The Lighthorse Police

Donald L. Fixico (Muscogee, Seminole, Shawnee, and Sac and Fox enrolled) is Regents and Distinguished Foundation Professor of History at Arizona State University. He is the author or editor of 15 books, including Call for Change: The Medicine Way of American Indian History, Ethos, and Reality.

"I highly recommend this book. The Lighthorse Police not only makes for good reading but is also a well researched history of how and why the federal government has continually attempted to undermine tribal sovereignty. Fixico is a true scholar-advocate in the tradition of Vine Deloria, Jr., and is the finest Native historian working today."-Tom Holm (Cherokee Nation), author of Ira Hayes: The Akimel O'odham Warrior, World War II, and the Price of Heroism "A fascinating piece of Five Tribes history and storytelling as colorful as a rompin', stompin' tale of the Wild West. I love this book."-Connie Cronley (Cherokee Nation), author of A Life on Fire: Oklahoma's Kate Barnard "The Lighthorse Police vividly illustrates attempts by the Five Tribes to bring "law and order" to Indian Territory, a region awash with lawlessness and beset by contesting sovereignties. Any reader interested in the history of Oklahoma will welcome this book."-R. David Edmunds, author of Voices in the Drum: Narratives from the Native American Past "The Lighthorse Police is a welcome study of law enforcement in the lands of the Five Tribes, a topic heretofore dominated by accounts of Federal marshals. It presents the Lighthorse as a symbol of tribal sovereignty. Scholarly and well-documented, it is presented in a casual style that readers will enjoy."-Daniel F. Littlefield Jr., author of Alex Posey: Creek Poet, Journalist, and Humorist "In The Lighthorse Police, Donald Fixico continues his essential work in expanding and deepening our understanding and appreciation of Native history. A thorough account of the famous law-keepers of the Five Tribes, it tells the story of a people both evolving and persisting, maintaining order as well as sovereignty and a distinctive cultural identity, in the face of ongoing change."-Elliott West, author of Continental Reckoning: The American West in the Age of Expansion "In this ground-breaking new book, Donald J. Fixico goes well beyond a simple narrative history of the lighthorse to weave together the interlocking stories of tribal sovereignty, frontier justice, and the impact of leadership, all presented from tribal perspectives. Fixico connects the dots of history from clan-based blood revenge to the rule of law, always keeping in mind the tribal ability to serve their people, the fundamental foundation of tribal sovereignty."-Bob L. Blackburn, co-author of Cherokee Nation: A History of Survival, Self Determination, and Identity