The sharpest, most stylized, and ambitious anthology of Native American literature ever published. Readers enter into a welter of troubled history throughout the Americans where the heritage of violence meets the ferocity of intent. Akashic Books continues its groundbreaking series of original noir anthologies, launched in 2004 with Brooklyn Noir . Each story is set in a distinct neighborhood or location within the city of the book. Brand-new stories by: Mistina Bates, Jean Rae Baxter, Lawrence Block, Joseph Bruchac, David Cole, Reed Farrel Coleman, O’Neil De Noux, A.A. HedgeCoke, Gerard Houarner, Liz Martínez, R. Narvaez, Kimberly Roppolo, Leonard Schonberg, and Melissa Yi. From the introduction by Sarah Cortez: “Many who inhabit Indian Country love it, and they often stay after their time on Earth is done. Others have died trying to claim it. They continue to wander there in the endless circle of time. This book has stories by both Native and non-Native authors reflecting them all . . . "As you step back into the troubled history of Joseph Bruchac’s “Helper” and Liz Martínez’s “Prowling Wolves,” you will find yourself swept up by a fresh and powerful look into personal revisionist histories. It is, perhaps, not unpredictable that some of these tales show the narrator partaking in what appears to be an eminently satisfying dose of revenge . . . Two of the stories are breathtakingly lyrical in their approach and articulation of the hard price paid by some Indians for spiritual homelessness and transgression: Kimberly Roppolo’s “Quilt like a Night Sky” and A.A. HedgeCoke’s “On Drowning Pond” . . . "Before you journey with these talented authors through the north, south, east, and west of Indian Country, you might wish to reflect upon the words of the famous Oglala Lakota teacher Black Elk: “Birds make their nests in circles; we dance in circles; the circle stands for the Sun and Moon and all round things in the natural world. The circle is an endless creation, with endless connections to the present, all that went before and all that will come in the future.“ SARAH CORTEZ , a law-enforcement officer, is the award-winning author of the poetry collection  How To Undress a Cop . Cortez coedited with Liz Martínez  Indian Country Noir  and the fiction anthology  Hit list: The Best of Latino Mystery. She brings her heritage and blood as a Tejana with Mexican, French, Comanche, and Spanish to the written page. LIZ MARTÍNEZ ’s stories have appeared in  Manhattan Noir, Queens Noir , and  Cop Tales 2000 . She is the coeditor of  Indian Country Noi r, the author of the nonfiction book  The Retail Manager’s Guide to Crime and Loss Prevention , and her articles about security and law enforcement have appeared in publications around the world. She is a member of Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers and she lives in New York. Indian Country Noir Akashic Books Copyright © 2010 Akashic Books All right reserved. ISBN: 978-1-936070-05-3 Contents Foreword by Richard B. Williams....................................................13Introduction.......................................................................17Joseph Bruchac Helper Adirondacks, New York......................................37Jean Rae Baxter Osprey Lake Eastern Woodlands, Canada............................59Gerard Houarner Dead Medicine Snake Woman New York, New York.....................85Melissa Yi Indian Time Ontario, Canada...........................................103A.A. HedgeCoke On Drowning Pond Charlotte, North Carolina........................109Mistina Bates Daddy's Girl Memphis, Tennessee....................................129O'Neil De Noux The Raven and the Wolf New Orleans, Louisiana.....................150R. Narvaez Juracn San Juan, Puerto Rico.........................................177David Cole JaneJohnDoe.com Tucson, Arizona.......................................201Leonard Schonberg Lame Elk Ashland, Montana......................................214Reed Farrel Coleman Another Role Los Angeles, California.........................241Lawrence Block Getting Lucky Upper Peninsula, Michigan...........................252Liz Martnez Prowling Wolves Chicago, Illinois...................................273Kimberly Roppolo Quilt like a Night Sky Alberta, Canada..........................280 Introduction Spiritual Transgression Welcome to Indian Country ... It lies within the physical and emotional antipodes of North-South-East-West, and encompasses territory both familiar and unknown. Many who inhabit Indian Country love it, and they often stay after their time on Earth is done. Others have died trying to claim it. They continue to wander there in the endless circle of time. This book has stories by both Native and non-Native authors reflecting them all. The circle defined by the cardinal directions of the Medicine Wheel is your reminder that a harmonious relationship with nature and all livi