soldiers force his people into virtual slavery, and as Chumash leaders call for war, Black Wolf and Lucita, daughter of the commandante, strive to find a peaceful for the Indians. Reprint.

350 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

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40 people want to read

About the author

Vella Munn

81 books79 followers
I had to edit my biography, changing my status from married to widow. Since I'm often asked how I'm doing, I'll put the answer here. For the most part I'm doing all right thanks to loving family and understanding friends.

I have two sons and four grandchildren. Two rescue dogs allow me to hug, walk, and feed them. In exchange they give me unconditional love and the occasional need for the carpet shampooer.

As the product of a rural upbringing, the wilderness, particularly mountains and evergreens are in my blood. I live in a small southern Oregon town which boasts four distinct seasons, an awesome river, and the ocean within a short drive. Ditto with Crater Lake.

Setting plays a big role in most of my writing as witness by two recent contemporary romance series set in Montana's awesome mountains.

Also writes as Dawn Flindt and Heather Williams.

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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
Profile Image for Bonnye Reed.
4,699 reviews109 followers
July 9, 2023
I received a complimentary electronic copy of this intense historical First Nations novel from BookSirens, and author Vella Munn. I am so pleased to have been introduced to this prolific First Nations author. She writes a moving family saga that will keep you enthralled. I am happy to recommend her work to friends and family.

Please, read this book. Research the background of the Chumash, the Modocs, Tillamuck and Coastal Salish, Timbsha, and the list goes on. But know that this is a heartwarming, family tale as well as a key to our history, and also know that you can enjoy it and appreciate a story of faith, hope, and love.

We are in Central and Southern California in 1809, home at that time to the Chumash People. The Chumash have deep roots in this coastal area along the Santa Barbara Channel and had lived continuously along the central and southern California coast for millennia. The Spanish Missionary period, 1542–1834, was a period of intense change for First Nation tribes in all of the Americas. These things happened all over the Americas as Europeans took over the land, but were especially nasty in the Pacific Coastal, Southern, and Southwestern US. Spain used their missionary system to control natives and keep Russia out of territory they considered to be their own. There were many cases of abuse, well documented, during the rapid development of the 'new' world. In 1834, Mexico took over control of the Spanish missions in what was the United States. I was astonished at the number of readers not aware of these heinous practices and felt Ms. Munn was attacking the Catholic Church and the concept of Christianity. The kidnapping and 're-education' of native children, slave labor in mission workshops and farms, and production of food items, wine, hides, etc for export by those enslaved native children and adults are a fact of history we all must own, like it or not. It had nothing to do with religion or politics but was strictly a for-profit endeavor. The massive cemeteries being discovered beside native 'schools' across the US tell a tale we cannot deny.
Reviewed on May 18, 2023, at Goodreads and BookSirens. Reviewed on May 24, 2023, at AmazonSmile, Barnes&Noble, BookBub, and Kobo.
264 reviews2 followers
March 25, 2024
WOW!

Coming to the new world from Mexico, Lucita learns to come into her self.
Lucita is brought by her father, a Corporal in the Spanish army, and mother to the wilds of California to protect a mission. The mission has several "savages" in residence. The savages were taken from their village and made to accept the "one God" of the padres.
Lucita worked in the infirmary helping the "savages". Learning from them. She met the renegade Black Wolf and learned more about the Indian ways from one who had ran from the mission.
This is a story of growth, understanding, open mindedness, trust, and love. I highly recommend this stand-alone story
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
957 reviews7 followers
May 5, 2023
When I got to chapter 10 I decided that I wouldn’t finish the book. I read to escape the news of our world where so many bad things are happening. This book only mirrored those things. But then I wanted to see how Black Wolf would fair and I began to be interested in the Chumash people. Being from Australia I do not know much about Indigenous American Indians/people so I had to do a bit of research. I found this book had interesting characters great world building based on facts, and of course I like a happy ending.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Profile Image for Bonny Rambarran.
1,521 reviews21 followers
May 4, 2023
An Indian warrior — and a young Mexican woman meet and fall in love
He was a captive of the Spanish as a child, And abused, She came to the camp with her father - and fell in love with the people. But her father — all he knew was hate, and punishment. The warrior was determined to free the people held captive the Spanish — and the priests who sexually abused them. This book will capture you and not let you quit reading until the end!!!
I received a copy of this book from Booksirens . All thoughts and comments are my own.
Profile Image for Cody Marie Phoenix.
1,089 reviews7 followers
June 18, 2023
I know nothing of the Chumash even though I was born in California. My people are Cherokee in the Southeast, so I have nothing to compare to, and must take the author's experience at face value. The writing style was not as fast moving as I normally read, so that was an adjustment, and the Chumash words were a little daunting with no reference on how to pronounce. However, the story itself was pretty good for a chaste love story.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Profile Image for Batu.
249 reviews1 follower
September 7, 2019
Well written fictional account of the challenges and changes faced by a young Spanish woman who moves from Mexico City with her godly mother and career soldier father to Alta California during the time of Catholic Spain’s push to convert “savage” natives.
105 reviews3 followers
April 18, 2023
Am a big fan of history and I love it when I can get my hands on a story that I not only enjoy but can learn from as well. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Profile Image for Steph LaClair.
32 reviews
June 30, 2017
One of my favorite things about reading is learning new things. I especially like being entertained while I do. Wind Warrior (The Soul Survivors Series, Book 3) was a look into the history of California during the attempts of Spain and the Catholic church to convert the "savage" Chumash Indians to Christianity. Woven into the story was the undeniable attraction between the young Lucita and Chumash warrior Black Wolf. I was very impressed with the way Vella Munn wrote about the every day struggles of the time period, the views men had of women, particularly having no say in their lives and being considered property, and the struggles of the Indians to live as they wished before the invasion of the white man.
I wasn't sure I would like the book when I first started it; I seemed to have a hard time getting into it. (This happens often, especially when I switch between genres.) However,the more I read, the more I liked it. In fact, I had to force myself to put the book down at 3 am, because I couldn't keep my eyes open! Overall, I thought the story was very good, and really liked Vella Munn's writing style. Don't think this will be my last book by this author.
Oh, I also liked the lesson that just because your beliefs are not the same as others, that does not mean they are wrong!
*I received a copy of this book from eBook Discovery in exchange for my honest review.
Profile Image for Christine Woinich.
2,784 reviews26 followers
August 4, 2016
I did not want to put this story down. It is a very gritty look into the old west how native people were treated by the "civilized" people. The feelings that grow between Lucita and Black Wolf become stronger with her belief in him and his world. Lucita feels more one with nature than with her situation. So many things happen that can break either of them, but they find a way to triumph. I highly recommend this book.

I received a copy of this book from eBook Discovery in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Mary.
2,753 reviews23 followers
July 11, 2016
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Well written, intense, engrossing and intriguing. An incredible story about Black Wolf, Lucita, Margarita, Sebastian and Pablo, about human nature and the struggles of Native Americans. Full of interesting characters, and some really messed up ones, this story grabs you mind and heart from the beginning and keeps you in suspense until the end. It's really great story about an awful time of history.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews

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