| "Standing Flower" -- Irving Pabanale's name in the Tewa language -- was born in the latter part of the nineteenth century into a rich and unique heritage. Around 1700 his Tewa ancestors migrated from the Rio Grande to the Hopi community of First Mesa. They came at the invitation of the Hopi to serve as warrior-protectors against marauding Utes, a relocation exceptional in the history of the Pueblo Southwest. Not only did the Arizona Tewa fulfill their military and later police duties, eventually a number of them served as brokers or intermediaries between Hispanic and Anglo culture on the one hand and Hopi culture on the other, through it all preserving their language and much of their Rio Grande way of life. From 1966 to 1969, Pabanale recorded a series of reminiscences -- self-selected episodes and glimpses into his varied life experiences -- with Robert Black serving as collaborator. In Standing Flower, Black has compiled these episodes, adding relevant historical and anthropological commentary. This is a unique chronicle of the life of a culture broker who was an eyewitness to the great changes that occurred during the early and middle years of the twentieth century.
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