VASHON, Wash., December 10, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- Tracks were laid 100 years before Lewis and Clark blazed through the country to the Pacific Northwest. The maps based upon Moncacht Ape's adventures paved the way for later explorations by the "Courageous Captains." Now, for the first time, Jonathan Reynolds Cronin tells the story of the wandering chief in Yazoo Mingo: The Journeys of Moncacht Ape Across North America (now available through 1stBooks).
Cronin reconstructs a forgotten trek in a "literary non-fiction in the mode of Truman Capote," the author states. Known as "The Interpreter" to the French, Yazoo Mingo, which translates to Yazoo chief, called Moncacht Ape, which means "Killer of Pain and Fatigue," struck a path through the western United States. Beginning in the Deep South of what is now Mississippi, he made the same journey as Lewis and Clark, up the Missouri River, across the Rocky Mountains and down the Columbia River to the Pacific Coast. Unlike the fabled explorers, however, Monacacht Ape continued to Southeast Alaska.
His motives varied. The Yazoo Mingo wandered to relieve the pain of a family tragedy. He also hoped to find the origin of his people and bring back information about other cultures to share with his nation. Cronin's book, told at times in First Nation storytelling style for authenticity explores the folkways, spirituality and destinies of the myriad of American Indian nations visited by Moncacht Ape.
As the bicentennial anniversary of the Lewis and Clark journey begins this year, Cronin's book emphasizes the importance to remember the authentic trailblazers of America and its native inhabitants.
Cronin is also known by his Nakota name, Hoksila Tanka. After a long career as a lawyer for the federal government and a private practice that focused on employment, civil and aboriginal rights, he began his new career as an author and historian. Nestled in his sheep ranch on an island in Puget Sound, he has published many magazine articles. Yazoo Mingo is his first book.
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