ROAD-READY STYLE FOR SPRING

Casey Af f leck
ON THE WORLD TO COME, HIS LOVE OF
WESTERNS, AND INDIGENOUS OUTREACH

Frank Grillo’s Latest Western

cowboysindians.com

Next-Generation Dude Ranchers

A National Park Travelogue
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82 COVER STORY:
CASEY AFFLECK
The Oscar-winning actor discusses
his body of work, including the
upcoming period drama, The World
to Come, set in the mid-19th century
American East Coast frontier.
by Joe Leydon
112 WESTERN ROAD TRIP
How our own Jonathan Fehr
(C&I’s art and production director)
drove 3,500 miles through eight
states — visiting five national parks,
six national forests, and a state
park — with only six days to plan.
by Jonathan Fehr
16 A P R I L 2 0 21
APR IL 2021 FEATURES
94 SPRING FASHION (See product information on page 110)
116 A WALK AMONG ON THE COVER
THE ANCIENTS Casey Affleck was
photographed at Sunset
Exploring the Spiro Mounds in
Ranch in Hollywood
Eastern Oklahoma — once a thriving by Robert Lynden
and important prehistoric Native (sunsetranchhollywood.com).
American city — proves a haunting
trip into Indigenous history.
by Heide Brandes
130 NEXT GEN DUDE
RANCHERS
In a new era of Western travel,
many American ranch families are
preserving their land while allowing
the rest of us to experience a
PHOTOGRAPHY: SCOTT SLUSHER
vacation like no other.
by Mark Bedor
 WRANGLER.COM

WHAT TO WEAR WHEN

YOU HAVE NOTHING
TO HIDE.
 DEPARTMENTS

57 ART GALLERY 30 Contributors

Pitzer’s Fine Arts gallery introduces
us to wildlife painter William Alther 32 Editor’s Note
and bronze sculptor Eric Slocombe.
Ugo Rondinone’s Seven Magic Mountains 34 Letters
in Nevada has welcomed nearly 2 36 Open Range
million visitors since its colorful
installation in 2016. 44 Western Storefront

66 HOME AND RANCH 46 On the Horizon

Discover European style in Jackson
Hole, an artistic take on antlers, sage 50 Society
advice from two landscaping legends,
and modern farming inspiration. 54 Happy Trails

138 Cowboy Corner

78 PEOPLE
Bill Neiman’s Native American Seed 140 Showtime
Farm in the Texas Hill Country is on a
mission to help people restore the earth. 144 Live From

126 LIVING WEST

Wayne Simanovich is a renowned
The Sante Fe trainer and breeder of protection
IMAGE: COURTESY JLF ARCHITECTS

German shepherds for families.

Collection
Lodge With A Modern Twist
www.southwestlooms.com

919-489-8362
 COWBOYSINDIANS.COM

Strait Tequila Thoughts

Country legend George Strait tells us about his new
special-edition Código 1530 Origen tequila variety @ci_magazine
and talks about his plans for 2021. Search “Strait” at
cowboysindians.com.

Roadside Attractions, USA @cowboysindians

From the full-service Sinclair gas station in Perry,
Oklahoma, to Washington’s very own Stonehenge,
we road-trip to some noteworthy, photo-friendly
points of interest around the West. Visit the Travel @cowboysindians
tab on our site.

Art Excursion
Take a visual spin through some of the best @cowboysindiansmagazine
exhibitions on view this spring, including Music for the
Great Sun at Exhibit C in Oklahoma City. Browse the
Art & Culture tab at cowboysindians.com.

When you own Gear To Go

We’re all about staying comfy and prepared, hydrated

a Taylor’s firearm, and fed when we’re on the road. For some products to
pack when you head out, search “road trip gear” on
our website.
you embrace
IMAGE: COURTESY CÓDIGO 1530 TEQUILA

Extra! Extra!
a lifestyle.
Are you subscribed to our weekly newsletter, The
Post? Receive the best news of the West straight
to your inbox every Wednesday. Click the red
“Newsletter” button on our homepage to sign up.

TaylorsFirearms.com
540-722-2017
 C
Editorial I
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EDITORIAL DIRECTORS
Hunter Hauk, Dana Joseph

ART & PRODUCTION DIRECTOR DIGITAL DIRECTOR

Jonathan Fehr Song Yang
MANAGING EDITOR SENIOR DESIGNER
Emily C. Laskowski Sharon Kilday
FASHION EDITOR DIGITAL EDITOR
Andrea Thorp Taylor Presley

SENIOR WRITER
Joe Leydon

COPY AND RESEARCH EDITORS

Jeff Cavallin, Ramona Flume,
Michele Powers Glaze, Diamond Rodrigue,
Annie Wiles

SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS
Mark Bedor, Kristin Brown, Matt Crossman,
David Hofstede, Ellise Pierce, Jordan Rane,
Red Steagall, Studio Seven Productions,
Rhonda Reinhart, Wendy Wilkinson

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Billy Schenck, “He Was No Good”, Oil on canvas, 35” x 45”

A Publication of American West Media LLC

12221 Merit Drive, Suite 1610
Briscoe Western Art Museum Presents Dallas, TX 75251
Night of Artists 20th Anniversary Exhibition & Sale Chairman Gregory L. Brown

MARCH 27 MARCH 28 - MAY 9

Exhibition & Grand Live Auction Public Exhibition & Sale

In-Person & Online Art Sales | Nearly 300 new works of painting, sculpture and mixed media
80 of the country’s leading contemporary Western artists | Register at briscoemuseum.org/NOA

24 A P R I L 2 0 21
 2049 Abilene
Texas Twill

schaeferoutfitter.com 800.426.2074


 SCOTTSDALE ART AUCTION
S ATURDAY , A PRIL 10, 2021

MARK MAGGIORI 29'' X 36'' OIL G. HARVEY 24'' X 30'' OIL

ESTIMATE: $28,000 - 38,000 ESTIMATE: $60,000 - 90,000

KYLE POLZIN 18'' X 23'' OIL JOHN COLEMAN 50'' H BRONZE LOGAN HAGEGE 30'' X 30'' OIL
ESTIMATE: $25,000 - 35,000 ESTIMATE: $45,000 - 55,000 ESTIMATE: $25,000 - 45,000

Auctioning Over 350 Works of Important

American Western, Wildlife and Sporting Art
Saturday, April 10, 2021

For more information please call (480) 945-0225 or visit www.scottsdaleartauction.com

SA AS CRTOTAUT SCDT IAOLNE

7176 MAIN STREET • SCOTTSDALE ARIZONA 85251 • 480 945-0225 • WWW . SCOTTSDALEARTAUCTION . COM
 2-DAY ESTATE AUCTION
MARCH 20 & 21, 2021 - 10:00 AM
THE FOURTH SESSION OF
THE BUDDY & PAULETTE KING
COLLECTION
. OVER 650 ITEMS .
Order your 200 page Color Catalog with photos,
descriptions & sale order. Catalogs are $25.00 U.S.
which includes Priority Shipping.
Call 254-799-6044 now to order or mail your check
to A&S Auction Co., 900 East Loop 340,
Waco, Texas 76705.

One of the finest

period War Shirts
to surface in years.
Circa. 1880

Approximately
70 pairs of
Spurs by noted
G.A. makers
Bischoff
Randy
Butters

Lytle & Mower Erlon

Shirley

Bid Online at www.AsAuctions.com

 Rare, one of a kind, authentic 10 piece Outfit once owned and worn by iconic movie
and television star, Clayton Moore, “The Lone Ranger.” Extremely well documented,
this Outfit includes the Bohlin made double, silver mounted Buscadero Rig; 33
original “Lone Ranger” marked Bullets; The actual pair of factory engraved Colt,
single action Revolvers with consecutive serial numbers, LR1 & LR2, back strap
marked “Clayton Moore, The Lone Ranger”; Shirt and pants are marked “Nudie’s
Rodeo Tailors”; A red western style Bandana marked “Western Neckwear by Ray
Smoot, Los Angeles, California”; An off white Stetson western beaver Hat with leather
chin strap, stamped in gold letters “Nudie Rodeo Tailors, North Hollywood, Califor-
nia”; A pair of black, tall top leather Boots with “Nudie” tag sewn inside: A pair of full
mounted silver overlay engraved Spurs with initials “C.M.” in diamond on heel band,
complete with matching “Bohlin” marked two piece straps. This incredible outfit will
be sold as one lot. This Outfit has formerly been owned and well documented by Large collection of Badges
other collectors, including the Buddy King Estate Collection. Outfit will be sold as
from the George Jackson
one lot so it will always be kept together.
Collection

Ways to Bid
In House, Absentee
By Phone or
On Line.

Early beaded and

leather Wild West
Banner
 Contributors

AS WE SLOWLY START TO BREAK FREE FROM THE CONFINES

OF COVID, HERE’S WHERE OUR CONTRIBUTORS
ARE DREAMING OF GOING OUT WEST.

Mark Bedor, writer, “Next Gen Dude

Ranchers,” page 130
Livin’ the dream. It’s a common expression among
cowboy types. When I first saw the West out
the car window, I dreamed about riding out
over those hills far beyond the pavement. After
writing about dozens of dude ranches from
Arizona to Alberta, plus a variety of other
horseback adventures, I’ve lived that dream.
But I always want more. My dream destination
is sitting in the saddle horseback, experiencing
more of the great American West.

PHOTOGRAPHY: ΈKZΉd,,/Khd>K'Θ'h^dZE,ͬKhZd^zDZ<KZ͖Έd,KZWΉZ'Edz>KZW,KdK'ZW,zͬKhZd^z
Andrea Thorp, C&I fashion be the first overnight
editor, “Head West,” page 94 travel I will do when
I’ve managed to mold my home décor this COVID is in our

EZd,KZW͖ΈWdK^</Ή<Z/^hDD/E'^ͬKhZd^z:KE/<WdK^</͖Έt,>,>ΉKhZd^z>/E^zt,>,>
and personal style around the Santa rearview mirrors. I’ve
Fe, New Mexico, vibe without having got the hankering to
visited the city for myself — but I hope spend time in Silver
to change that. My ideal trip would take City, New Mexico,
place in the fall, when which I hardly know at all. As the
I imagine the smell gateway to the Gila Wilderness, SC
of Piñon pine wafts is far from the New Mexico most
through the town and visitors experience.
the weather is prime
for leisurely hikes and Lindsay Whelchel, writer, “Man’s Best
spiced coffee on a casita Friend — And Protector,” page 126
porch. I hope to spend time soaking My dream Western destination is
in authentic New Mexico history and Montana — particularly Whitefish,
shopping for turquoise, of course. Montana, and nearby
Glacier National Park.
Joe Nick Patoski, writer, “Put It Back I love hiking and
Like It Was,” page 78 national parks, and
My dream Western destination is the always want to check
Big Bend, my favorite desert mountains more off my list.
playground. It is the Wide Open Spaces Plus, I’ve dreamed of riding horses
at its finest. Given its proximity to where in Montana ever since I watched The
I live in the Texas Hill Country, it will Horse Whisperer.

30 A P R I L 2 0 21
Photo: Rebecca Lowndes

“White Buffalo” Necklaces

Oval & Flower Necklaces by Curtis Pete
Drop Pendant Necklace by Billy Jaramillo ON THE PLAZA

61 Old Santa Fe Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87501 505-983-9241 maloufontheplaza.com Online Shopping Available
 E D I T O R ’ S N O T E

C
Time To Get Out There I
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By Hunter Hauk

N THIS ISSUE OF C&I, WE LOOK AHEAD outdoor spaces has been a growing trend during the

I to the experiences that the peeking

springtime sun permits. We’ll emerge from
our caves (as beautifully decorated and full
pandemic, and for good reason: An outside oasis — big
or small — can feed both your spirit and your stomach.
Check out some gardening and landscaping resources in
of creature comforts as they might be) and turn our the Home and Ranch section on page 66.
attentions to bolder fashion, to more adventurous travel, Even if your weather’s not welcoming quite yet, you
to nature’s unending opportunities, and to the greater can still escape to unlimited locales and states of mind
world outside of our bubbles. via books, visual art, music, and movies. The latest to
Some of us will sign up for days and nights of transport me is the beautifully produced indie film The
outdoor pursuits at one of World to Come, starring Casey
the West’s many glorious Affleck. If you’ve paid
guest ranches. In this issue attention to Affleck’s body
on page 130, we explore of acting work, you know
how new generations of he’s especially attuned to
dude ranchers are tending to communicating complicated
their lands and livelihoods. layers of emotion and
Others will take the pain. Makes sense that he’s
driver’s seat in epic travel already won an Oscar. His
adventures, gathering maps, latest effort, and the subject
gear, and itinerary ideas that of our cover story on page
really rev up a road trip. 82, concerns the inner
There’s a tantalizing taste struggles of two couples
of all that in our art director’s personal scrapbook of a living through the harsh realities of the 19th-century
recent journey in the West on page 112. American frontier. The note-perfect performances
The more fashionable among us will see a new season stayed with me long after the closing credits, and I was
as a chance to update the styles that signal our inner thanking my lucky stars that I enjoy the comforts and
PHOTOGRAPHY: ROBERT LYNDEN

moods and personalities. You ought to know by now
that C&I can help with that cause: You’ll find another
on-point fashion spread in our special spring road trip-
themed feature on page 94.
Those who stick closer to home base can still find
a world of inspiration and sustenance by tending to
a garden or a beautiful landscape design. Cultivating
privileges of modern times.
We like to think of C&I as a whole-soul travel
guide — and of the April issue as a celebration of
warmer weather and all the promise spring brings. As you
flip through, we hope you’ll be inspired by the people,
places, and pursuits that make the American West so
special — and this magazine such a pleasure to produce.

32 A P R I L 2 0 21
 A SPIRITED TRIBUTE TO THE RICH HISTORY OF

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causes thunder and stirs the wind. Now, be guided by the spirit of this time-honored legend
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Sculpted Thunderbird with a inlay and red hand-enameled accents. A powerful statement in fine jewelry, turquoise is
Genuine Turquoise Inlay believed to be a stone of good fortune and protection in Native American culture. The edges
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 L E T T E R S

C I
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B I
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Readers Tomasz Krzeminski and Honorata Stolarzewicz at the

Route 66 midpoint in Adrian, Texas.

From Poland to Route 66

C&I is definitely my favorite magazine. It gives me such
joy, as I love America and the Wild West especially. I
travel as much as I can across your country, but it’s
still only about three weeks a year when I spend my
vacation in the USA. So, C&I is my connection with
America during the rest of the year. Time spent with
your magazine is so bright and special, it brings a lot
of new dreams and goals to my wish list.
— Honorata Stolarzewicz, Mysłowice, Poland

Editor’s note: Honorata and her husband, Tomasz

Krzeminski, have trekked the entire Route 66. Read
about their travels at route66.com.pl.

Did You Know?

C&I has a worldwide fan base — here are the countries where some
of our loyal readers live:

Australia Japan
Austria Luxembourg
Belgium Mexico
Brazil Monaco
Canada The Netherlands
Czech Republic New Zealand

The Road to Palo Duro

Denmark Norway PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY TOMASZ KRZEMINSKI

Finland Poland
France Slovenia
24 x 30 Germany Spain
canvas giclee Greece Sweden
signed and numbered Hong Kong Switzerland
Ireland United Kingdom
Italy Thailand

Back issues available at cowboysindians.com. Send mail to

letters@cowboysindians.com.
if
34
www.djjanowskiart.com » 970.270.3949
A P R I L 2 0 21
 TROPHY
PIECE
Sterling Navajo pearls
FASHION set the stage for rare
FORWARD Royston stones. Royston
Add an edge to your turquoise pendant necklace
look adorned in cascading ($10,890), hippie
black stones. Onyx ear crawler cowgirlcouture.com
($140), spunkysteer.com

Steadfast
Style
I n the year 2021, we have grown accustomed to living
at the speed of light. With each passing day we are
presented with ever-new technology, higher efficiency,
PHOTOGRAPHY: SCOTT SLUSHER

and endless options specifically targeted to your needs. THE STORYTELLER

While we all surely appreciate the innovation of this time in Etched silver creates
history, we are partial to things that stand the test of time. a wearable storyline.
Take a moment to acknowledge Western styles that have Eugene Hale (Navajo)
been perfected with a slow hand. storyteller bracelet ($795),
— Andrea Thorp, fashion editor westerntradingpost.com

36 A P R I L 2 0 21
 PHOTO © BOB WADE.COM

BACK
IN BLACK
An embellished straw
hat adds instant style
to spring looks. Sure
Shot black straw hat ($70),
charlie1horsehats.com

STATEMENT CLUSTER
Find intricate matrix on full display
in this cluster piece. Juanita Long
DESERT DREAMING (Navajo) Royston turquoise cluster
Slip on these one-of-a-kind booties featuring Southwestern design. necklace ($1,199),
Pendleton wool and black suede booties ($545), cantyboots.com hippiecowgirlcouture.com

COWB OYS & IN D IAN S 37

 SPECIAL
OCCASION
Statement turquoise
and silver finery
are a fitting choice
for black tie affairs.
Elgin Tom (Navajo)
Royston turquoise lariat
RANCH ACCESSORY necklace ($6,398),
Braided horsehair creates a meaningful samsvillegallery.com
accessory for the horse lover. Andes slide
horsehair bracelet ($40),
myriderlife.com

PHOTOGRAPHY: CANYON CUFF COURTESY VOGT SILVERSMITHS, (ALL OTHER IMAGES) SCOTT SLUSHER

COLLECTOR’S CUFF COWBOY CLASSIC

Stones of blue matrix add an air of sophistication Show off a touch of timeless Western charm.
to any ensemble. Richard Jim (Navajo) Kingman The Canyon Cuff ($139),
turquoise cuff ($1,680), samsvillegallery.com vogtsilversmiths.com

38 A P R I L 2 0 21
 SOFT FINISHES
Embroidery and silk finish this handmade piece of wearable art.
Cate silk fringe jacket ($3,150), jillgarber.com

308-692-3119 - Bartley Nebraska

TOMORROW’S
HEIRLOOMS, TODAY

Go to www.chuckswoodbarn.com to see
more detailed photos and description.

COWB OYS & I ND I ANS 39

 WESTERN RUNWAY
Red is a power color on the fashion runway
and as it turns out, on the ranch as well.
Paired with Western neutrals such as buckskin
tan, saddle brown, and black, shades of red
effortlessly pop for a refined touch.
PHOTOGRAPHY: (ALL IMAGES) COURTESY VENDORS

Red Italian leather handbag with hand-tooled

leather accents ($575), instagram.com/
divercustomleather. Leopard animal print scarf
($37), whipinwildrags.com. Patti Wingtip
leather mules ($225), lucchese.com. Jennie
Vicenti (Zuni) poppy bloom earrings ($425),
peyotebird.com.
 OUT OF THE BOX BASICS
Looking to spice up your wardrobe
this spring? Rethink your idea
of neutrals in tones of cream,
mahogany, navy, and even shades of
orange for unexpected pairings sure
to refresh your palate.

Coral buffalo leather bandana ($70),

wildflowerleatherworks.com. Martha
Willeto (Navajo) wild horse magnesite
earrings ($365), turquoisecanyon.com. Bucket
bag with bolo slide closure ($380), hd-west.com.
The Lucy navy suede booties ($235), tecovas.com.

PHOTOGRAPHY: (ALL IMAGES) COURTESY VENDORS

42 A P R I L 2 0 21
 Four Sixes Ranch
C owboy life in the wide-open Wild West doesn’t seem such
a bygone era when you visit Four Sixes Ranch and Supply
House in rural Guthrie, Texas.
The acclaimed Four Sixes Ranch, established in 1870,
opened its supply house in 1900 to offer ranch workers the
only place where they could get provisions.
The mercantile still provides that service to the community
today, offering groceries and fuel. And the draw of cowboy
culture has made Supply House a nostalgic and historic stop
for many tourists hoping to get a taste of ranch life — maybe
the chance to strike up a conversation with a real ranch-working
cowboy or cowgirl.
“If you are familiar with the ranch, I think it’s just one of
those must-do things when you go through that area,” says
Brandie Blodgett Mustian, the Four Sixes Ranch’s branded
product manager.
Sentiments of the old-fashioned general store are still as
alive as they were in 1900 — like the old cash register and some
of the store’s original fixtures on display. Cowboy hats of past
Four Sixes workers even adorn the walls.
For those wanting to take a piece of the ranch home with
them, the store offers Four Sixes Originals: collections such
PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY KARRIE KING

as charcuterie boards milled from the ranch’s own wood,

boots designed by the ranch’s cowboys and cowgirls through a
collaboration with Fenoglio Boots, and products handcrafted
® by Texas craftsmen, many of them Four Sixes ranch-workers
who are also skilled artisans.

601 S. 6666 Road, Guthrie, Texas 79236, 806.230.3200,


   
  shop6666ranch.com

656 Canyon Road Santa Fe, New Mexico

info@karinaoncanyon.com • 505-983-8870
44 Shop Online: karinaoncanyon.com
A P R I L 2 0 21
 Nuevo Rancho
D ays on the ranch mean a lot of time on your feet. Your boots
should help, rather than hinder, your rising step count.
That’s the sentiment that prompted Koko Gonzalez,
owner and creative director of Nuevo Rancho, to shift her
high-fashion focus from studying fashion design in college to
something that hit closer to home.
“We come from West Texas,” Gonzalez says. “My family
and I would wear boots all of the time, and our feet would
hurt after wearing these $400 to $500 boots.” Nuevo Rancho,
meaning “new ranch,” was conceptualized as a new alternative
on the Western footwear scene, offering more affordable boots
that won’t sit unused in a closet due to lack of comfort.
“Our company is actually a Christian-based business. Every
boot is stamped with Jeremiah 29:11,” Gonzalez says. “We’re
honest people. We do honest pricing.”
The brand gained popularity through pop-up shops and as
a vendor on the rodeo circuit before getting its own storefront
in the historic Fort Worth Stockyards. Store employees aim
to treat customers like family, all while sharing product
knowledge and helping shoppers create a winning look. “We’re
trying to make [customers] feel comfortable,” says co-owner
Teresa Morales. “We’re not pressuring them.”
While already complementing its boots with clothing and
PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY VENDOR

accessories from other vendors, Nuevo Rancho is quickly

expanding its own designs to include hats and clothing. You
might come into this store as a customer, but you’re sure to
walk out in comfort, in style, and as family.
— Lindsay Whelchel
140 E. Exchange Ave., Suite 125, Fort Worth, Texas 76164,
682.703.2359, nuevorancho.com

COWB OYS & I ND I ANS 45

 2

1
3

7
PHOTOGRAPHY: SCOTT SLUSHER

SPRINKLE VIBRANT DETAILS INTO YOUR SPRING WARDROBE.

Alan Michael distressed Italian leather fringe jacket ($1,990), karinaoncanyon.com Let’s Smoke The Peace Pipe jacket (contact
for price), doubledranch.com Red deer leather vest ($698), wildinstincts.net Ivy Jane top with blue cross-stitch embroidery
($108), yayagurlz.com Rainbow serape skirt ($109.95), rhondastark.com 6 Tasha Polizzi striped serape sweater ($158.99),
highcalloutfitters.com Ivy Jane cactus kimono ($118), montanarusticaccents.com

46 A P R I L 2 0 21
 Timeless
Design
Apparel
Jewelry
Accessories
Home Furnishings

637 North 9th ST. STE 150 · Columbus, MT 59019

406-322-6204
Montanarusticaccents@yahoo.com · Montanarusticaccents.com
 1 2
3

4 5

8 7

10 PHOTOGRAPHY: SCOTT SLUSHER

SHOW OFF SOMETHING BLUE WITH STANDOUT ACCESSORIES.

Max Lang 5-strand turquoise bead necklace ($675), maxlang.com Buffalo pendant necklace ($198), weatheredsouljewelry.
com Kingman spiderweb turquoise squash blossom ($3,200), danavoorhees.com Sterling silver, bronze, and Czech glass
necklace ($72), desire2b.com Bull head pendant on turquoise beads ($480), sylviamjewelry.com 6 Blue roses silk wild rag ($66),
cowboywildrags.com Doreen Jake graduated turquoise disk necklace ($305), wyominghome.com 8 Terry Martinez (Navajo)
Bisbee turquoise ring ($1,170), samsvillegallery.com 9 Beaded wrap necklace ($125), wccwesterndesigns.com 10 Brown boots
with turquoise embellishments ($380), nuevorancho.com

48 A P R I L 2 0 21
 Dany Tremblay

AQHA World Championship Show

I
t was the biggest show in the history of the
American Quarter Horse Association.
The Farnam AQHA World Championship
Show took over the OKC Fairgrounds in Oklahoma
City for most of November, with more than 2,100
competitors, nearly 2,800 horses, 7,500 entries, and
almost $2.2 million in cash and prizes. American
Quarter Horses and their owners came from all over
the country to compete in virtually every equine
discipline you can think of — English and Western,
barrel racing, reining, roping, dressage, Western pleasure,
trail, pleasure driving, and many more. The show brings
owners, breeders, and competitors together for what’s
known as the premier event in the equine industry.
There are competitive classes for equestrians ranging
from beginning riders to professional trainers and
everyone in between. This year’s gathering was especially
significant because it combined several competitions and
PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY AQHA

shows that had to be rescheduled from earlier in the year

because of COVID-19. It would have been even bigger
had international competitors been able to attend — the
AQHA boasts more than 225,000 members worldwide.
All COVID guidelines were of course followed, which
meant the event was closed to the general public.
— Mark Bedor

50 A P R I L 2 0 21
Scott Reinartz

Karen Johnson Laina Banks

Laura Dare

Philip Tearney
 Competitors gathered at the Great Northfield Raid

"Whirlwind Wendy" "Razorback Red"

Single Action Shooting Society

Great Northfield Raid

C
ome for the sport, stay for the friends. That’s
the informal motto of the Single Action
Shooting Society. Every weekend thousands of
members in chapters across the country and worldwide
compete in what’s known as Cowboy Action Shooting.
It’s competitive and, of course, safe target shooting using
the firearms of the Old West: single action pistols, lever
action rifles, and shotguns. Every competitor goes by an
Old West alias they choose when they join SASS, and
period Western wear is required. All part of the fun.
“You get to dress like a cowboy,” Leann Anderson (aka
Calamity Annie) says. “What isn’t fun about that?”
Anderson and her husband John (aka John Ringo)
were among about 60 SASS members who gathered on
a November weekend near balmy Los Angeles for the
annual competition known as the Great Northfield Raid.
“I like the personal challenge,” Rudy Ordonez (aka
Iron Eyes Rudy) says. “And it’s just a great bunch of
PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY SASS

people. ... Just plain fun!”

And the fun continues long after the last shot is
fired. “We spent last night in the light of a flickering
campfire singing cowboy songs,” Mark Romano (aka
Frederick Jackson Turner) says. “That was the best
part of the weekend.”
— Mark Bedor

52 A P R I L 2 0 21
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 K.T. OSLIN was the first female
songwriter in CMA Awards history
to win Song of the Year, taking the
prestigious prize for her 1987 smash
hit “’80’s Ladies.” As Rolling Stone noted
in a celebratory obituary, the Arkansas-
born entertainer was 45 when she made
a career breakthrough with her chart-
topping debut album of the same title,
a remarkable feat then for a woman in
country music and a near impossibility
today.” Oslin was 78 when she passed
away December 21 in Nashville.
TONY RICE , the Grammy-winning
acoustic guitar player cited as an
inspiration by musicians as diverse as
Jason Isbell and Steve Martin, was a
bluegrass great celebrated for both his
solo work and his collaborations with
such artists as Ricky Skaggs and Bela
Fleck. Skaggs, a longtime friend and
fellow International Bluegrass Music
Hall of Famer, eloquently described
Rice’s enduring influence: “Many if
not all of the bluegrass guitar players
of today would say that they cut their
teeth on Tony Rice’s music.” Rice died
December 25 at age 69 in Reidsville,
North Carolina.
DAWN WELLS may be best known
for her engaging portrayal of the perky
castaway Mary Ann Summers in the
popular sitcom Gilligan’s Island, but
C&I readers likely will also remember
her guest-starring in TV westerns like
Cheyenne, Maverick, Wagon Train, Tales of
Wells Fargo, Bonanza, and The Wild Wild
West. In 1975, Wells did double duty as
costar and narrator for Winterhawk, an
independently produced western film.
Wells died December 30 in Los Angeles of
causes related to COVID-19. She was 82.
Hand crafted by
Lesley Rand Bennett in ED BRUCE , the Arkansas-born singer-
Scottsdale, Arizona songwriter who kicked off his career
USA
Creating fine equestrian jewelry since 1969
during the Sun Records era, earned his
place of honor in country music history
by co-writing (with then-wife Patsy
Bruce) “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies
Grow Up to Be Cowboys,” which he
recorded in 1975 — and later became a
smash hit in 1978 for Willie Nelson and
Waylon Jennings. He also wrote “The
Man That Turned My Momma On” for
Tanya Tucker and “Restless” for Crystal
Gayle, co-wrote “Texas (When I Die)”
for Tucker, and
enjoyed his greatest
success as a solo
artist with “You’re
the Best Break This
Old Heart Ever
Had” (written by
Wayland Holyfield and Randy Hatch)
in 1981. As an actor, Bruce costarred
with James Garner in the 1981-82 series
Bret Maverick, a sequel to Garner’s classic
Maverick TV western, and appeared in
features and TV movies including The Last
Days of Frank and Jesse James (1986), Louis
L’Amour’s Down the Long Hills (1986), Blue
Valley Songbird (1999), and Country Strong
(2010). He died January 8 at age 81 in
Clarksville, Tennessee.
MICHAEL APTED earned acclaim as
a versatile director of dramatic and
nonfiction films ranging from Coal
Miner’s Daughter, the 1980 biopic in
which Sissy Spacek gave an Oscar-
winning performance as country music
icon Loretta Lynn, to Incident at Oglala,
a 1992 documentary detailing events
PHOTOGRAPHY: COMMONS.WIKIMEDIA.ORG
surrounding the 1975 deaths of two
FBI agents on the Pine Ridge Indian
Reservation. Other notable titles on
his résumé include Thunderheart (1992),
a thriller loosely based on the 1973
occupation of Wounded Knee, S.D.,
starring Val Kilmer, Sam Shepard, and
Graham Greene. Apted passed away
January 7 in Los Angeles at age 79.
 A R T G A L L E R Y

Pitzer’s Fine Arts

P
ITZER’S FINE ARTS GOT ITS START IN CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS, IN 1978, WITH BRONZE SCULPTOR KENT
Ullberg as its first artist. After an offer to move the gallery to California, owner Robert Pitzer headed to the West
Coast and set up shop in Carmel-by-the-Sea. There the gallery began sharing Western art with the California
scene, presenting artists such as Nelson Boren, Robert Peters, Luke Frazier, Mark and George Lundeen, and Gerald
Balciar, later adding more figurative and modern sculpture with Angela Mia De la Vega and Bob Wilfong.
“We soaked up the California sun for 12 years before we heard Texas calling us home,” says gallery manager Pamela
Rudd. Wimberley — situated on the Blanco River in the Texas Hill Country between Austin and San Antonio — proved
the ideal place to put down roots. “It has beautiful landscapes and artists everywhere,” Rudd says. “Lots of people say
they feel like they’re in Santa Fe when they walk into our gallery. The sculpture patio is the first thing to draw people
in. With its life-size bronzes by the Lundeens, Angela Mia De la Vega, and Bob Wilfong, you can’t help but be amazed.”
ABOVE: Royal Fortune by William Alther, oil, 32 x 34 inches.

COWB OYS & I ND I ANS 57

 A R T G A L L E R Y

We asked Rudd for some of her favorites among the newer

names in Western art. She introduced us to wildlife painter
William Alther and bronze sculptor Eric Slocombe.

William Alther, Wildlife Painter

W illiam Alther calls himself “a nature guy.” On his

way to becoming a full-time artist, he got a degree
in wildlife biology, which led to 13 years in the zoology
department at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. Art,
nature, and biological science, he says, have always interested
him and intertwined in his life. “I had dabbled with painting
on and off,” Alther says from his Colorado studio. “When I
was about 30, I took a color-theory class. Doing paintings for
some of the assignments flipped a switch for me and I became
very enthusiastic and serious about painting.”
Alther grew up in small-town West Texas and now lives
and paints in Denver, where he met his wife. “There’s a strong
IMAGES: COURTESY WILLIAM ALTHER

art scene in Denver. And, of course, there is great scenery and of interesting things and places. The result is a ‘Texas’ painting
wildlife in every direction, near and far.” But that doesn’t mean now and then.”
he’s done with the Lone Star State, where he still has family. One of those pieces is Balcones Respite. Alther remembers
“On trips back and forth to visit, as I do on almost any road seeing a twisted mesquite trunk and immediately thinking its
trip, I try to spend time exploring, painting, and taking photos shape and character would be a good foundation for a painting.
TOP: Hale and Hearty by William Alther, oil, 16 x 24 inches. BOTTOM: Balcones Respite by William Alther, oil, 24 x 28
inches.

58 A P R I L 2 0 21
“The word balcones refers to the region of this scene, the nature immediate. “He can bring you into the forest and make
Balcones Escarpment, which is a geological zone of transition you feel like you are on the hunt. He can really capture the light
from the high plains of West Texas to the lower plain of East of the sunset and make you feel the mist in the morning air.
Texas. I considered a variety of birds to place in the scene and He can make you feel the breeze and hear grasses crunching
finally decided on Scaled Quail, also commonly called Blue beneath hooves.”
Quail.” Rudd loves it that Alther brings the intricate details of A member of Oil Painters of America and the Society
individual animals into his paintings. “In Balcones Respite,” she of Animal Artists, Alther participates in several prominent
says, “you can almost hear the cooing.” national shows each year. His work is in the permanent
Known primarily as a wildlife painter, Alther has also collection of the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum and
always painted landscapes. “Sometimes there’s not much of many private collections.
a distinction between the two. If animals are to be portrayed Priced from $1,100 to $10,000. williamalther.com
in their natural surroundings, painting habitat and the
landscape is just as much a part of the painting as the Eric Slocombe, Bronze Sculptor
animals,” he says. “If I do a pure landscape but then decide
to put a little animal figure in the scene somewhere because
it improves the painting, is it now a wildlife painting or is it
F or sculptor Eric Slocombe, art comes down to storytelling.
“That’s the inspiration in all the wildlife, Native American,
and sporting art I do,” says the born-and-raised Coloradoan,
still a landscape? I don’t know.” who now makes his home in San Marcos, Texas. “In my work
Alther’s inspiration sometimes comes from “simply a I hope to start a story based on historical fact and to stir
cool-looking subject,” but his main inspiration is beautiful or emotion from the story.”
interesting light conditions — including in the West. “I can’t Slocombe is loath to toot his own horn and leaves that to
speak for others, but I love the open rugged landscapes, vistas,
big skies, and the strong, crisp light. Of course, the West is a
mecca for its variety of large herbivores and apex predators,
otherwise known as ‘charismatic megafauna.’ I think people are
generally more fascinated by large and/or formidable animals.”
Many of his ideas begin with the landscape or setting,
which will then dictate what sort of animal works best
in the painting. It might be some of those “charismatic
megafauna” he talks about, as in Royal Fortune, which shows a
bull elk looking out over a Rocky Mountain landscape. “He
is still young and not yet a dominant bull,” Alther says. “The
title is open to interpretation, but for me it could be a vague
allusion to the space and resources available to him as he
lives through his prime years.” Meanwhile, Hale and Hearty
“is a nod to the resilience of coyotes. Despite the harsh
winter conditions, this coyote is thriving and well-fed, with
a protective full winter coat.”
While he might be able to give the Latin species name for
every plant and animal in a painting, Alther is deliberately less
precise about capturing them visually. “I think of my style
as painterly realism, I suppose. It’s representational, but I try
to be economical and judicious with detail. I like the idea of
suggestion and leaving room in the painting for the viewer’s
mind to fill in some of the information. It promotes more
interaction with the painting. I try to form an interesting
composition with the various elements so that its abstract
design will draw attention from across the room. As for the
subject matter, I simply want to do it justice and portray it in
a way that is as captivating to the viewer as it is to me.”
Rudd says customers are drawn to Alther’s ability to make Pedernales Knapper by Eric Slocombe, bronze.

COWB OYS & I ND I ANS 59

 A R T G A L L E R Y

his wife, Paula. “She’s definitely the brains of the outfit,”

ABOVE: Comanche Moon by Eric Slocombe, bronze.
OPPOSITE: The Valley Below by Eric Slocombe, bronze.
he says. “She handles all the computer and business stuff.
She helps me at shows and is a great saleswoman. I swear,
she sells more art than I do. And when I’m working on a
sculpture, even if she doesn’t know the subject matter, she
can see things that I don’t. Sometimes you get so deep into
the work, you don’t step back and look at it. Sometimes I
get off in my art fantasy and need to come back. She’s my
reality check.”
For her part, Paula knows exactly what’s at the heart of
her husband’s talent: “Eric is adept at depicting animals
in their natural surroundings, capturing their subtle
movements and instinctive reactions,” she says. “He loves
Native American history and creates art that really brings
that history to life.”
Growing up in a small Rocky Mountain town,
Slocombe acquired his affinity and talent for rendering
the natural world and Native history. He was “always
outside hunting and fishing” and absorbing details that
would make for authentic embellishments in his future
sculptures. He equally immersed himself in research that
would imbue his Native American pieces with unexpected
details and authenticity. “I love the Native stories I come
across. I love books. I pick them up and collect them
everywhere — garage sales, estate sales,” he says. “I love
looking and reading, doing book research, surfing the
internet, going out and talking to people.”
For the piece Pedernales Flint Knapper, Slocombe talked
to a member of the Carrizo/Comecrudo Tribe, one of
the earliest Texas tribes. “The piece is a Native American
holding up an arrowhead — an interesting piece because it’s
so different. I try to look for something that might be a
little bit different from the normal, subtle little things that
I can put in there. A lot of viewers might generally enjoy
the pieces, but there will be one or two people who may
see the tiny details and really be drawn in. They know from
those details that what I’ve produced is authentic.”
Slocombe’s collectors like him to write up the stories
that go with the sculptures so they know what he was
thinking when he created the pieces. “I leave the stories
without an ending so they can maybe come up with their
own,” he says. “Take The Valley Below: I have my version of
what inspired this, which has to do with a small hunting
party of Crow in the 1800s who were heading south out of
Wyoming when they were attacked by a war party of Ute
warriors coming north from Colorado. I have the Crow
warrior looking down from a hidden outcropping; people
will tell me what they see and what they think he sees.”
What Slocombe strives for in his work is “to get the
viewer going and involve them in the story. I want them

60 A P R I L 2 0 21
to imagine more — what’s going to happen.” With his wildlife
pieces, the goal is not necessarily to get viewers to imagine
what’s going to happen but to transport them with a certain
sense of place and a sensory moment. “Hunters and often
photographers have heard the leaves rustling when a deer or elk
is coming up the trail, and a sculpture can put them in that place
and that moment and evoke what was going on in their senses.
That’s the real payoff in being an artist. The money helps me
to keep going. But it’s the personal effect and how viewers and
collectors react that feeds the soul and inspires the artist and
keeps the fire burning and makes you want to create more.”
For Rudd, it’s Slocombe’s imaginative attention to detail in
every bead, feather, antler, and headdress that compels the viewer.
And it’s the museum quality of his pieces that lands his work
in private collections throughout the Southwest and exhibitions
around the country, including NatureWorks Wildlife Art Show
& Sale in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he won an Excellence Award
for Comanche Moon.
Priced from $800 to $10,000. ericslocombe.com
— Dana Joseph

Pitzer’s Fine Arts: 13909 Ranch Road 12, P.O. Box 2850, Wimberley,
Texas 78676, 512.722.6032, pitzersart.com.

COWB OYS & I ND I ANS 61

 A R T G A L L E R Y

Seven Magic Mountains

A
BOUT 10 MILES SOUTH OF HENDERSON, NEVADA, ALONG THE BUSY HIGHWAY FOR LONG-HAUL TRUCKERS
known as I-15, a different kind of roadside stop has emerged: seven neon-bright towers of stacked boulders, like
cairns left by giant hikers in an empty desert. Since the art installation Seven Magic Mountains appeared in 2016, it has
welcomed at least 2 million visitors.
“They almost look like people — giant, nice, gentle people,” Swiss-born, New York-based artist Ugo Rondinone told
CBS Sunday Morning. He designed the piece nearly a decade ago for a commission from the Nevada Museum of Art.
Standing as much as 35 feet high, the stacked rock towers that make up Seven Magic Mountains glow against the mountains
in the Ivanpah Valley like a child’s colorful toy blocks. Each of the seven towers consists of three to six boulders, one
painted more brightly than the next.
Unlike his Rockefeller Center public art project, Human Nature — made of boulders left in their natural state and
constructed to resemble the human form — Rondinone approached Seven Magic Mountains with a different sensibility. “I
wanted to make it with natural materials but make it artificial,” he told CBS Sunday Morning. “Seven Magic Mountains elicits
continuities and solidarities between human and nature, artificial and natural, then and now,” he says.
Which is why when it came to choosing colors for his project, he went with the brightest of all. “Day-Glo is the most
artificial color that you can get,” Rondinone says. “The color is very restricted to the seven rainbow colors, plus black,
white, and silver. The rainbow colors, this color spectrum, is for me a holistic system. Seven Magic Mountains stands in stark
IMAGES: COURTESY NAVADA MUSEUM OF ART

contrast to its surroundings. It’s a given that when you put something in contrast with another, it elevates the other part.
So I hope that people who look at the piece will extend their view to the landscape around Seven Magic Mountains and will
appreciate the landscape of Las Vegas.”
Rondinone used limestone hand-picked from a nearby quarry, carving and shaping it into enormous 40,000-pound
“boulders,” then painting them and threading them together with a backbone of steel. In all, 33 boulders were carved,
colored, and stacked to create the work, which took five years to complete. It’s one of the largest land-art projects
completed in the United States in more than 40 years.
ABOVE and OPPOSITE: Seven Magic Mountains by Ugo Rondinone.

62 A P R I L 2 0 21
 Seven Magic Mountains is both land art and pop art,
Rondinone says. It could be cairns, a hoodoo, or a study
in meditative rock balancing. It might even be a monolith.
Its wildly popular appeal may have less to do with what
it is and more to do with what it calls to mind with
its simplicity and playfulness. Maybe it reminds us of
stacking rocks — or blocks — as everyone has done at one
time in their lives. Maybe it elicits the mystery and joy
of discovering art in unexpected places. Whatever the
magnetic draw to these giant glowing rocks in the Nevada
desert, Rondinone’s seven mountains are at once familiar
and surprising — and magical.
“It’s not something intellectual,” he told CBS Sunday
Morning. “It’s something you have to experience. You don’t
have to understand an artwork. You have to feel it.”
— Ellise Pierce
Seven Magic Mountains, produced by Art Production Fund in New
York and Nevada Museum of Art in Reno, will remain on view through
December 31, 2021. nevadaart.org
COWB OYS & I ND I ANS 63
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 H O M E A N D R A N C H

Old World Charm

E U ROPE A N A N T IQU E S A N D R E C L A I M E D M AT E R I A L S A DD T I M E - HONOR E D
T R A DI T ION TO A N E W HOUSE OU T S I DE JAC K S ON, W YOM I NG.

By Rhonda Reinhart

F
OR A CHICAGO-AREA COUPLE WHO ARE
active hikers, fly fishers, and skiers, their
vacation home on the outskirts of Jackson,
Wyoming, was a fine place to visit. But when they
decided to make the mountain town their new home
base after they retired, they realized they needed a
house that was designed just for them, a place where
they could actually live instead of just pop in for
summers and holidays. “We needed it to be larger
than our previous house,” says the wife, “but wanted
all the spaces to be sized so they were comfortable
and livable.” To make their dream house a reality,
the couple enlisted Paul Bertelli and Jake Scott of
JLF Architects, then hired Tayloe Piggott and John
Thorkildsen to handle the interior design. The
result is a 6,500-square-foot alpine abode that’s Timeless Style
simultaneously rustic and refined. Throughout the For the exterior of the house, the architects chose a
custom-built house, plush furnishings and soft tones classic mix of materials sourced from the surrounding
counterbalance the reclaimed wood and rough stone area, including reclaimed snow fence siding and
in the architecture. Creating an ideal mix was also Montana moss rock, both of which they carried
key in the floor plan, which offers plenty of private over into the interior as well. “We were trying
space for the homeowners, as well as abundant to use a lot of old materials to make it look like
gathering areas for visiting friends and family. this building has been there for ages,” says Scott.

66 A P R I L 2 0 21
Room With A View
“Our favorite room is the living room,” says the homeowner. “In addition to being a beautiful space with spectacular views
of the Tetons, it so easily and comfortably welcomes a crowd.” To make the oversize room feel more intimate and to soften
the tall timber ceiling and stone walls, Piggott and Thorkildsen created multiple conversation areas, populated with comfy
seating upholstered in soft linens and velvets. “The lighting was a big part of the living room, too,” says Piggott. “The
sconces that we put all around the walls give the room a really beautiful ambient light.”

COWB OYS & I ND I ANS 67

 H O M E A N D R A N C H

Old Meets New Perfect Balance

In the dining room, a custom White marble countertops and pickled oak cabinets help brighten up the kitchen,
glass chandelier illuminates an which features reclaimed wood on the ceiling and floor, Montana moss rock on the
antique grape-harvesting table walls, and reclaimed black tiles behind the Wolf range. The architects used large slabs
originally from a farmhouse in of sandstone to create an alcove for the cooking station, and the island was designed
France. Flanked by mismatched with hidden storage to make it feel more like a piece of furniture.
antique chairs and bookended
by ruffled velvet benches, the
massive table can seat up to
20 people. “It’s very rustic,
so it fits our no-fuss lifestyle,”
says the homeowner. “More
importantly, it is large enough
that no matter the size of our
gathering, everyone has a seat at
the table.”
 Lounge Act
To keep things cozy in the airy upstairs
sitting area, the designers opted for a neutral
L-shaped sofa layered with cheerful throw
pillows in the homeowner’s favorite color.
PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY JLF ARCHITECTS
All The Frills DESIGN DETAILS
Ruffles are a recurring theme throughout Architecture: JLF Architects,
the house, including in the serene owners’ jlfarchitects.com
suite, where two antique chairs sport Builder: OSM Construction,
onsitemanagement.com
new upholstery and ruffled skirts.
Interior Design: Tayloe Piggott
Design, tetonheritagebuilders.
com
Landscape Design: Verdone
Landscape Architects,
verdonelandarch.com
 H O M E A N D R A N C H

Sitting Pretty
From the covered porch, the homeowners and their guests can take in views of the nearby pond and
the Teton Range in the distance. As with the home’s other common spaces, the outdoor room offers
plentiful and comfortable seating.

70 A P R I L 2 0 21
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PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY VENDORS

COWB OYS & I ND I ANS 71

 E L E M E N T S O F S T Y L E

NATURAL CURIOSITY A R M E D W I T H A N T L E R S , S K U L L S , L E AV E S , A N D T U M BL E W E E D S , U TA H A RT I S T
OW E N MORT E N S E N C OM BI N E S A FA S C I N AT ION W I T H N AT U R E A N D A PA S S ION
F OR MODE R N DE S IG N I N A N I M AGI N AT I V E C OL L E C T ION OF HOM E DE C OR .

By Rhonda Reinhart

O WEN MORTENSEN HAS A KNACK FOR TRANSFORMING THE

mundane into the extraordinary. Equal parts forager and visionary,
the artist crafts lighting and home accessories from bits of nature found
near his home in northern Utah and other rural areas out West. The
way Mortensen sees it, though, it’s the materials he uses that are the true
works of art. “Most artists are inspired by nature, and they interpret
PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY OWEN MORTENSEN

it one way or another,” he says, “but my thought is there’s no need for

interpretation. Just use what nature has provided because it’s already
perfect.” In Mortensen’s hands, tumbleweeds become light fixtures, aspen
leaves become delicate collages, shed moose antlers become statement-
making sculptures, and bison skulls become gilded wall hangings. Organic
and textural, his pieces are also modern and minimal. “The heart of my
work is in the natural elements and how to look at those differently,
how to look at them for their own pure honest aesthetic,” he says.
“That’s why everything I do with them is very simple, so you can really

72 A P R I L 2 0 21
enjoy those simple shapes and textures and color
qualities.” Mortensen’s made-to-order tumbleweed
pendant, which is his most requested piece these
days, consists of nearly 40 tumbleweed branches
that he trims down and carefully pieces together,
creating a striking sculpture that appears fragile but
is actually quite the opposite. “It’s more durable
than you would ever think,” he says. “Think of a
tumbleweed—it’s designed to take a beating.” Even
though Mortensen has shipped the pendants as
far away as Florida, New York, and Pennsylvania,
the fixtures have been most popular in the West,
where they have found homes everywhere from
rustic cabins to modern houses. Building on the
success of his foray into lighting, Mortensen has
a new fixture in the works, an elk antler pendant
incorporating a hidden LED strip. “It’s extremely
minimal,” he says, “literally just a floating antler
with light emanating from it.” Like Mortensen’s
other creations, the pendant offers a modern take
on a classic form and a simple celebration of natural
beauty. owenmortensen.com

 

COWB OYS & I ND I ANS 73

 G R E A T O U T D O O R S

Forces of Nature
L A N D S CA PE DE S IG N E R M A RGI E G R AC E — P R I N C I PA L OF CA L I F OR N I A’ S G R AC E DE S IG N
A S S O C I AT E S A N D AU T HOR OF PR I VAT E GA R DE N S OF SA N TA BA R BA R A — S H A R E S WOR D S
OF W I S D OM F ROM H E R T H R E E - PLU S DE CA DE S I N T H E BU S I N E S S .

What’s one way you can reduce the maintenance requirements You tout the use of
for your landscape? “Pick the right plant for the right place. “hardworking plants.”
For example, if you want a hedge to be 6 to 8 feet high, pick a What do you mean by that?
plant that grows that high and leave it alone, rather than a plant “Say you want a plant to

PHOTOGRAPHY: (MARGIE GRACE IMAGE) COURTESY HOLLY LEPERE, (DAVID HOCKER IMAGES) COURTESY
that wants to grow 30 feet high and shear it constantly.” provide screening. You could
just put in a hedge, or you
What about water conservation? “Water conservation could use, say, a citrus tree
starts with plant selection. In Santa Barbara, I pick plants that’ll give you year-round
that will give me the aesthetic I want that are low water screening (it’s evergreen), and
demand and, preferably, high habitat value. I further reduce you’ll have fruit to eat, the
water requirements by including a lot of nonliving material lovely scent of blossoms to
in the landscape composition: gravel, pebbles, stone, little enjoy, and be doing your bit
sitting areas tucked in here and there.” to support pollinators. Depending on your screening needs,
pick the right citrus tree, trim it right, and you can add shade
Where can you save on landscape design, and where should into the bargain as well.”
you splurge? “Don’t compromise on the design. Make your
budget adjustments in your materials choices and how you What are some simple things you can do to spruce up
execute the design. Just as indoors, for instance, ‘flooring’ an existing outdoor space? “Declutter. Make room to
MILLICENT HARVEY PHOTOGRAPHY

materials outdoors might be any number of things, each with
a specific price point. Typically, I’ll use stone or architectural
concrete or brick in the primary areas (a patio and landings next
to the house, for instance), gravel for secondary areas (a sitting
area under a tree, garden paths), and mulch for tertiary areas
(paths within planting areas, say). This puts the money where it
makes a difference while keeping the budget in check.”
breathe; surround yourself only with things you love. Then
refresh—a few throw pillows and a lap blanket to cozy up
a dreary or unused corner, a fresh coat of paint in a fun
color on furniture you already own or on a wall adjacent to
where you like to sit. And scavenge. Try making your own
furniture out of building material pallets or a fountain out
of a stock tank.” gracedesignassociates.com

74 A P R I L 2 0 21
 C E L E BR AT I N G 15 Y E A R S OF H I S E P ON Y MOU S DA L L A S - BA S E D F I R M , L A N D S CA PE A RC H I T E C T
DAV I D HO C K E R R E LE A S E S T H E F I R S T MONO GR A PH OF H I S WOR K .
What is something you often have to educate clients
about? “One thing people forget is you need to be patient.
The second we’re finished with our project, it’s just
beginning. Money can buy a bigger tree, but it still means all
this has to grow and fill in. It also means there are anomalies
that happen. It’s a living element that you’re dealing with.”
What can you do to pack a punch in a small outdoor
space? “I think for those to be really impactful, it’s just
how that indoor-outdoor connection happens right at the
threshold so you’re stepping out into a very special space.
Particularly with infill projects, screening is important.
Dealing with common boundaries and privacy issues is
important to making it feel like it’s a very nice outdoor
room because the last thing you want to do is walk outside
and be staring up at your neighbor. A lot of times you can
only go a certain height with walls, just based on code, and
then it’s more about OK, well, what can we plant that’s
appropriate that will get really tall and create some screens?”
You use a lot of native plants in your projects. Why is that
important? “I’ll broaden that to an adaptive plant palette
because depending on the site or even the area that you’re
working within, you can pull plants that are wholly
adapted for the region as well. That ultimately equates
to what people want to hear: lower-maintenance,
maybe less water-consumptive plant materials. You’re
just looking for very hardy, appropriate plant material
that’s going to thrive in the particular setting.”
How do you respond when
you get a request for a low-
maintenance landscape? “It’s
really a matter of setting
expectations. To me, a low-
maintenance garden might
not have any lawn in it, so
you’re not maintaining the
turf areas, which are more
consumptive of water. It has
a little bit different carbon
footprint than, say, a meadow
that once established, you either burn or cut back once a
year. But funny enough, some people would see a lawn as
very low-maintenance because they’re like, well, I just mow
it and that’s it, whereas I’m like, well, but you’re mowing it
weekly instead of this meadow that once it’s established,
you’re just cutting back once a year. Generally, within the
profession, lower-maintenance would allude to a garden
that’s much more natural. It’s less hedging or pruning, less
mowing, less water, less fertilizer. That doesn’t always mean
that’s what people think of. I will say in either scenario,
this idea of a garden being something that you just install
and then forget about is not really correct. It’s a very big
investment on these projects, and if it’s something that
you value, like maybe you value the trees on your property,
that means you also need to take care of those trees, the
same way with other elements that are planted.” hockerdesign.com
— Rhonda Reinhart
COWB OYS & I ND I ANS 75
 T R E N D I N G

Room for Growth

YOU R A NC E S T OR S GR E W T H E I R OW N FO OD, A N D S O CA N YOU, W H E T H E R
YOU H AV E M U LT I PLE AC R E S OR J US T A F E W S QUA R E F E E T.

For Your Inspiration

The Modern Farmer
From arugula to zucchini, every crop at Lauren Palmer’s
Tennessee farm is certified organic.

W hen Lauren Palmer started Bloomsbury Farm in

Smyrna, Tennessee, in 2009, she sold her organic
produce at local farmers markets. Today, the farm’s 400
acres provide organic vegetables, fruits, sprouts, and herbs
to wholesalers and retailers in and around Nashville. But
Bloomsbury’s roots go much deeper than that. “This farm
has given so much to so many generations before me,”
says Palmer. “The proof of that is we are finding Indian
arrowheads on the regular.” What has never changed at
Bloomsbury, however, is Palmer’s commitment to organic
farming. “Our hope is to add and give back, so the soil just how easy are the gardens to grow? “We have over a 95
and the farm regenerate and the life in the soil is as healthy percent success rate of our growers getting a harvest, but it
as possible, which brings better-tasting, robust crops,” she does require participation,” says Letier. “You have to water
says. When it comes to growing an at-home garden, Palmer it and place it where it will get some sun during the day.”
suggests starting with things you like to eat and enjoy Gardenuity helps ensure success by giving all of its gardeners
cooking the most. “I have so much respect for the backyard access to its online Grow Pro service, which offers one-on-
go-getters!” she says. “They get a glimpse at providing food one support throughout the growing season. gardenuity.com
for their families. What we all have in common is we are all
subject to cold snaps that can wipe out a crop, too much For Your Perusal
wind or rain that damages our hard work, or not enough
rain. Mother Nature is simply bigger than us, and she
must be respected.” bloomsburyfarms.com
T hree new gardening books that can help put you on
the path to self-sufficiency.

The Backyard Homesteader

For Your Consideration ($30, Gibbs Smith) Learn to plan, establish, and maintain
No Yard? No Problem. a small-acre farm or backyard vegetable garden.
Gardenuity’s patio-to-plate garden kits are designed for
small spaces. Among other lessons, The
Complete Guide to No-Dig

“I f you feel like more people are gardening, you’re not

wrong,” says Donna Letier, co-founder and CEO of
Gardening ($25, Cool Springs
Press) will teach you how to
PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY GARDENUITY

Gardenuity. “People are looking for ways to de-stress, to create a no-dig herb or veggie
bring holistic wellness into their daily routine, and have garden from scratch.
some fun.” With her company’s customized garden kits,
Letier wants to make sure anyone can have an “I grew that!” Tiny Victory Gardens ($20, Stone
moment. The plants in each garden, which include options Pier Press) offers step-by-step
such as the Salad Garden Kit, the Taco Toppings Garden instructions on growing your own
Kit, and the bestselling Cocktail Herb Garden Kit ($72 food even if you don’t have a yard.
each), are chosen for the season and your location. But — Rhonda Reinhart
 Finding something
it can’t do. Now
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 P E O P L E

BILL NEIMAN’S NATIVE AMERIC AN SEED FARM IN THE TE X A S HILL COUNTRY

IS ON A MISSION TO HELP PEOPLE RESTORE THE E ARTH.
By Joe Nick Patoski

ID-SEPTEMBER, HALF A YEAR BEFORE TEXAS seed — mostly late-seeding native grasses culminating with

M wildflower season starts, and it’s been terribly

dry and horribly hot at the Native American
Seed Farm northeast of Junction. The rains of
big bluestem, which seeds in November — coming in from
other farms and ranches across the state that the company
contracts with.
spring and summer pretty much quit back in June. This I live about 125 miles from here in the Austin area.
morning, in the dark, Bill Neiman has a meeting with his Five years ago, my homeowners association voted to spend
workers. It’s time to irrigate the grasses from the river. They
can’t wait for rain if they want to have seeds to harvest.
Seeds were the reason Neiman — a lean, wiry character
in a long-sleeve white shirt, jeans, and work boots — greets me
PHOTOGRAPHY: (BILL NEIMAN PHOTO) CALLIE RICHMOND,
like an old friend. I’ve sought him out and kind of know what
to expect from the quick-witted, impatient guru of native seed.
FLOWER IMAGES COURTESY COOL RIVER FARMS

Neiman’s Native American Seed Farm is located in that

sweet spot out on the western wider-open fringe of the
Texas Hill Country as it transitions into the rocky scrub of
the Edwards Plateau and ultimately becomes the Chihuahua
Desert. Some of the farm’s 20 employees are hoeing weeds
out of its 63 acres of rich, fluffy river-bottom soil nudged
up against the Llano River, the blue-green ribbon flowing
north toward Mason that marks the southern border of
the farm and provides its sustenance. Others are entering
species, location, and other data specific to the big sacks of

78 A P R I L 2 0 21
several hundred dollars on native wildflower seed. Budget-
minded members asked if due diligence had been done.
Wasn’t there cheaper seed? Defenders of the idea spoke
about the benefits of native wildflowers and the greater
likelihood of colorful displays.
The HOA sprang for it and never made a better
decision. The shows the past two springs along our streets
have been like none in my 26 years of living there. It wasn’t
just the old dependables like bluebonnets, Indian blanket,
Indian paintbrush, and yellow composites, but arrays of
new color bearers including big stalks of gayfeather and
teeny-tiny mountain pinks and baby blue eyes and thickets
of basketflower and lemon mint that persisted into July.
I wanted to know where this natural bounty came from,
which led me to Native American Seed Farm in Junction,
and to Bill Neiman.
“Our mission is to help people restore the earth,” Neiman
explains on the porch of the farm’s hacienda. Back in the
1970s, he had a successful landscaping and nursery business
in Flower Mound, Texas, a booming suburb northwest of
DFW International Airport. His venture almost folded in
the summer heat wave of 1980, when 69 days of 100-plus-
degree heat and zero inches of rain were recorded.
“I was installing these really hyped-up intricate
landscapes of Asian jasmine, Chinese holly, Indian
hawthorn, Pakistani crepe myrtle, Caribbean St. Augustine,”
he says, flashing a sneaky conspiratorial grin that reminds
me of the comedian Jim Carrey. “All of my work was
burning up. I was also seeing things blooming during those
days without rain, over 100 degree temps. I realized those
things were natives.
“That’s when a string of lights started coming on.
These alien plants aren’t recognized by the native animals,
birds, and insects. The vegetation itself, along with water,
is habitat — food, shelter, everything. I came to the
conclusion that I was part of the problem.”
His nursery and landscape business began advocating
for restoring prairie and its native plants. Once part of a
vast ecosystem that defined much of the North American
landscape before significant numbers of humans arrived
in the 19th century, prairie has all but disappeared from
Texas. Less than 1 percent of the blackland prairie that
once dominated the middle part of the state remains. It’s
the same throughout the West.
Neiman began working with corporate clients to
plan development before land was cleared and precious
remaining prairie destroyed. He forged partnerships with
The Nature Conservancy and Texas Parks & Wildlife and
was instrumental in identifying and saving prairie in North
Texas, notably Clymer Meadow Preserve and Parkhill near
McKinney. Looking back on those early efforts, he takes
pride in his role in the creation of the Prairie Commons
model of responsible development in Flower Mound.
Eventually his nursery shifted to native plants exclusively,
first in North Texas, and in the unlikeliest of locations:
smack dab in the middle of the Dallas-Fort Worth
Metroplex. “My job,” Neiman says, “wasn’t to clean up
behind the bulldozers, but to get in front of them and start
working with this [native] stuff before it’s all gone, and get
it back in other people’s hands.”
Neiman ultimately quit the nursery business to focus on
seed and start Native American Seed Farm. “It’s all about
seeds,” he says. “I can plant a 40-acre field with native seed
that I can get into the back of my pickup. Your diversity, your
DNA, all the genetic information, everything a plant needs is
tied up in those seeds. It’s not in those pots at the nursery.”
When I moved from the city out into the hills in 1993,
I got a personal crash course in the value of natives. Faced
with an acre of lawn to keep manicured to HOA standards,
I decided there had to be a better way than what I’d done
during my years in suburbia. I consulted with ag extension
agents and range-management academics at Texas A&M
COWB OYS & I ND I ANS 79
 and read up on Allan Savory and holistic
ranching. A couple who ranched south
of Waxahachie showed me how quail
thrived in fields of native grasses but
did not in fields of King Ranch hybrid,
which is often introduced to create
ground cover. I learned that what I’d
previously considered to be weeds were
actually beneficial natives. Milkweed, in
several iterations, has become a thing of
beauty to me, especially when monarch
butterflies are passing through.
I could see the difference with my
own eyes: Natives survive and thrive.
Imports might be fun to look at, but
they don’t belong in this landscape any
more than polar bears do.
These days, my yard isn’t mowed until
everything’s bloomed. Screw the HOA.

Where Flowers Bloom

N othing beats boots on the

ground to appreciate what’s
going on at Native American Seed
Farm. Learn and enjoy by booking
a group tour of the farm. To make
PHOTOGRAPHY: JUNCTION HACIENDA BY LOUISE MORENO
a stay of it, reserve overnight
accommodations at the farm’s
spacious hacienda ($300 – $400
a night) or at one of two multi-
bedroom cabins ($200 – $280
a night) with access to the Llano
River for swimming and paddling.
To reserve, call 866.417.4837

For more information on Native American

Seed Farm, visit seedsource.com.

80 A P R I L 2 0 21
B ill Neiman initially established Native American Seed Farm on the rural
fringes of DFW in Argyle but moved from North Texas to the Hill Country
farm near Junction in 1995. But no matter how far out from the urban
centers he goes, it seems like encroachment is impossible to outrun. Development
Made in Santa Fe, NM

has been gobbling up the Neimans’ prime seed-harvesting prairie sites in Central
Texas along the east side of the Interstate 35 corridor. “That ain’t country
anymore,” he says. “It’s all fragmented into 20-acre ranchettes with emus and horses
and llamas and swimming pools. The prairie’s all gone. There’s no bluebonnets left
out there.”
The Junction location has land, good soil, plenty of water (typically), and is
far from urban development. Bill; his wife, Jan — they met in a garden; and their
daughter, Emily, and son-in-law, George Cates, oversee a sprawling operation that
extends well beyond the growing fields. There are seed-cleaning, packing, and
processing facilities; rows of harvesters and other farm machinery maintained
and ready for on-the-road harvests; packaging lines; the business office; and the
mail-order station, where orders are filled and shipped to customers, including
nurseries all over the state and beyond (the many species of native seeds he harvests
are especially suited to Texas and the other Gulf Coast states), individuals, and
neighborhood associations like mine.
“We’ve got over 50 species, including some that no one else on earth is growing, like
Texas cup grass,” Neiman says. “It’s like an ice cream grass to Texas wildlife. We’ve got
another place we lease up the river, and [there’s] also Have Combine, Will Travel. That’s
how Native American Seed started: I used to drive around, looking for harvest sites. I
got a pilot’s license so I could get above it, look over these hills, scouting from the air.”
If Neiman spots significant wildflower color, he’ll note coordinates and try
to track down the landowner, which isn’t as easy as it used to be. “Most land is
locked up, or nobody lives there,” he says, explaining why he doesn’t cold-call
much anymore. “People used to live out there. There’s a whole bunch of this
that’s not there anymore.” By “this” Neiman is referring to land that people live
on and steward. “But what’s even worse,” he says, “is the darned habitat ain’t
there anymore either.”
It’s that kind of homespun straight talk that makes Neiman’s philosophy easy
to embrace. When he talks about native grasses, wildflowers, habitat, prairie, and
ecosystems, you’re keen to get on board with his mission to restore the land to its
natural state. You might find yourself digesting the several books’ worth of wisdom
he’s dispensed in Native American Seed’s twice-a-year seed catalogs, Responsible
Beauty and EcoLogical Solutions, which include essays like “What Is a Native?,”
“Invasive Plants,” “How to Grow Native Seeds,” “Healing Sore Lands and Sacred
Headwaters,” and other related topics written in Neiman’s knowledgeable voice,
peppered with folksy turns of phrase like “Put it back like it was” and “It goes two
or three grandmas back.” And you’ll likely find yourself appreciating the messages
discreetly printed on seed packages: “Touch the earth and quietly listen” and
“150 years ago only native plants grew here.”
Back at the patio table outside the hacienda, Neiman is fidgeting in his chair
again. Enough of this talk. There’s work to be finished and more long-term
planning for next spring, including the looming challenge of finding fields of
Indian paintbrush large enough to collect seed from. The signature red-orange
wildflower of the Texas prairie, the one known as prairie-fire, is vanishing, like
the prairie that spawned it. on e P laza
And Bill Neiman isn’t about to let that happen. 60 East San Francisco Street
Suite 218 | Santa Fe, NM 87501
505.983.4562
COWB OYS & I ND I ANS
SantaFeGoldworks.com 81
82 A P R I L 2 0 21
 C O V E R S T O R Y

Casey Affleck
T H E O S CA R W I N N E R C H AT S A B OU T H I S I N VOLV E M E N T I N BR I NGI NG
T H E F RON T I E R DR A M A T H E WOR LD T O C OM E T O S C R E E N S , A N D
T H E F I N E AC T I NG BA L A NC E H I S ROLE R E QU I R E D.

By Joe Leydon
Photography by Robert Lynden

T THE START OF THE WORLD TO COME, A Tallie’s brutish and controlling husband, isn’t nearly so

A stealthily compelling period drama about

the quiet desperation that can drive men
and women to extremes, we are introduced
to Abigail (Katherine Waterston), the stoically forlorn
wife of Dyer (Casey Affleck), an emotionally withdrawn
farmer. Abigail is grieving after the death of their young
daughter, a victim of diphtheria, but reveals the depths
of her despair only in journal entries that serve as the
movie’s narration. (“The water froze on the potatoes as
soon as they were washed. With little pride, and less
hope, we begin the new year.”) Dyer possibly is every bit
as bereft, but he is unwilling to reveal his feelings — and
incapable of consoling his wife. As he sees it, life simply
must go on. Abigail isn’t quite so sure.
Indeed, Abigail doesn’t really begin to display
signs of life until she meets Tallie (Vanessa Kirby), a
newcomer to their isolated area of 1850s upstate New
York. Tallie is such a bold, brazen life force that Abigail
cannot help being drawn — slowly, awkwardly — out
of her workaday misery. It takes little time for a close
friendship to blossom, and just a little while longer for
that friendship to evolve into something more intimate.
Dyer suspects something is amiss — and appears
jealous of his wife’s confidant, though he would never
admit that in a million years — but, true to his nature,
he refrains from raising serious objections.
Unfortunately, Finney (Christopher Abbott),
restrained in his reaction.
Subtly directed by Norwegian-born Mona Fastvold
(The Sleepwalker) from a terse yet eloquent screenplay
by Ron Hansen and Jim Shepard, The World to Come
has been a long-gestating labor of love for Casey
Affleck, the Oscar-winning actor (for 2016’s Manchester
by the Sea) whose credits also include Gone Baby Gone
(directed by his older brother, Ben Affleck), Steven
Soderbergh’s Ocean’s Eleven trilogy, The Old Man & the
Gun, and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert
Ford. In fact, he came close to directing the indie drama
at one point — but turned over the reins to Fastvold
after deciding that a female filmmaker would be better
suited for the story.
“Casey was obviously a part of the package,” says
Fastvold, “but he left it completely up to me, even to
whether or not to cast him as Dyer. He was actually
a little bit on the fence, and was like, ‘Oh, maybe you
should cast someone who seems more like a farmer.’
But I thought that Casey’s sort of natural vulnerability
would bring a very interesting layer to the character.
And so he agreed to play the part as well as serve as
producer.”
Affleck sat down for a wide-ranging interview
before The World to Come had its U.S. premiere at the
2021 Sundance Film Festival. Here are highlights from
our conversation, edited for brevity, clarity, and flow.

COWB OYS & I ND I ANS 83

Cowboys & Indians: Just how early in the production process did you get involved
with The World to Come?
Casey Affleck: Right from the start. A few years back, I did The Assassination of
Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, which was based on a novel by Ron Hansen,
who I think is one of our best living American Western writers. I became
friends with him, and so we started talking about trying to find something
else to do together. He’s friends with a writer named Jim Shepard, and he sent
me two of Jim’s stories. One was about a Cuban baseball player, and one was
about two women on a farm who find each other during a terrible low point
in their lives, and fall in love. I liked that one a lot. I thought it was a movie.

C&I: This was around 2006, right?

Affleck: Yes. Ron started developing it, adapting it with Jim Shepard. Those
two guys wrote about — well, I’d like to say 10 drafts. [Laughs.] I mean,
they have their day jobs. They both teach at a university and they did this on
the side. But what they wound up writing is what I think is one of the best
scripts that I’ve ever been able to work on. I really do. And I know the movie
is coming out at a time when people aren’t, like, lining up in droves to see
little, tiny movies about such things. But the writing of it is just so fine, so
smart, and I think that it might be found, in the same way that The Assassination
of Jesse James was. You know, that movie didn’t do very well when it opened.
But over the next decade or so, it started to appear on every critic’s list of the
best movies of the last 100 years. Now, it’s a kind of beloved classic. I hope
that The World to Come will similarly find an audience. It’s a very different movie
than Jesse James, but the writing is just as beautiful.

C&I: At one point, weren’t you planning to direct The World to Come?
Affleck: Yeah, I was planning on directing it myself the whole time we were
working on the script. But then I thought the better of it. I felt like, this
was a story about these two women, and there was a woman who wanted to
direct it, and maybe it was a good opportunity to let her do so, and just be a
supporting player.

C&I: What made you think Mona Fastvold was the right woman for the job?
Affleck: Well, she seemed to really love the material. I thought her casting
choices, which were entirely her own, were just brilliant and inspired. I
thought that it was a hard movie to cast. Katherine Waterston and Vanessa
Kirby were really great choices, and that says a lot about a director.

C&I: At what point did it occur to you, “Hey, wait a minute. We’re going to be going
through all of these seasons in this story. Where are we going to be able to shoot this?
How long are we going to get to shoot this?”
Affleck: Those are the million-dollar questions when you start a
movie — especially a movie that is not going to have a $100 million budget.
I wanted to make it really small. Like, I did a movie called A Ghost Story that
David Lowery directed. The budget was about $200,000. To me, it was
proof of something that I’ve always believed, which is: The smaller you get,
the more nimble you are, and the more you can do. It’s the middle ground
that’s really hard. You can either waste money on giant movies, or you can
do tiny movies where you don’t have any money. These tiny ones where you
don’t have any money are just more fun, and you can get a lot more done
because you’re flexible.

84 A P R I L 2 0 21
COWB OYS & I ND I ANS 85
 Casey Affleck in The World to Come, as a frontier husband faced with unparalleled hardships.
C&I: OK, you mentioned David Lowery, who also directed The Old
Man & the Gun. So we have to ask: What was it like working with
Robert Redford on that one?
Affleck: You know, whenever you work with someone that
famous, people will always ask, “What was so and so like?”
And you always say something like, “Oh, he’s such a nice guy.
Such a nice gal.” But in his case, it’s really, really true about him.
He’s just a gentle, beautiful, considerate, humble guy. I mean,
sure, he’s more of a god than a human in movie terms. But,
really my takeaway was, “Boy, that’s just one of the nicest guys
I ever met.” And I wonder how you can stay that way and still
have the career that he has had. I really mean it.
PHOTOGRAPHY: (THIS PAGE) COURTESY BLEECKER STREET
C&I: You only had a couple scenes on screen together — he played an
aging bank robber, and you were the cop on his trail. But the final scene
was all the more enjoyable because, just as you were leaving the room,
you stroked your nose with your finger — just like Redford and Paul
Newman did while playing con men in The Sting. Whose idea was
that?
Affleck: [Laughs] Yeah. Newman and Redford made that
little gesture to one another as a secret code of being in on
something together. And I just think it’s so delightful. So, there
I was in a scene with Redford and in many ways, it was a kind
of button on his career as being maybe the most lovable bank
robber in the history of cinema. So how could I not do that? I
tried to do it as subtly as I possibly could, but I needed to make
some homage to his greatness, and in particular, his greatness
in that movie.
C&I: Getting back to The World to Come: What made you decide
to shoot in Romania?
Affleck: Like I said, I wanted to be small and nimble, and to
be able to shoot all four seasons in two shoot periods — start
and stop, start and stop. Vanessa and Katherine are both very
successful and busy people, and so they weren’t going to be able
to come and go like that over four seasons. So we settled on
Romania, in part because it’s very, very cheap to shoot there.
But also because after the summer, the fall turns to winter
pretty quickly, so you can get snow. We did two small shoot
periods, in the summer and in the early winter. We just tried to
get as much snowy weather as we could.
C&I: Tell me a little bit about how you developed your character. I mean,
not so much when you were working on the script, but when you were
shooting on a day-to-day basis. Once you started interacting with other
actors as their characters, did you change your mind about Dyer? Maybe
there’s something you hadn’t thought about before that surprised you?
Affleck: That’s such a good question. I think that every time I
come to a movie, I have a certain idea of who the character is
and how they’re going to behave in the movie. And the other
COWB OYS & I ND I ANS 87
ABOVE: Affleck won acclaim for his role opposite Brad Pitt in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert
Ford. BELOW: He played a lawman chasing down Robert Redford’s character in The Old Man & the Gun.

actors do, too. But then, it’s a little bit like watching two teams who both have their game plan — and then
they suddenly get onto the field, and have to adjust. It’s like Mike Tyson said, “Everyone’s got a plan until you
get punched in the face.” That’s what doing a scene is like. You’re constantly making adjustments, especially
with two actors who are so smart, and have such a cerebral approach, like Katherine and Vanessa. They’re very
well prepared, just really talented, and they’re going to bring a lot to the game.

C&I: Can you think of specific adjustments you had to make?

Affleck: Well, I thought that my character, Dyer, was someone who essentially really loved his wife, and was
trying to get through a period of mourning the daughter that they’ve lost, and come together as a couple.
And that her relationship to Tallie was one born out of, basically, desperate grief. She finds a connection with
somebody else, and discovers love there. And the movie is this exploration: Where does love come from? But
when I got there, I found other people had different ideas about how the relationship between those women
came to be, and what it said about my character. So I had to pivot. It’s something that I would do every single
day on any movie that I care about, really, and I care about most of them. You show up and you’re constantly
(continued on page 92)

PHOTOGRAPHY: © 2007 WARNER BROTHERS/PHOTO BY KIMBERLEY FRENCH,

ALLSTAR PICTURE LIBRARY LIMITED./ALAMY STOCK PHOTO
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L e n d i n g A Vo i c e
CASE Y A F F LECK JOI NS HIS F R IEN D, PAW N EE NAT ION LEA DER A N D AC T I V IST CRYSTA L
ECHO H AW K, I N A SH A R ED COM M IT M EN T TO I N DIGENOUS OUT R E ACH A N D AWA R EN E S S.
C rystal Echo Hawk still sounds amazed as she recalls the
time when, over a decade ago, Casey Affleck arrived at
Oklahoma’s Pawnee Nation reservation to lend support for
Nvision, a program she co-founded to curb suicide among
Native American youths.
“I think what was the best thing,” she told Affleck during
a recent conversation moderated by Cowboys & Indians, “is
that we just thought you were this total superhero badass,
because you drove 18 hours straight, with no sleep, from
Atlanta. And we were just like, ‘What?’ We thought that was
crazy, that you drove all the way out to our little reservation
here in Oklahoma on short notice.”
That first encounter — recounted in a documentary
for 4Real, MTV Canada’s award-winning reality TV
series — has led to a lasting friendship. “I think she’s just
amazing,” Affleck says of Echo Hawk, noting that, since
their initial meeting, “Her organization has grown and
changed. She’s doing more. I think she’s really helped a lot
of people.”
Echo Hawk says she was driven to organize Nvision
“with a bunch of other Native artists and organizers”
because “we do have such high incidences of suicide and
depression amongst our young people. We really wanted to
find ways, through the lens of art and culture and story, to
really inspire and motivate and build leadership amongst
our youth.” She also is founder and executive director of
IllumiNative, a Native-led nonprofit organization launched
“to really look at how we can transform the way that
Americans and institutions think about and engage with
Native peoples, and how we can really build power for
Native Americans in order to advance justice and self-
determination and equity for our people.”
In April, Echo Hawk and IllumiNative kicked off
the #WarriorUp campaign in partnership with Native
and non-Native supporters and advocates — including
Affleck, Ed Helms, Oscar-winning filmmaker Taika
Waititi (Jojo Rabbit), golfer Notah Begay, and others — to
direct attention to the disproportionate effects of
COVID-19 on Native communities. IllumiNative also
led the #ChangeTheName campaign that resulted in the
Washington NFL team name change.
The underlying inspiration for IllumiNative is the
Reclaiming Native Truth Project, a research and strategy
initiative Echo Hawk designed and co-led. “It was a two-
year, $3.3 million research project,” she says, “where we
really went out and tried to answer some very fundamental
questions about what do Americans think about Native
Americans. Why did they think that? Where did their
perceptions come from? How did the perceptions that
different Americans or even institutions have about Native
Americans affect the way that we’re treated? What are the
implications of that?
“So we launched that project back in 2016 — and had
some pretty remarkable, some surprising, and some not-so-
surprising results that really showed Native Americans are
largely invisible to the American public.” In fact, according
PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY SUNSHINE SACHS
to Echo Hawk, “A pretty significant portion of the
population aren’t even sure if we exist.”
Crystal Echo Hawk has dedicated her life to changing
misguided and/or malicious perceptions about Native
Americans. And she continues to attract allies like Casey
Affleck to support her crusade. – J.L.
Read an extended transcription of a conversation between Crystal Echo
Hawk and Casey Affleck at cowboysindians.com.
(continued from page 88)
thinking about the way things are going to be and what you
can bring to the day — and then you have to pivot, because it’s
a team sport.
C&I: It seems to me that playing Dyer required a pretty tricky juggling
act by you as an actor. One wrong move, and you come off as oppressive.
A different wrong move, however, and you come off as a victim. And,
really, the character is far too complex for either of those easy labels. Was
it a difficult balance for you to strike?
Affleck: Yes, it was, but it wasn’t struck by me. I think that the
writers were very careful to make sure that he didn’t stray a
little to the left and become an oppressive husband, and didn’t
stray too far to the right and become a victim. Dyer was written
as all the parts in the scripts were. They’re all people who are
trying to do the best that they can. And if they might neglect
others — it’s not because they’re terrible people, but because
they have blind spots.
C&I: Finally, I’d like to go back to The Assassination of Jesse
James by the Coward Robert Ford. You received Academy Award
and Golden Globe nominations for your performance as the man who
ultimately killed the legendary outlaw. But, you know, Bruce Dern
has often talked about dealing with angry John Wayne fans who blame
him for killing The Duke in The Cowboys. Have you ever run into
anyone who’s still holding a grudge because you killed Brad Pitt?
Affleck: [Laughs.] That’s just a funny question. No, I never
have. I think it’s because that movie tried to do something
different with the western. They took on one of the bigger
icons of the outlaw West, Jesse James, and said, “Look at this.
Here’s a guy who was made famous by these dime novels of the
period, that were mostly written and read in the Northeast by
people who had never been robbed by Jesse James, and who had
never had a family member shot by Jesse James, and who had
never lost their fortune because Jesse James stole it callously
92 A P R I L 2 0 21
and beat them within an inch of their life with the handle of
a gun.” They didn’t have any experience, so they glorified, they
glamorized, they sexed up Jesse James in these little dime books.
The movie was saying, “Look at what this person really
was.” Let’s reimagine the idea of the outlaw, and without
disparaging him, or sort of flattening it into some message
movie, and ask, “What was this person really like? And what
was this young kid like, the one who shot him? Is he really the
villain?” Like, who do we want to think of as the villain here?
This young kid, Robert Ford, had the courage to do what the
Pinkertons, or anybody else, couldn’t really bring themselves to
do, which is catch and kill a serial killer. Because, basically, Jesse
James was a serial killer. He had killed that many people.
So, who do we want to think of as a hero in this situation?
The movie actually presents Robert Ford in a very sympathetic
way, and takes a pretty compassionate look at his life. The last
quarter of the movie, I think, leaves the audience feeling like,
“Wow, this kid had a lot of grit, man. He took on somebody
who was absolutely terrifying.” I think it leaves you feeling like,
not hating him, but sort of with your mind changed about
who Jesse James was and who this guy was. So, to answer your
question, no one says to me, “Oh, you’re the son of a bitch that
killed Jesse James.” Usually, all they say is, “Man, that movie
broke my heart.”
The World to Come is available for rental on-demand on all major
VOD platforms. Read more of Affleck’s thoughts about the films he’s working
on at cowboysindians.com.
Location: Sunset Ranch Hollywood,
sunsetranchhollywood.com
Styling: Ilaria Urbinati; shirts by Double RL
Grooming: Barbara Guillaume
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 LEFT: American Hat Company
10X Silverbelly felt hat ($402.95),
besthatstore.com. Five-stone white
buffalo earrings (C&I’s own). H
Bar C red embroidered pearl-snap
shirt ($225), nathaliesantafe.com.
Navajo pearl wrap bracelet ($675),
maloufontheplaza.com. Vintage
mare and foal belt buckle ($1,200),
silverkingusa.com. Black wide-leg
pants ($49.95), sassypantzfw.com.
Marfa red star boots ($379.95),
blackstarboots.com.

RIGHT: Large triple-strand

Navajo pearl necklace ($3,595),
maloufontheplaza.com. Black tank
top (C&I’s own). White blazer
(contact for price), sassypantzfw.com.
Double D Ranch Bank Teller shorts
($250), thesparklingspur.com. The
Hired Hand fringe clutch ($285),
mjleatherdesigns.com. Rios of
Mercedes red tall boots ($595),
pintoranch.com.

COWB OYS & I ND I ANS 95

Liza sage felt hat with black ribbon band ($369),
greeleyhatworks.com. Turquoise earrings (C&I’s own). Black tank
top (C&I’s own). Last Comanche Chief jacket (contact for price),
doubledranch.com. Gold glitter wide-leg pants (contact for
price), sassypantzfw.com. Retro Romance hand-tooled duffel bag
($458), americanwest.cc. Starfire TT handmade boots ($1,995),
rocketbuster.com.

96 A P R I L 2 0 21
ON HIM: Milano
Hat Company Tex
sand felt hat ($159),
maverickwesternwear.
com. Cowboy Cut
indigo chambray
Western work shirt
($29), wrangler.com.
Brown tweed town coat
($350), frontierls.com.
Wrangler Retro slim
fit bootcut jeans ($59),
wrangler.com. Devin
brown leather ranch
hand boots ($895),
lucchese.com.

ON HER: Turquoise cluster earrings (C&I’s own). Ribbed camel

turtleneck (C&I’s own). Cardwell jacquard wool jacket ($349),
pendleton-usa.com. Multi-strand Navajo pearl necklace ($1,350),
maverickwesternwear.com. Handmade turquoise and sterling silver bracelet
($495), maxlang.com. Beaded star ring ($295), wccwesterndesigns.com.
Wrangler Worldwide wide-leg jeans ($99), wrangler.com. Old Gringo
Thelma boots ($459.95), kleinboot.com.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Pendleton Basketmaker polyester backpack ($79.98), jewelryladyredriver.
com. Harvest Moon hand-tooled bucket bag ($238), americanwest.cc. Patchwork leather tote bag ($350),
lakelandleatherworks.com. Mahota Sun Symbols woven purse ($150), store.nationalcowboymuseum.org.
Brown braided leather clutch with tooled floral flap ($180), mcintiresaddlery.com. Full-grain leather and
waxed canvas satchel ($232.22) and travel bag ($342), wrtravelbags.com.

OPPOSITE PAGE:
LEFT: Silver feather earrings (C&I’s own). Five-strand turquoise necklace ($675), maxlang.com. Double D Ranch
Ramos Peralta top ($154), maverickwesternwear.com. Brown leather and coyote fur wrap ($380), jillkbags.com.
Turquoise and leather cuff bracelet ($229), weatheredsouljewelry.com. Cowboy Cut slim-fit jeans ($39),
wrangler.com. Liberty Black star-studded booties ($260), rivertrailmercantile.com.
RIGHT: Turquoise cluster earrings (C&I’s own). Three-strand Navajo pearls ($1,350),
maverickwesternwear.com. 90-inch Navajo pearl necklace ($2,700) and Darryl Becenti (Navajo) Golden Hills
turquoise pendant ($2,700), coloradojo.com. Feather Wing bird pin ($195), peyotebird.com.
Clouded Sky boiler jumpsuit ($119), wrangler.com. Distressed brown leather tote ($460),
jillkbags.com. 7-inch lace-up leather moccasins ($125), sanagustintradingcompany.com.

98 A P R I L 2 0 21
cityboots.com.
 ON HIM: American Hat Company
7X Silver Belly felt hat ($439.95),
besthatstore.com. B.G. Mudd geometric
tiger eye, jasper, and onyx bolo tie ($395),
pintoranch.com. White T-shirt (C&I’s
own). Scully brown leather jacket (contact
for price), scullyleather.com. Medium-oil
leather belt (C&I’s own). Wrangler Retro
relaxed fit bootcut jeans ($59),
wrangler.com. Old Gringo Chandler
chocolate caiman boots ($559.95),
kleinboot.com.

ON HER: Retro Gold Dust

octagon sunglasses ($260),
historiceyewearcompany.com. Oxidized
beaded hoop earrings ($120), renatarubio.
com. Double D Ranch Charro Rider top
($190), thesparklingspur.com. Vintage
sterling silver concho belt ($3,495),
westerntradingpost.com. Repurposed
cowboy boot and cowhide handbag ($460),
jillkbags.com. Silver cuff with polished
silver beads ($319), vogtsilversmiths.com.
Wrangler Wriggler 612 black coated skinny
jeans ($119), wrangler.com. Gaby black
cherry booties ($495), lucchese.com.

100 A P R I L 2 0 21
 Great Raid of 1840 hat (contact
for price), doubledranch.com. Silver
feather hoops (C&I’s own). Velvet
Heart Etta white cotton blouse
($82) and Scully fringed suede jacket
($249), maverickwesternwear.com.
1960s vintage turquoise and sterling
silver squash blossom necklace
($2,495), westerntradingpost.com.
Wrangler Wanderer 622 high-rise
flare jeans ($99), wrangler.com.
#8 turquoise and sterling silver
cuff ($800), kirpachbrayclets.com.
Carved leather handbag ($225),
austinaccent.com. Lilium white
and floral embroidery leather boots
($519), oldgringoboots.com.

COWB OYS & I ND I ANS 101

 ON HIM: Liberty fur felt hat
($235), overland.com. Cowboy
Cut indigo chambray Western
work shirt ($29), wrangler.com.
Sophia Becenti (Navajo) jacla
necklace ($625), tworeddogs.
com. Brown leather belt (C&I’s
own). Wrangler Retro slim
fit straight leg pants ($59),
wrangler.com. Lucchese Franklin
hornback caiman tail boots
($695.95), kleinboot.com.

ON HER: Carico Lake

turquoise earrings and necklace
set ($3,500) and cuff bracelet
($1,250), gertrudezachary.com.
Denim corduroy adventure
jacket ($149), wrangler.com.
Hand-embroidered silk slip
dress ($2,850), jillgarber.
com. Faux leather leggings
(C&I’s own). 4-inch sand
lace-up moccasins ($110),
sanagustintradingcompany.com.
ON HER: Turquoise stud post
earrings (C&I’s own). Vintage
Collection white ruffle blouse
($115), maverickwesternwear.
com. Vintage 1950s Sleeping
Beauty turquoise squash blossom
($5,700), peyotebird.com.
Zuni turquoise cuff ($101),
spunkysteer.com. Sleeping Beauty
turquoise flower cuff ($900),
renatarubio.com. Yellow and coral
cactus embroidered skirt ($112),
yayagurlz.com. Turquoise leather
sandal-style moccasins ($85),
sanagustintradingcompany.com.

ON HIM: American Hat

Company 20X grizzly felt hat
($439.95), besthatstore.com.
Ryder denim jacket with jacquard
wool paneling ($259), pendleton-
usa.com. James raw denim jeans
($99), kimesranch.com. Premium
exotic full-quill ostrich boots
($300), durangoboots.com.

COWB OYS & I ND I ANS 103

 CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: The Nashville silk scarf
($79), fringescarves.com. Milano Hat Company red
felt short brim hat ($159), maverickwesternwear.com.
Tres Outlaws Indian Flowers hand-painted floral boots
($4,500), falconhead.com. Spiny oyster inlay pendant
necklace ($390), danavoorhees.com. Hand-tooled and
painted leather belt with large turquoise stones ($2,900),
puredixie.com. Freshwater pearl and turquoise necklace
($625), danavoorhees.com. Spellbound Collections horn
and turquoise cuff ($104), spunkysteer.com.

104 A P R I L 2 0 21
LEFT: Golden Hills turquoise
floral cluster earrings ($990),
maverickwesternwear.com. Dakota
cross collet necklace ($5,875),
jillgarber.com. #8 turquoise lariat
necklace ($1,699), callicosilver.com.
Rust long sleeve thermal (C&I’s
own). Double D Ranch Comancheria
jacket ($365), thesparklingspur.com.
Classic bootcut jeans ($39),
wrangler.com. Tres Outlaws Pink
Princess hand-painted floral boots
($7,500), falconhead.com.
RIGHT: Paisley silk wild rag
($27.95), austinaccent.com. Navajo
pearl drop earrings (C&I’s own).
Pendleton Harding wool blanket
coat ($369), maverickwesternwear.
com. Aaron Toadlena (Navajo)
multi-stone cuff ($1,050),
tworeddogs.com. Bonnie distressed
skinny jeans ($120), kimesranch.com.
Gaby black cherry booties
($495), lucchese.com. Wild West
Roping shoulder bag ($350),
wildlacebeadwork.com.
COWB OYS & I ND I ANS 105
LEFT: Golden Hills turquoise cluster
earrings ($990) and Tasha Polizzi
white lace-trimmed blouse ($167.50),
maverickwesternwear.com. Retro deerskin
fringe vest ($195), lakelandleatherworks.
com. Large turquoise statement cuff
($1,299), callicosilver.com. Jolias
Draper (Navajo) Kingman turquoise
cuff ($1,200), hippiecowgirlcouture.
com. Wrangler Whimsy 616 high-rise
slim jeans ($99), wrangler.com. 4-inch
lace-up leather moccasins ($110),
sanagustintradingcompany.com.
 RIGHT: American Hat Company
10X Silver Belly felt hat ($402.95),
besthatstore.com. Royston turquoise
6-pendant statement necklace ($2,499),
callicosilver.com. Satin button-up jumpsuit
($59.95), sassypantzfw.com. Leon
Martinez (Navajo) Royston turquoise
cluster buckle ($4,200), coloradojo.com.
The Rio Bravo Pendleton wool crossbody
purse ($385), mjleatherdesigns.com.
Sundance hand-carved leather tall boots
($2,720), rocketbuster.com.
FROM TOP: Tres Outlaws Old El
Paso snakeskin inlay boots ($2,500),
falconhead.com. Hayward snip-toe boots
($300), fenoglioboot.com. Pilot Rock
blanket ($269), pendleton-usa.com.
Laramie lightweight wool vest ($150),
schaeferoutfitter.com. Hand-engraved
sterling silver trophy buckle ($1,350),
bohlinmade.com. Blue denim pin
ostrich boots ($1,590), jbhilltexas.com.
Sterling silver vintage buckle ($1,500),
silverkingusa.com.

108 A P R I L 2 0 21
R E S O U R C E S

American Hat Company

817.625.6650
besthatstore.com

American West
954.785.3155
americanwestcc.com

Austin Accent
800.525.9711
austinaccent.com

Black Star Boots

888.894.2668
blackstarboots.com

The Bohlin Company

972.960.0335
bohlinmade.com

Calli Co. Silver

918.843.1880
callicosilver.com

Charlie 1 Horse Co.

800.494.0511
charlie1horsehats.com

Colorado Jo
970.317.9896
coloradojo.com

Cowboy Images
208.731.3621
cowboywildrags.com

Dana Voorhees Jewelry

605.391.8458
danavoorhees.com

Double D Ranch
800.899.3379
doubledranch.com

Durango Boots
740.753.9100
durangoboots.com
 R E S O U R C E S

Fenoglio Boot Company Kimes Ranch Jeans National Cowboy Rocketbuster Boots
940.825.3047 888.512.0886 Museum Store 915.541.1300
fenoglioboot.com kimesranch.com 405.478.2250 ext. 275 rocketbuster.com
store.nationalcowboymuseum.org
Frontier by Lawrence Scott Kirpach Brayclets San Agustin Trading
323.643.0000 406.366.4952 Old Gringo Boots Company
frontierls.com kirpachbrayclets.com 866.395.8735 520.628.1800
oldgringoboots.com sanagustintradingcompany.com
Gertrude Zachary Kleinschmidts
505.247.4442 800.258.2668 Overland Sassy Pantz Fort Worth
gertrudezachary.com kleinboot.com 800.881.9130 817.624.8188
overland.com sassypantzfw.com
Greeley Hat Works Lakeland Leatherworks
970.353.7300 901.484.5725 Paisley’s Schaefer Outfitter
greeleyhatworks.com lakelandleatherworks.com 830.569.2471 800.426.2074
paisleystx.com schaeferoutfitter.com
Hippie Cowgirl Couture Lucchese
817.308.6783 800.637.6888 Pendleton Woolen Mills Scully Leather
hippiecowgirlcouture.com lucchese.com 800.649.1512 804.483.6339
pendleton-usa.com scullyleather.com
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COWB OYS & I ND I ANS 111

POSTCARDS
FROM A
W E S T E R N
ROAD
TRIP
By Jonathan Fehr
Photography By Jasmine M. Lehman
ITH LITTLE WARNING, MY WIFE
W ended up with two weeks of vacation
to use immediately. So, in the middle
of August, she decided it was high
time we visited Yellowstone National Park. We’d never
been. Didn’t know much about the park other than
what Ken Burns had taught us. Do we camp? Do we
rent a cabin? We had no idea what we were doing, but
opened up a map and dove in.
We decided to look for a hotel in West
Yellowstone, Montana, that sits on the western
entrance of the park. Then, looking at the map
we saw that Yellowstone [West Yellowstone?] sat
conveniently right on top of Grand Teton National
Park, so we booked two nights at a ranch near the
southern entrance. We intended to get back home
to Texas on a different route, one that would take us
on a path through Moab, Utah, where we could see
another two national parks, Arches and Canyonlands.
We also decided we wanted to check off a few more
states on our road trip, so we left the Grand Tetons
heading southwest through Idaho and stopped by the
Great Salt Lake for a quick float on our way to Moab.
We had friends in Albuquerque we could stay
with, and visited Mese Verde National Park on the
way there.
Before we knew it, we had traversed eight states,
visited five national parks, and driven through several
national forests. Had we known it was that easy to
wing it, we wouldn’t have waited so long in life to
see the most beautiful and awe-inspiring land our
country has to offer.
I had grown up learning about the parks as a
conservation story. The beauty always read to me as
an added benefit of preserving the wildlife and water
sources and trees, etc. It wasn’t until we were standing
there that we understood it was the unadulterated
glory of the landscape that caused great people to
want to preserve it. The beauty is always the first and
last part of this story.
Yellowstone

COWB OYS & I ND I ANS 113

 Grand Tetons
W e settled for two nights at Heart 6 Ranch on Buffalo Valley Road. They
have covered wagons you can stay in. We opted for the cabin. This was
the first place I’ve stayed in a couple of decades that didn’t have a television set
anywhere. It was marvelous. In the summer they offer guided river float trips
and horseback rides over mountains. In the winter they offer dog sledding,
snowmobiling, and hunting. But the special thing about this park compared
with Yellowstone is that the whole focus and point of the park is the Grand
Tetons. It feels less stressful wondering if you’re doing what you should be
doing or seeing what you should be seeing, because almost everywhere you step,
you have a gorgeous view of a magnificent mountain range.

PARK TIP: Go swimming in Jackson Lake. I doubt you’ll ever swim in water
with a better view anywhere inside this country. Warning: Even in the height of
summer, this lake is extremely cold. This was the second time on the trip I had
my breath stripped from me.

Great Salt Lake

V ery glad we saw it. Very glad we floated. It’s
a completely different experience than I had
anticipated. Prepare for off-setting, sulfuric smells,
though. And there are little alien insect larvae
floating in every square inch of the water that will
“come to life” when touched. It took three showers
and I was still cleaning salt out of my ears.

114 A P R I L 2 0 21
Arches National Park

Canyonlands
The 12 mounds at the Spiro site include one artifact-filled burial mound, two temple mounds, and nine house mounds.
The entry sign at the Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center was based on Raccoon Warrior by Oklahoma artist Donald
Johnson.
 H I S T O R Y

A Walk Among
E X PLOR I NG T HE SPIRO MOU N DS I N
E A S T E R N O K L A H O M A P R O V E S A H AU N T I N G
T R I P I N T O I N D I G E N O U S H I S T O R Y.

By Heide Brandes

S THE WINTER SOLSTICE SUN DIPPED IN BLAZING FIRE BEHIND ONE

A of the 12 burial, temple, and house mounds at the Spiro Mounds

Archaeological Center in eastern Oklahoma, I tried to imagine the scene
as it would have been centuries ago.
More than 1,000 years ago, the field where I stood was a thriving prehistoric
Native American city and one of the largest and most important Native American
centers in the Mississippian region. Up to 10,000 people lived in and around the
main city area, and the winter and summer solstices attracted thousands for three days
of religious ceremony.
Just a three-and-a-half-hour drive from my hometown of Oklahoma City — where
the exhibit Spiro and the Art of the Mississippian World runs through May 14 at the National
Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum — the site invited a road trip that would let me
explore this important culture for myself.
My friend Emily and I loaded a few things into the car and headed east
along Interstate 40, wending through the winter-yellowed hills and rocky plains of
Oklahoma. The state is not nearly as flat as outsiders imagine it is, and the closer you
get to the Arkansas border, the hillier and rockier the scenery becomes.
Getting to Spiro means ditching the interstate after a few hours for smaller roads
that weave through small towns like Brent, Spiro, and Fort Coffee with their quaint
main streets and rural, farm-laden surroundings. That Monday, those bustling little
towns were sleepy, as if the shortest day of the year was already having an effect.

The Ancients
PHOTOGRAPHY: (ALL IMAGES) COURTESY
OKLAHOMA HISTORICAL SOCIETY

COWB OYS & I ND I ANS 117

 Pulling up to the entrance of the Spiro Mounds site, we spotted a hand-painted wooden sign
touting “Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center” leaning lazily against a chain-link fence.
“Is that the sign?” I asked Emily. “It seems a little rustic, don’t you think?”
We popped out to snap a few shots, but just down the road at the archaeological site’s entrance, an
official sign greeted us. A fierce warrior from one of the famous paintings at the site’s museum glared
out at us proudly and defiantly as if to remind us that his civilization was here way before us. His bold
eyes focused on us, two modern travelers who wouldn’t know how to hunt, farm, or create the art that
his society did.
As we sat in the grass and watched the sun creep downward on the shortest day of the year in what
seemed the longest year ever, archaeologist and Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center director Dennis
Peterson set the scene for us. On this same day, more than 1,000 years ago, this field would have been
filled with writhing bodies. In the Temple Plaza at Spiro, 10,000 to 30,000 men gathered to pay
homage to not only the solstice, but to the Sun God who would speak through the priests to tell them
when to plant crops, how to conduct the coming months’ religious ceremonies, and other important
daily tasks.
They smoked sacred tobacco, drank a concoction called “black drink,” and purged en masse before
subjecting themselves to three days without food, water, or sleep. They danced, sang, and waited for

118 A P R I L 2 0 21
 Treasures excavated at Spiro include
ceremonial pipes and gorgets, a
mano and metate used to grind grain
grown in the rich Arkansas River
bottomland, and shell beads made
of conch shell. Conch shells were
brought by dugout from Florida to
Spiro and then engraved locally with
images or icons, some of which were
a writing form. Leaders used items
made of conch shell, copper, and
other distantly sourced materials
to indicate status and conduct
ceremonies. On the winter solstice
more than 1,000 years ago, up to
30,000 men would have gathered
in the Temple Plaza at Spiro to pay
homage to the Sun God.

messages from the Sun God and the high priests, said Peterson, quoting what archaeologists think
would have happened during a celebration based on the Caddo Mississippian culture.
“The black drink was an extremely caffeinated drink that had a natural toxin,” Peterson said. “When
you drink large amounts of it like they did, you throw up. Can you imagine 30,000 guys throwing up?
How wonderful would that smell?”
In the temples, the priests did the same thing, communing with the Sun God for guidance about the
coming season.
PHOTOGRAPHY: (SOLSTICE SHOT) HEIDE BRANDES

Sitting there in the glow of a slow sunset, I tried to picture what this area must have looked like when
it was the heart of an extensive trade network, a highly developed religious center, and a political seat of
power for one of the largest prehistoric Native American cultures to ever exist. On that winter solstice
day, Spiro Mounds looked a lot like it probably did when it was discovered by modern settlers, and then
later pillaged for its treasures by desperate looters during the Great Depression. Dry, brown grass curled
around scraggly water oak and pecan trees on plains punctuated by swells in the land that were created
by a civilization long gone.
This powerful trade civilization dissipated and spread out around the 16th century, archaeologists
say. But what they left behind was one of the most prolific and important Native American artifact
hoards ever discovered in America.

COWB OYS & I ND I ANS 119

 KLAHOMA HAS MORE THAN 25,000 PREHISTORIC

O archaeological sites, but the Spiro Mounds is the only

one open to the public. Located along the Arkansas
River about 15 miles from Fort Smith, Arkansas,
Spiro was one of the most important trade centers of the prehistoric
Mississippian culture, thanks in part to that river.
The Spiro Archaeological Center Museum shares the history of
Spiro and includes replicas of the copper, bone, and handcrafted art
and artifacts found within these mounds. It’s a CliffsNotes version
of the two-hour walking tour we had come for.
“The people who lived here from A.D. 800 to 1500 came to
control what we call the Mississippian culture. That was a trading
political-religious confederation that incorporated over 60 different
tribes, over 30 different language groups, directly involving over 6
million people and stretching everywhere from the Rockies to the
Virginia coast, from the Gulf Coast of Florida to the Great Lakes,”
said Peterson, who has studied the Spiro site as an archaeologist and
director since 1979.
“Spiro had trade, communication, and direct control over almost all
the United States except for the far Northeast and far Northwest for over
800 years. This was the most powerful group of people in the nation.”
I have lived in Oklahoma for decades, and yet this was my first
trip to this Native American historic site. Standing there, I felt the
same awe I did when visiting Egypt — a sense of ghosts who lived
a sophisticated existence in a time so long ago that age itself loses
meaning. I also felt the same horror at the looting and destruction
that occurred at Spiro.
As Peterson led us on the winter solstice walk, our group
wandered the paths that weaved along the massive reconstructed
burial mound and the less-massive swelled humps of house mounds.
The burial mound was decimated and destroyed by looters in the
1930s, but researchers rebuilt the mound based on old photographs
of the area. It loomed above us, reminding us that it was once filled
with bodies and artifacts.
He painted pictures of everyday life, of the women toiling in the
fields while the men ran the religious activities of the society.
After the people fled in the 1500s — probably due to a sustained
drought, archaeologists say — the site remained unoccupied until
1832, when the Choctaw and Choctaw Freedmen worked the
mound site as farmers after the Civil War. “They recognized what
the mounds were, and they didn’t disturb them,” Peterson said.
The Great Depression changed that. Local looters calling
themselves the Pocola Mining Company dug up the only burial
mound and sold off what they found to anyone with money. The
Kansas City Star called the Spiro Mounds the “King Tut of the
Arkansas Valley” in 1935, because nobody had ever seen anything
like what was coming out of Spiro. It was also because of that
notoriety that the site was ravaged so destructively.
Today, more than 65 public facilities in the U.S. have Spiro
artifacts, including the Smithsonian, the University of Chicago,
UCLA, and facilities throughout Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas.

120 A P R I L 2 0 21

University of Oklahoma excavations between 1936 and
1941 documented, reconstructed, and studied artifacts like
pots and shell engravings. The ancient artwork allowed
archaeologists to see what people looked like 1,000 years
ago, including body tattooing, hairstyles, and clothing.
Contemporary artist Donald Johnson created a bird’s-eye
view of one of the temple mounds looking east toward
the burial mound. A modern engraving by Knokovtee
Scott conveys the importance of the Arkansas River to the
community at Spiro.
The Louvre, the British Museum in London, and the National
Museum in Germany all have pieces that came from the Spiro
Mounds, as do Russia, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, and Israel.
To stop the destruction, in 1935 Oklahoma became one of
the first states in the nation to pass laws forbidding looting,
but because of its remote location, the theft continued. Finally,
in 1936, the University of Oklahoma — with help from the
Oklahoma Historical Society, the University of Tulsa, and private
donors — arranged for scientific excavation of what remained of the
burial mound to protect what was left.
One day soon, however, those unearthed remains and ancestral
items may return to the mounds to be reburied. Under the
federal Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act
(NAGPRA), which celebrated its 30th anniversary in November,
any institution that receives federal aid is required to consult with
American Indian tribes to help repatriate and return artifacts to
the tribal nations from which they originated. For now, however,
the Spiro artifacts remain in curatorship at Oklahoma and Texas
museums or in private collections as the Caddo and Wichita tribes
make final decisions about the return of the artifacts.
The mounds that had produced so much evidence of an
important and mysterious ancient civilization were dramatically
silhouetted by the quickly setting sun. We were chilled by the bite of
the December night. The tour and the shortest day of the year were
coming to an end. Driving west by headlights, we passed the modern
artifacts of a much different civilization.
I thought about the house mounds, and how the leaders built
their homes over the homes of past leaders. The awareness and
mindfulness of that concept struck me, as if by building upon past
success, the Spiro leaders absorbed that past wisdom. I thought
about this city that supported 10,000 people who farmed, fell in
love, raised children, died, cried and laughed, and worshipped as one
of the most powerful societies to ever live in North America.
I thought about our current pandemic, and how long ago lethal
disease wiped out so many of the Mississippian Caddo people’s
descendants after Europeans made landfall. I could feel the fear
and grief they must have felt when so many of their neighbors and
family succumbed to diseases they had never been exposed to before.
We pulled over for a light dinner along the shores of the
Arkansas River, bouncing over rough dirt roads to munch on nuts
and cheese as we contemplated this great waterway that was the
lifeblood of an ancient Indigenous civilization. The river was slow-
moving and silent, as mute as the mounds we had just explored.
We hadn’t seen the ghosts of that long-gone civilization, but we’d
wandered among them, feeling a deeper connection to a history and
culture that remained at least partly buried under the red dirt of
eastern Oklahoma.
For more about the Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center, visit okhistory.org/
sites/spiromounds. Get an online tour from Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center
manager Dennis Peterson at cowboysindians.com.
COWB OYS & I ND I ANS 121
 Spiro
N 1914, OUTSIDE OF SPIRO, OKLAHOMA, NOT FAR
I from Fort Smith, Arkansas, near the Oklahoma-
Arkansas border, something suspicious attracted
the attention of Choctaw farmers. A
distinguished-looking white man was buzzing around the area,
tramping across their farms, looking over the earthen mounds
on their property, and asking a lot of questions.
The stranger, University of Oklahoma archaeologist
Joseph Thoburn, asked if he could photograph and take
measurements of the mounds. They said yes. He asked if he
could dig into the mounds to see what was buried under them.
They said no.
Choctaws had farmed in the area since 1832. After the Civil
War, the land where the mounds are located was allotted to
Choctaw Freedmen, who began clearing the dense overgrowth
to farm. They would have had an idea about the mounds they
encountered: Choctaws were from Mississippi and Alabama
and part of the Mississippian mound-building tradition. The
mounds at Spiro were not theirs, but they respected them.
Thoburn was not deterred though, and was able to conduct
limited excavation on two small house mounds in 1916 – 1917.
He announced he had discovered a Native American mound
site at Spiro like those in the eastern U.S.
According to curator Dr. Eric Singleton of the National
And The Art Of The
Mississippian World
AN IMPORTANT EXHIBITION AT THE NATIONAL COWBOY &
WESTERN HERITAGE MUSEUM DIGS INTO A FASCINATING ANCIENT
CULTURE AND ITS CONTEMPORARY ARTISTIC EXPRESSION.
By Mike Coppock
122 APRIL 2020
Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, where the exhibition Spiro
and the Art of the Mississippian World is on view through May 14,
Choctaw farmers did not permit excavation of the site until the
Great Depression hit. Perhaps desperate for money, they gave the
Pocola Mining Company permission to dig into the mounds.
Going into the highest mound, known as the Craig Mound, the
miners came across a hollow central chamber, which contained
thousands of objects: pearls, beads, effigy pipes shaped like
human beings, baskets, textiles, headdress plates, conch-shell
ornaments, ceremonial bowls, cups, and copper earspools.
Gradually, these items came to the attention of Forrest
Clements at the University of Oklahoma. In 1935, Clements,
working with the state of Oklahoma, secured the passage of
antiquities legislation, halting the looting occurring at Spiro. With
money and resources from the Works Progress Administration
(WPA) as well as Oklahoma philanthropist Frank Phillips, the
site would now be professionally excavated.
Spiro would prove to be the greatest source of Mississippian
iconographic material ever found. Nearly 90 percent of all
known engraved shells created during the Mississippian period
(A.D. 900 – 1650) were found at Spiro.
We talked with Dr. Singleton about one of the greatest
collections of prehistoric American artifacts ever discovered in
the United States and the exhibition that brings them to light.
& WESTERN HERITAGE MUSEUM (OPPOSITE PAGE) EFFIGY PIPE
PHOTOGRAPHY: (THIS PAGE) COURTESY NATIONAL COWBOY
IMAGE COURTESY THE NELSON-ATKINS MUSEUM OF ART,
MEDIA SERVICES/PHOTO: JOHN LAMBERTON
OPPOSITE: (top) Cosmic Twins by Starr Hardridge (Muscogee/Creek), 2016, acrylic
and plaster on canvas; (bottom) bandolier bag by Damion Jay McGirt (Muscogee/
Creek), beads, trade cloth, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1998.53.
THIS PAGE: (top left) Everlasting Fire Plate by Chase Earles and Starr Hardridge
(Caddo and Muscogee/Creek), 2019, acrylic and plaster on ceramic, National
Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 2019.35; (top right) effigy pipe of seated
male figure, known as Resting Warrior or Big Boy, and identified as Morning Star or
the hero Red Horn, bauxite (flint clay), height 8 7/8 inches, Fayetteville, University
of Arkansas Museum, 47-2-1; (bottom left) human face effigy with deer antlers,
Leflore County, Oklahoma, Spiro site, A.D. 1200 – 1450, wood, National Museum of
the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution (1189306); (bottom right) Everything
Belongs by Erin Shaw (Chickasaw), 2013, mixed media, National Cowboy &
Western Heritage Museum, 2017.08. FOLLOWING: (top left) human head effigy
plate, Spiro site, A.D. 1200 – 1450, copper, courtesy of the Ohio History Connection,
A1393/000001A; (top right) Otter Turban by Woody Crumbo (Potawatomi), circa
1940, otter fur, silver, silk, Charles W. Hogan Collection, National Cowboy &
Western Heritage Museum, 2000.37.096; (bottom left) engraved shell medicine cup,
National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution, 18/9121.

Cowboys & Indians: Tell us a little about Spiro and the Mississippian
world.
Dr. Eric Singleton: The Mississippian people (A.D. 800 –
1650) were the largest and most complex society to develop in the
eastern half of North America. Living near rivers in the Midwest
and Southeast, they created highly developed agriculturally based
communities that were mostly fortified and contained large
earthen mounds and broad plazas. Uniting the Mississippian
world was a common ideology or belief system. Within this
belief system was a unity of ideas that were shared among
geographically dispersed centers. Spiro was one of these centers.
Built in A.D. 800, Spiro was populated until around A.D. 1450.
C&I: Why did the Spiroans abandon the site?
Singleton: When Spiro was abandoned, between A.D. 1400
and 1450, I believe it was for environmental reasons due to a
Little Ice Age. Most major population centers in North America
collapsed during this time. Large population centers need a
strong food base, and that disappeared with the Little Ice Age.
Today we use science to analyze information and understand
our environment. The ancient Mississippians used religion. With
their world collapsing around them, the Spiroans turned to
religion to reverse the effects of this climate change and to
essentially try to ‘restart’ time. When the ‘restart’ failed to change
the climate, Spiro was abandoned, and the people scattered. We
believe they became today’s Caddo and Wichita tribes. This is
borne out by the current use of symbols by Caddoan people
that can be traced to Spiro. And not just symbols, but other
things like the use of the hollow chamber, which is similar to
construction of historic Caddo and Wichita beehive-style houses
except with clay walls instead of grass.
C&I: There was massive looting. …
Singleton: The Spiro Mounds site was systematically looted
in the mid-1930s and most of the artifacts sold to private
124 A P R I L 2 0 21
collectors. It is likely that most of the looted objects have
surfaced and are in museums or private collections, though it is
believed a good number of looted items are still unaccounted
for. Of the 16 museums that contributed art objects for this
exhibit, only four had objects from the WPA excavations. The
rest were among those taken by the Pocola Mining Company.
C&I: How did the exhibition come together?
Singleton: The idea of an exhibit on the Spiro Mounds
came to me when I was assistant curator of anthropology at
the Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Before I moved
forward with the exhibition, I laid out my plans to the Caddo
Nation and Wichita and Affiliated Tribes NAGPRA and Tribal
Historic Preservation Offices. They were very enthusiastic about
the exhibit and gave me letters of support. When I changed
professional appointments and came to the National Cowboy &
Western Heritage Museum, the exhibition followed me.
C&I: What’s in the show?
Singleton: The exhibit itself is divided into four sections: the
Mississippian world, Spiro: Site and Ceremony, archaeology and
looting, and cultural continuation. It consists of nearly 200 pieces
of art. I tried to select the best from the thousands of artifacts
that are available from Spiro. Some, like textiles and feathers, are
just too delicate to be on display. Of the 100 engraved cups and
the 800 nonengraved cups, for instance, 25 cups were selected
to be on display. Only 50 items on exhibit are not directly from
Spiro but from sources related to Spiro, which show both the
larger Mississippian world and cultural continuation. It’s not just
ancient artifacts. We have four contemporary artists whose work is
part of the exhibit: potter Chase Kahwinut Earles (Caddo), stone
carver A. Wayne Earles (Caddo), potter Jeri Redcorn (Caddo),
and designer-photographer Brenna Nance (Wichita).
C&I: Explain the connection between the historical and the contemporary.
Singleton: Some of the symbols that highlight the continuity
between ancient and modern are the spider, birdman, the hand-
and-eye motif, Morning Star, and Earth Mother. Continuity
can also be seen in shell carving and basket weaving — mediums
that are still being utilized today. Not all the items were locally
produced. We have found objects brought in from across the
eastern United States — such as embossed copper plates,
double-woven baskets, and various engraved shell cups — and
as far away as the Valley of Mexico in the form of obsidian or
volcanic glass. These items were, we believe, used to tell a creation
narrative. There are, for example, 100 different engraved cups
that if put side to side tell a story almost identical to historic
folkloric narratives. In addition to the carved shell, there were
27 different woven boxes. Called “god boxes,” they contained
outfits that we believe represented deities.

C&I: Tell us about some of the highlights in the show.

Singleton: There are four pieces I am particularly proud of having
brought to the exhibition: a shell cup with an image representing a
birdman; a wooden mask with antlers; a pipe denoting the Earth
Mother; and a flint clay pipe denoting her male counterpart called
Morning Star, who was the god of war. The Spiro art is more than
decorative pieces. These pieces weren’t created as art for art’s sake,
but to be used usually for religion and to show status or prestige.
I want the viewer to realize that Spiro is part of an American
classical period equal to Rome and ancient Greece. This is our
history that we are discovering, and we should be proud of it.

Spiro and the Art of the Mississippian World is on view through

May 14 in Oklahoma City at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage
Museum (nationalcowboymuseum.org). The exhibition will travel, first to
Birmingham, Alabama, in October, then to Dallas. For information on Spiro
Mounds Archaeological Center, visit okhistory.org.
 MAN’S BEST FRIEND
— AND PROTECTOR
F
Dogs make great or thousands of years, since being domesticated
PHOTOGRAPHY: (ALL IMAGES) COURTESY WAYNE SIMANOVICH
from wolves, dogs have walked alongside humans as loyal
“Huggable Security.” Just ask companions. The term man’s best friend honors the bond
Wayne Simanovich, renowned between human and canine, forged over time into one of the most
significant animal-human pairings in history.
trainer and breeder Dogs have been our faithful companions as we’ve explored the
of award-winning German world, founded countries, fought wars, started families. In the 21st
century, that bond is perhaps stronger than ever. And while we may
shepherd protection dogs. not be setting out for parts unknown quite as often as our ancestors,
the need for a protective companion in today’s uncertain age is as
real as ever.
By Lindsay Whelchel That’s where Wayne Simanovich and his protection dogs come in.
“The world is an uneasy place right now. I’ve never seen it this

126 A P R I L 2 0 21
OPPOSITE: Wayne Simanovich with Angus and two young admirers. ABOVE: Simanovich trains his protection dogs to be protectors and family
members: “They’re loyal companions — by your side, on your side.”
bad before,” says Simanovich, a renowned trainer and breeder of
German shepherd family protection dogs.
Pairing one of his dogs with a family in need is a thorough
process that usually takes time and expertise to develop. But
sometimes an emergency situation for a family means Simanovich
must match the dog quickly.
“There used to be a time 20 years ago that every now and then
we would have to drop what we were doing to place a dog with
someone who was in immediate need,” he says. “It seems like those
situations that used to happen every now and then are happening
every couple weeks now. It’s unfortunate, but that’s why we’re here.”
Simanovich spent his childhood years in Baltimore, but he
spent summers with his grandfather in eastern Tennessee, where his
grandfather trained hunting dogs. And back home in Baltimore,
Simanovich’s father, a small-business owner, employed German
shepherds to guard the shop at night.
Seeing canines excel as working dogs in the two places in the
late 1960s sparked an interest in Simanovich to become a dog
trainer. By the time he was in college, he’d taken a job with one
of the country’s top field trial trainers and had begun working
with various breeds in retrieving, obedience, and protection. Soon
Simanovich homed in on his true love: developing protection and
obedience skills. That focus has grown into what is now a 41-year
career with dogs.
Simanovich began competing rigorously in working-dog
competitions and has since earned many of the top accolades a
COWB OYS & I ND I ANS 127
 ATTENTION READERS: For more information on the following advertisers,
simply fill out the insert card below, or go to our website and request online:
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Card # Advertiser Page Card # Advertiser Page
101 A&S Auction . . . . . . . . 28 - 29 145 Merlin’s Hide Out . . . . . . . . 141
102 Adobe Interiors. . . . . . . . . . . 19 146 Montana Dreamwear . . . . . . 42
103 American Hat Company . . . . 43 147 Montana Rustic Accents . . . . 47
104 American West . . . . . . . . . . . 41 148 Nathalie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
105 Barbara Meikle Fine Art . . . . 24 149 Nuevo Rancho . . . . . . . . . . . 30
106 BCH - Bledsoe Connor 150 Old Gringo . . . . . . . . CV3 - CV4
Holdings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 151 Pacific Sotheby’s
107 Bennett Fine Jewelry . . . . . . 54 International Realty . . . 64 - 65
108 Black Star . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 152 Paisley’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
109 Boot Scootin’ Designs . . . . 142 153 Pearls by Shari . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
110 Briscoe Western Art Museum - 154 Reads Jewelers . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Night of Artists . . . . . . . . . . . 24 155 Resistol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
111 Brumbaugh’s . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 156 Rock Island Auction . . . . . . 139
112 Button Bird . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142 157 Rocki Gorman . . . . . . . . . . . 35
113 Calli Co Silver . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 158 Rooted on the River Ranch . . 73 Chelsea Kampas and her protection dog, Hub.
114 Catalena Hatters . . . . . . . . 141 159 Runyon’s Fine Furniture . . . . . 4
115 Cavender’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 160 San Agustin Trading Co . . . . 80 trainer can achieve. He holds two North American championships,
116 Chickasaw Country . . . . . . . 61 161 Santa Fe Goldworks . . . . . . . 81 two national championships, and has represented the United States
117 Christie’s International Real 162 Schaefer Outfitter. . . . . . . . . 25
Estate | Ulterre . . . . . . . . . . . 12 seven times in the world championship competition in major cities
163 Scottsdale Art Auction . . . . . 27
118 Chuck’s Woodbarn . . . . . . . 39 all over Europe. His successes attracted the attention of Ralston
164 Shiloh Sharps . . . . . . . . . . . 53
119 Cisco’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 Purina Company, which sponsored Simanovich for years as he
165 Sorrel Sky Gallery . . . . . . . . 13
120 ColoradoJo. . . . . . . . . . . . . 142 traveled the country conducting training seminars.
166 Southern Herd Signs . . . . . 141
121 Copper Creek Canyon . . . . . 22 “Because of the successes that I had in the working-dog
167 Southwest Looms . . . . . . . . 18
122 Corral . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
168 Spirit of Santa Fe . . . . . . . . 125
competitions, my relationship with Ralston Purina, and my ability
123 Coyote’s Game . . . . . . . . . . 142
169 Stetson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
to produce quality working dogs, I was looked upon as someone
124 Dan Joseph Architects . . . . . . 2
170 Stone Feather Road . . . . . . . 52 that could provide protection dogs for folks who needed that,”
125 Dannah Lane . . . . . . . . . . . 129 Simanovich says. As his reputation grew, his company blossomed.
171 Sylvia Medina Jewelry . . . . 142
126 DJ Janowski . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 “I’ve placed a lot of neat dogs with a lot of neat people:
172 Taylor’s & Company . . . . . . . 20
127 Double D Ranch . . . . . . 10 - 11 entertainers, politicians, athletes, business people, and mostly just
173 Tecovas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
128 Entertainment Television . . 143 normal folks like you and me.”
174 Texas Gold Minors . . . . . . . 143
129 Hat Creek Interiors . . . . . . . . 56 More and more, customers began to seek out Simanovich’s dogs
175 Texas Jack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
130 Hippie Cowgirl Couture . . . 109 as well-trained four-legged bodyguards who could also be a part of
176 The Arrangement . . . . . . . . . . 8
131 Historic EyeWear Company 142 the family, essentially “Huggable Security,” as the company tagline
177 The Bradford Exchange -
132 Hubbard’s Yellowstone Native Spirit Men’s Bracelet . . 33 says.
Lodge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
178 The Dude Ranchers’ “Some of these people had had bad things happen in their
133 Karina on Canyon . . . . . . . . . 44 Association . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
134 Kim Klass Jewelry . . . . . . . 142
life. Some maybe didn’t even really like dogs and never thought
179 Tim Cox Prints and
135 Kraff’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142 Canvases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 about having a dog, but it was their last hope for some kind of
136 Kubota . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 180 Topaz Spirit Jewelry . . . . . . 142 peace in their life. Once they have a dog like this, they realize how
137 Lawless Media . . . . . . . . . . . 22 181 TPG Ranch Properties - wonderful it is,” Simanovich says. He has placed dogs with people
138 Lema’s Kokopelli Gallery . . . 51 Brian Ripley . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 who have suffered everything from stalking, kidnapping, home
139 Liberty Black . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 182 True West Home . . . . . . . . . 143 invasions, spousal abuse, and more. Thankfully, he says, most of
140 LOREC Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 183 Vogt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 his clients haven’t had anything bad happen to them — they just
141 Lucchese . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CV2 184 Wayne Simanovich. . . . . . . . 55 don’t want that to change.
142 Luxury Trail Horses. . . . . . . . . 7 185 Western Trading Post . . . . . 111 “A dog can be a very determined protector if it has to be, but
143 Malouf on the Plaza . . . . . . . 31 186 Wrangler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 fortunately those situations are rare. Most people with bad ideas,
144 MediSearch - 187 Xanadu Santa Fe . . . . . . . . . 71 if they see someone with a strong, trained dog, they take their bad
Dr. Trent Talbot . . . . . . . . . . 135

128 A P R I L 2 0 21
intentions elsewhere,” Simanovich says.
There are three top traits in a good family dog for protection
and security, Simanovich explains. You want the dog to be an
alarm and wake you up in case of an intruder. You want the dog
to be a strong-looking visual deterrent of an assault. And you
want the dog to be committed to protecting you if the need ever
presented itself.
Simanovich’s dogs are beautiful, but he’s quick to point out
that they’re not show dogs. “They don’t jog in a circle for a blue
ribbon. They’re working dogs, so they’ve always been evaluated
on their trainability, their resiliency, their determination in the
protection phases, their athletic ability.” Along with those qualities,
he says, the key trait he’s after is manageability. “The dog must be
a manageable dog that is a good ambassador in the community
and a well-mannered part of the family, because my clients are not
professional dog trainers. My clients are families just like mine and
yours, and they need a dog that they can manage and that they can
live with and have fun with.”
Simanovich and his son, Jack, operate their facility on 150 acres
in North Carolina with a staff of seven people who are highly
skilled at training and socializing the dogs to best prepare them for
their new lives.
“The dogs are placed in family environments where they’ll go
to Walmart and shopping centers, the airport, walks in public
places and experience family routines,” Simanovich says. A lot of
the company’s clients have ranches and acreages, so the dogs are
socialized around livestock and in many other lifestyle scenarios.
“We’ve placed quite a few dogs in Manhattan, so those dogs have
to understand what it’s like to live on the 30th floor in a high-rise
and walk in the park every day, so depending on where the dog
goes, that’s how we structure the training.”
For the majority of Simanovich’s clients, where the need is not
a dire emergency, taking time in selecting the dog is a big priority.
“Getting the right dog with the right owner is a process,” he says.
“I need to make sure that they’re getting the dog that best suits
their lifestyle.” That process typically takes about 30 days, and
Simanovich likes to have his entire staff and his clients involved.
“It’s paramount for us that clients are involved during that training
period, but if there’s an emergency, we can have the dog anywhere
in the country in 48 hours or less.”
These days Simanovich is focusing on his breeding program, as
well as training. “We are capable of producing a superior dog right
here in North Carolina,” he says. “When it’s done from the ground
up, and I’ve had my hands on the dog from the ground up, I know
more about what that dog’s been through all of its life.”
Judging from his many happy clients, it’s clear Simanovich’s
formula breeds both good protection dogs and success.

Find out more about Wayne Simanovich’s protection dogs at simanovich.com.

129
 W E S T E R N L I F E S T Y L E

Next Gen Dude

Ranchers:
Taking The Reins
HOW A M E R ICA N R A NC H FA M I LI E S ’ WOR K I S PR E S E RV I NG
T H E I R L A N D I N A N E W E R A OF W E S T E R N T R AV E L .
By Mark Bedor

T’S A GORGEOUS SUMMER DAY IN A LUSH, the Great Depression. In the 1930s, cattle were selling

I green meadow at the base of the towering

snow-capped Sierra Nevada mountains. Here
on the eastern slope of the Sierras, not far
from Yosemite National Park, the rumble of hoofbeats
fills the air as a dozen riders gallop by on well-trained
for 3 cents a pound, according to family lore. Hunewill’s
descendants were going broke. In desperation, they began
taking paying guests to save the ranch. It worked. And
horseback vacations at Hunewill Ranch have since become
a treasured tradition for families all over the country.
PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY HUNEWILL RANCH

horses through tall grass, splashing through puddles of
mountain runoff along the way.
These fortunate few are riding on a ranch founded back
in 1861 by Napoleon Bonaparte Hunewill. He was one
of the lucky ones who came West in the California Gold
Rush and actually found gold. Hunewill bought a cattle
ranch, where he raised beef for the hungry miners in the
nearby Wild West boomtown of Bodie. Fast forward to
The Hunewills are among the many members of the
Dude Ranchers’ Association (DRA) who’ve kept their
ranch alive, and in the family, by passing it down from one
generation to the next. As the DRA approaches its 100th
birthday in 2026, the torches are still being passed in a
variety of ways. Here’s a look at how a few ranch families
are preserving their piece of Western paradise, allowing the
rest of us to experience a vacation like no other.

130 A P R I L 2 0 21
 Hunewill Ranch

A seventh generation of the Hunewill family is now growing up on the ranch,

located just outside Bridgeport, California, two hours south of Reno, Nevada.
With 4,500 private acres plus tens of thousands more acres of state and federal land,
180 horses, and 1,200 cattle, there’s room to spare for the maximum 45 guests at a
time to spread out on horseback. Riding is the focus here, and loping is encouraged.
The excellent horseback instruction gets newcomers, including children, up to speed
in a hurry. There are also opportunities to push cattle during a stay, and weeklong
cattle drives are offered in the fall.
Now in her 80s, matriarch Jan Hunewill is the last of the fourth generation. Her
son Jeff, the ranch’s general manager, oversees the cattle operation with his daughter
Leslie. Leslie also co-runs the breeding program with Jan’s daughter Megan, who also
heads up the riding program. Jan’s other daughter, Betsy, runs the office and Jeff ’s
wife, Megan, handles the books. Getting up close and personal with the season’s new
foals is a weekly treat for guests.
GRATEFUL: “I have a lot of friends who tell me, ‘You’re so lucky to have grown up
there!’ And I feel the same way,” shares Leslie. “So it’s a big job. But somebody’s gotta
do it. And I’m glad that that somebody is myself, my brother, and my cousins.”
FAMILY TIES: Guests often say a week with the Hunewills makes them feel like part
of the family as well. “It’s like ‘old home week’ every week when people come back. I
love that about it,” smiles Jan. “Someone said to me the other night, ‘You have a great
business here.’ And I said, ‘Oh, it’s a lot more than a business.’”
KEEPING THE PEACE, PASSING THE TORCH: The Hunewills have long
held a weekly family meeting to keep the ties that bind firmly in place. It’s obviously
working well. “I think we like what we do. We like each other. We like this place!”
laughs Megan. “So I think we all feel like it’s a gift to work here, and to make it viable
for the next generation, to keep this place going, as a gift for our kids, and as a gift for
the people who come here.”
FYI: hunewillranch.com
 nine quarter circle ranch

L ocated just outside Yellowstone National Park, Montana’s Nine

Quarter Circle Ranch is tucked away in a beautiful canyon that was
once a hideout for outlaws. Here along the Taylor Fork of the Gallatin
River, a Chicago family took over the ranch in the early 1900s and
built the massive log lodge and its twin stone fireplaces. But the Great
Depression and World War II left the place vacant for years. Howard
Kelsey brought the ranch back to life in the mid-1940s and began the
ranch’s tradition of raising exclusively Appaloosa horses, the breed made
famous by the Nez Perce Tribe, who rode through this area during their
war with the U.S. Army in the summer of 1877.
Yellowstone and the surrounding Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
are a major draw for Nine Quarter guests. Those who want to enjoy
guided fly fishing have the pristine Taylor Fork almost all to themselves.
Kameron and Sally Kelsey
Most of the 50 guests at a time spend their days riding Appaloosas on
seemingly endless trails crossing both the ranch’s private land and public
land. It’s not unusual to see a moose from the saddle, in the wild country
surrounding the ranch that calls itself “a place where time stands still.”
Time does march on. In 2020, Howard’s grandson Kameron and his
wife Sally became the third generation of Kelseys to take the reins at the

Nine Quarter Circle, after Kameron’s parents, Kim and Kelly, retired. And the young couple’s
daughter Anna is the start of generation four.
TAKING OVER: “It’s been a really great thing and a fun, easy transition with the folks,”
Kameron says. “I’m extremely honored and humbled to do it, and I hope that I can continue on
the legacy that my family has created here.”
PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY NINE QUARTER CIRCLE RANCH
THE LURE OF THE WEST: “People always seem to be drawn to that,” says Kameron.
“They aspire to be riding a horse on the range. And that history is huge! That’s a big reason
people come to our location … the history and the Yellowstone Valley. That’s what dude
ranching is trying to do: keep that West alive.”
BIGGEST SATISFACTION: “You take ’em on an overnight pack trip and sit around the
campfire and look at the stars, and ride a horse up there — it just opens up their imagination.
And watching that happen, it soothes the heart.”
FAVORITE PLACE: “The Lee Metcalf Wilderness. There’s some pretty special lakes and
places up there that are just amazing. They’ll just take your breath away. Get there on a big
bluebird day, and it’s nice out, and you’re riding a horse. … It’s pretty spectacular.”
FYI: ninequartercircle.com

132 A P R I L 2 0 21
 three bars guest ranch

D ude ranching runs in Tyler Beckley’s blood. His

grandparents were longtime leaders of the DRA. Tyler’s
mother April grew up trick-riding on a dude ranch in Idaho.
one. I have a cool job because I get to help people experience
those things — and lots of times, for the first time. Obviously,
the horse program, that’s our core and always will be our core.
Dad Jeff rode broncs in rodeo. The couple built and sold the Far and away, I would say that’s my favorite. But it’s cool to
Top of the World dude ranch in British Columbia, then took combine that program with other experiences.”
a junk-strewn nearby property and transformed it into Three NEXT-GEN DRA: “I’ve been going to the DRA convention
Bars Ranch, which opened since I was a little kid,” says
in 1992. South of Banff and the 41-year-old. “Even
north of Glacier National into my early 30s, I was the
Park, Tyler now manages youngest guy there by far.
“the adventure ranch of the But I would say in the last
Canadian Rockies.” Three five years, there’s lots of
Bars offers river rafting, people my age and much,
shooting sports, fly fishing, much younger than me. I
ATV adventures, mountain think we really are seeing
biking, and archery. kind of a transfer over to
Horseback riding remains that next generation. And I’m
the core activity, with enthused about it. There are
35,000 acres of public and some really highly qualified
private land to roam. Three operators out there.”
Bars runs cattle too. Plus, Tyler’s brother Jesse, a world-class ENDURING TRADITION: “The cool part about our
reining horse trainer, offers guests a weekly peek inside his business is as much as it evolves, as much as it changes, the core
competitive world. Jesse’s training operation is on the 2,000- stays the same — that horsemanship aspect and authenticity,
acre ranch headquarters, where the three Beckley families all that part stays the same. And while my parents have very little
live. Any and all can pitch in to help the dude ranch when expertise or advice on digital marketing campaigns, they’re still
needed. my go-to when it comes to anything that has to do with the
FAVORITE ACTIVITY: “I’m spoiled,” admits Tyler. “I get horse program or the actual running of the ranch.”
to do something different every day. It’s hard for me to pick FYI: threebarsranch.com
PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY THREE BARS GUEST RANCH

COWB OYS & I ND I ANS 133

 eatons’ ranch
T outed as the original dude ranch, Eatons’ Ranch believes
they are one of the last few dude ranches that let guests
go riding without a guide. Brothers Howard, Willis, and Alden
Eaton founded a horse and cattle outfit near Medora, North
Dakota, in 1879, and soon had so many visitors from the east,
they had to charge for their hospitality. Dude ranching was born.
Having relocated to Wyoming in 1904, Alden’s 80-year-
old great-grandson Frank Eaton — along with his cousins
Bill and TJ Ferguson, who are in charge of the barn and the
family’s other ranch 100 miles away — is the last of the fourth
generation of the family still
on the ranch. While there is
fishing, hiking, archery, and trap
shooting, horseback riding is
the favorite way for the 100-
plus weekly guests to explore
the ranch’s 7,000 private acres
outside Sheridan, Wyoming.
There’s even more room to
roam on the adjacent Bighorn
National Forest. Now semi-
retired, Frank — along with
Bill and TJ — ran the corral
for years, where qualified guests
are allowed to ride the range on
their own. Frank’s daughter Mary is among the half-dozen
fourth- and fifth-generation family members who today care
for this living legacy, helped out by a summer staff of about 50
hired hands.
RIDE WITHOUT A GUIDE: Newcomers always start
with a wrangler, and guides are always available for any rider
who wants one. But the chance to saddle up and take off
on your own is a major draw. “Because a lot of them are
the dra way
E ven the DRA is passing the torch. Longtime DRA
executive director Colleen Hodson recently retired,
handing the reins to 24-year-old Bryce Albright. “I loved
my job, everything about it,” says Hodson. “But it was just
time for new blood to come in. This is an ever-changing
world and we have to change with it, for the ranches to stay
successful and relevant.”
Albright grew up active in Future Farmers of America
and spent seven summers working her way up from
housekeeping to wrangler on the CM Ranch in Dubois,
Wyoming. She’s passionate about dude ranching. “Getting
to see the Western way of life instilled in people from
experienced riders,” says Mary of her visitors. “To have that
opportunity to go experience the Western lifestyle without a
guide is the way it should be.”
Headquartered in Wolf, Wyoming, along the Bighorn
Mountains, Eatons’ offers spectacular country to see on
horseback. “They can go riding in the mountains, or the
foothills, or on the flats,” tells Frank. “They’ve got a great place
to do all types of riding or hiking.”
FRANK’S FAVORITE: “The people I’ve met. We’ve had so
many guests, or ‘dudes,’ as we call ’em, that are third-, fourth-,
or fifth-generation. And they
love it and keep coming back,
and their kids come back.”
SURVIVING SINCE 1879:
“I think a lot of it is having
the people born into the
family wanting to stay here and
work on it. And most of ’em,
they enjoyed it, and they’ve
grown up with it, and that’s
what they want to do,” says
Frank, adding, “The people
that were taking over knew
what they were doing. I didn’t
have to worry that much.”
THE TRAIL AHEAD: “It’s a big deal,” declares Mary. “It’s
an important thing to carry on and teach our kids so they
can carry it on as well. The Western lifestyle is important for
people actually to disconnect and reconnect as a family.”
BORN LUCKY: “Growing up, people always asked why we
never went to summer camp,” Mary recalls. “And I always would
say, ‘We’re at a summer camp!’ And that’s what I love about it.”
FYI: eatonsranch.com
around the world,” she reflects, “it’s incredible to see
people transformed throughout the week and really
appreciate this way of life.”
Those entrusted with this unique and treasured
industry face the challenge of preserving cherished
PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY EATONS’ RANCH
Western traditions, while competing, marketing, and
messaging in the ever-changing digital age. Not to mention
mucking stalls, saddling horses, running a first-class hotel
and restaurant, and all the other hard work it takes to keep
a ranch running and customers happy. Not easy. But the
next generation of dude ranchers are more than ready to
carry on what, as Jan Hunewill says, is much more than a
business. “I get to work with some pretty incredible people
that all have a common goal,” says Albright. “Keep the
Western way of life alive.” — M.B.
“The Ferrari of Medicine”
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 flathead lake lodge

L es Averill spent World War II ferrying bombers across the Atlantic

Ocean, with lots of time to dream about the abandoned boy’s camp
on the other side of Flathead Lake from where he grew up. He returned
home to Montana in 1945, bought the property outside Bigfork, and,
after horse-logging the land and other backbreaking work, created
one of the West’s most unique dude ranches: Flathead Lake Lodge.
With 60 private acres of manicured lakefront lawn and 1,500 more to
ride horseback, Flathead is the only DRA ranch where you can spend
the morning in the saddle and the afternoon cruising the water on a
vintage 51-foot sailboat. Flathead operates two restored 1920s-era
racing sailboats created by famed boat designer L. Francis Herreshoff.
The twin lodges on the property were built in 1932. And the ranch owns
a collection of antique vehicles, including four fully operable fire engines.
Over the years, the 120 guests per week have often included celebrities.
But Flathead is known for its old-fashioned Western hospitality, making
even the famous feel right at home. Chase and Kate Averill are now the
third generation to skipper the lakefront ranch, which added a 10-mile
banked mountain bike track to its offerings of watersports, fly fishing,
whitewater rafting, or a day trip to nearby Glacier National Park (offered
in conjunction with Sun Tours).
TRADITION: “Not much has changed in a lot of years, and that’s part
of what makes the place special,” says Chase. “It’s a little bit of a step
back in time.”
THE BUGSY SIEGEL STORY: “One fall day, a big black Cadillac
pulled in and my grandfather Les [was asked] if they could stay for a
month or two. He obliged and ended up taking them into the wilderness
on a quote-unquote hunting pack trip for another month. And they kind
of paid his bills for the winter. He had no idea who they were but found
out later as people came around looking for them. There’s lots of fun old
stories. This part of the world was pretty remote back then.”
WELCOME HOME: “We’re blessed to have cool old historic lodges
and have all the lake activity. But it really just comes down to the way
people are treated here. It’s good old honest Western hospitality. We still
operate very much like a 10-person ‘mom-and-pop’ ranch. It’s very much
that approach. This is our home, and we’re welcoming these guests into
our home. Our staff really buys into that. Even though there’s 120 guests,
there still is a very informal, home feeling to the place.”
FAVORITE THING: “It allows us to keep from having to grow up!
Our whole thing is we’re sharing this place and these experiences with our
guests. And we’re just having fun doing it. But it’s definitely the people.
PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY FLATHEAD LAKE LODGE

That’s what makes this style of vacation special. You get a week with your
guests in a very personal and genuine and informal environment. Our goal
is to build a relationship with them. We want to get to know our guests on
a personal level. So they become a lot more than a guest. They become a
part of the Flathead Lake Lodge family.”
FYI: flatheadlakelodge.com

Second from top: Chase and Kate Averill with Brooks, Hank, and new
daughter Blake
KING CREEK
RANCH

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5,000+ acres between Vail and Steamboat Springs with trophy hunting, full horse program, private water,
full time chef & staff plus 11,000sf sophisticated residence with Colorado style.
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A Dusty Cotton Field
And now that I am older
I look back on all those years.
I realize that it was more than
Just my mama’s tears
That took away my wanderlust
And made me stay at home.
It wasn’t daddy’s ironclad rules
That killed my urge to roam.
Was all that love they gave me.
It was all that time they spent
To make sure I had all the tools
So I could make a dent
In a world that I would call my own
When they won’t be around.
That’s why I’m able now to plant
And plow unbroken ground.
Excerpted from
Red Steagall:
New and Selected Poems
TV AND RADIO
SCHEDULE:
Episodes of Red’s travel show, Red
C Steagall Is Somewhere West of Wall
O
Street, air Mondays at 8:30 p.m. Central
W woo woo.” The Indians thought that was pretty bad stuff, so they quit messing
B
on RFD-TV. Find out more about the TV
O program at watchrfdtv.com, and keep up
Y with Red’s radio show, Cowboy Corner,
S S
at redsteagall.com/cowboy-corner.
138 A P R I L 2 0 21
C O W B O Y C O R N E R
IN THE BUNKHOUSE
WITH RED STEAGALL
The Official Cowboy Poet of Texas
HISTORIAN AND PROFESSOR
DON FRAZIER OF BUFFALO GAP, TEXAS
Red Steagall: Don, we were talking about the Elm Creek
Raid [in 1864]. … You told me a story one time about the
Ledbetter Salt Works. Salt was a very important ingredient
to the life anywhere.
Don Frazier: Oh, absolutely.
Red: Especially for the settlers in West Texas, because you
couldn’t just go to the store and buy some.
Don: No, absolutely not. You couldn’t buy salt and, of course, salt is essentially
the pioneer version of a refrigerator. Any sort of meat that’s got any moisture
in it, you’re going to have to salt up and cure up to keep it. Anytime you could
find a good source of salt, it was a major find. There’s two ways you can get
salt. You can go to big salt domes. … But during the course of the Civil War,
some of the settlers out in Shackelford County on a cow hunt came across the
salt seep. It’s one of the prongs that goes into Hubbard Creek. They decided
that, boy, that briny water would be good for something, so they just brought
in some boiling kettles and set up a salt plant, right there in this canyon. Right
there pretty close to present-day Highway 351. They were boiling salt and
packaging it up and putting it into big bags and shipping it east.
Red: How long did that last, do you think?
Don: Well, it lasted on into about 1867, ’68. Then when you had pretty regular
freighting services coming in from the east, it was just no longer economically
viable to do it. Now, of course, Ledbetter Salt Works had raids from Indians
and there were all sorts of other disruptions. It was kind of an exposed place.
And the salt was not exactly top-grade; it was kind of middlin’ grade. Once
you could import salt, it became more economically viable to do that, and the
Ledbetters all moved up to Fort Griffin and did other things.
One of my favorite stories from the salt works down there on the salt prong
in Shackelford County: The Indians would come in and watch the workers
boiling salt, and they were interested in what was going on, interested to see if
PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY SCHREINER UNIVERSITY
there were any loose horses they could scoop up. The salt works owners had
brought down a cannon, evidently left over from one of the garrisons. The
Indians finally got to be pretty pesky with their sniping — takes your mind off
your job when you’re dodging bullets and you’re trying to boil some brine. …
So they loaded this cannon up with a kingpin off of a wagon and shot it up. As I
the kingpin went through the air, it whistled. It went, “woo woo woo woo woo N
D
I
with them for a while. A
I can always picture that going on — somebody just dropping their tools at the N
kettle saying, “Enough is enough. Give me that kingpin; where’s that cannon?”
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 S H O W T I M E

F E AT U R E D E V E N T
COWGIRL HALL OF FAME INDUCTION
Each year, Fort Worth’s National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame celebrates
women who have led their lives with courage, resilience, and independence — a
spirit reflective of that of the American West. This year, the inductees will join
more than 200 remarkable women at the 45th annual Induction Luncheon and
C I
O
Ceremony at Dickies Arena, postponed just before press time to October 26. N
W They include renowned artist Pop Chalee, champion breakaway roper Lari Dee D
B I
O
Guy (pictured), cowboy hat designer Lavonna “Shorty” Koger, and country star A
Y Miranda Lambert. Request an invitation via the museum. cowgirl.net/hall-of-fame N
S S

The following events were still scheduled as of press time in early January. Please call or check organizers’ websites to confirm.

APRIL MAY JUNE

Cowboy Stampede Wildflower Pinto Classic Tesoro Cultural Center’s Indian

Stillwater, OK, 4/1-3 Tulsa, OK, 5/1-2 Market & Powwow
visitstillwater.org oklahomapinto.com Morrison, CO, 6/5-6
tesoroculturalcenter.org
Arabian Breeders World Cup Cinco de Mayo Festival
Las Vegas, NV, 4/8-11 Oklahoma City, OK, 5/2 CMA Fest
arabianbreedersworldcup.com scissortailpark.org Nashville, TN, 6/10-13
cmafest.com
Equine Affaire Great American Horse Drive
Columbus, OH, 4/8-11 Longmont, CO, 5/4-10 Dallas Apparel & Accessories Market
equineaffaire.com sombrerohorses.com Dallas, TX, 6/15-18
dallasmarketcenter.com
Western Heritage Awards Western Heritage Classic
Oklahoma City, OK, 4/9-10 Abilene, TX, 5/6-9 Telluride Bluegrass Festival
nationalcowboymuseum.org westernheritageclassic.com Telluride, CO, 6/17-20
bluegrass.com/telluride
Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame Cowtown Rodeo
Rodeo & Induction Pilesgrove, NJ, 5/22-9/25 Reno Rodeo
Fort Worth, TX, 4/15-17 cowtownrodeo.com Reno, NV, 6/17-26
texasrodeocowboy.com renorodeo.com
Old West Days
ACM Awards Jackson Hole, WY, 5/22-31 Battle of the Little Bighorn
Nashville, TN, 4/18 jacksonholechamber.com Reenactment
acmcountry.com Crow Agency, MT, 6/25-27
Mule Days Celebration littlebighornreenactment.com
Gathering of Nations Powwow Bishop, CA, 5/25-30
Albuquerque, NM, 4/23-24 muledays.org Northern Cherokee National Annual
gatheringofnations.com Powwow & Cultural Gathering
Clinton, MO, 6/25-27
PHOTOGRAPHY: RC PHOTOGRAPHY

powwows.com
Cowboys & Indians ® APRIL 2021, VOL. 29, NO. 3 (ISSN 1069-8876) is published eight times per year (January, February/March, April, May/June, July, August/September, October, November/December) by USFRSC
Inc., 12221 Merit Drive, Suite 1610, Dallas, TX 75251. Subscription in USA: $29.95. Other countries (to cover extra handling and postage): Canada $43.95, other foreign $49.95. Please provide payment in U.S.
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140 A P R I L 2 0 21

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 L I V E
Cowboys & Indians: You’ve H O L LY
got quite a diverse résumé, with
credits ranging from Captain
America: Winter Solider and The Purge
FRANK GRILLO
movies to the Chinese-produced Wolf Warrior 2, one of the
highest grossing internationally released films of all time.
Lately, we’ve seen you in Hell on the Border — a drama about
legendary lawman Bass Reeves — and the contemporary
drama No Man’s Land. Should we be thinking of this as the
western stage of your career?
Frank Grillo: [Laughs] My career is funny, because it’s
kind of based on whatever presents itself at the time that
I either need to work or want to work. You know what
I mean? And it just so happened that those two films
included horses. And they’re both little, tiny movies, but
they’re both scripts that I really dug because they were based
on either true stories or true facts. And I thought they were
both interesting. So I said, “I’m going to do this and get on
a horse.” I actually bought a horse after I did Hell on the Border,
because I used to ride and I thought I might start again. So
I bought a quarter horse — and I never rode it. And I had
to sell it like eight months later, because I’m an idiot.
C&I: Were you able to spend much time in the saddle while
you were growing up in New York?
Frank: When I was a kid, I used to ride horses every
weekend. And my younger brother became a champion
barrel rider in New York. He was amazing. So I’ve grown
up with horses, and I am pretty good. And I don’t have
any fear of horses. I know a lot of actors say they
can ride horses — but then you get them on set,
and they really can’t. So the wranglers in these
films were kind of amazed that I wasn’t full
of s**t, and I could actually ride a horse.
C&I: In No Man’s Land, you play a farmer
near the Tex-Mex border whose adult son
accidentally kills a Mexican youngster while
the boy makes an illegal crossing into the
U.S. It’s a suspense drama, in the sense
that we follow your character’s son as he
flees into Mexico to escape arrest. But the
movie also focuses on the real-life problems
of immigration and cultural clashes.
Frank: Well, I thought it was a fascinating
story, given what is happening on that
border, and how it affects not just
people from Mexico, but how
it affects U.S. citizens who
are kind of caught in the
middle of it. And I just dug
these two young filmmakers,
Conor and Jake Allyn, who have
144 A P R I L 2 0 21
F R O M
W O O D their own company, and are trying
to do things that are interesting,
and that matters. I think they
did a really good job, given their
budget, with the subject matter. I’m impressed with them.
C&I: There’s an interesting arc to your character, who winds
up appreciably more empathetic and understanding. And
while the ending of the movie certainly isn’t tragic, it’s realistic.
Frank: Yeah, I really dug that. It wasn’t wrapped up with
some Hollywood ending, with his kid coming back and
he gets away with it. He’s going to go pay the price, and
his family’s learned a lesson from this whole thing. And
hopefully they’ve become more compassionate, which is
what we need in this country right now. This movie is very
timely, because that is what we need. We need people to be
compassionate, to feel empathy and sympathy for people
who are struggling, whether they’re on our side of border or
not. I’m not trying to get on my high horse — and believe
me, I’m not like a bleeding-heart liberal. I’m really not. But
movies like this, I think, are important.
C&I: There was a time when small-scale movies like No
Man’s Land and Hell on the Border might get lost in the rush
during their initial releases, and never get heard about
again. But nowadays, with so many digital and streaming
platforms, there’s always the chance that almost anything
you do will eventually find an audience, right?
Frank: Look, man, I have this series, Kingdom, that’s
now playing on Netflix, which is originally
a DirectTV show. For my money, it’s
probably the best thing I’ve ever
done. It was four seasons of the
best work. But no one had seen
it. And then Netflix bought it.
And guess what? It’s as if we just
made the show. I have gotten
more offers because of that show.
And I’ve had more people — and
more women, an audience that I
normally don’t have — come up to
me going, “Hey, I love your show on
Netflix.” And it’s like three years have
gone by since I made that show. Things
like Hulu and Netflix and Apple TV,
they’re opening up a whole new world for
things that maybe we didn’t do today, but
ILLUSTRATION: JONATHAN FEHR
people are discovering right now because,
well, a lot of them have to stay at home.
It’s phenomenal.
No Man’s Land is available for
rental on major VOD platforms.