Pardon My l'Histoire...

Whenever history is being told, remember there is almost always a bias on behalf of the person(s) telling it. Often, parts are left out, justified by one party involved, or even told inaccurately; it takes a lot of research and work to uncover the complete history of anything. I was talking with someone yesterday about California; they made the offhand comment that the city of Hollywood doesn't have a long history. This is both true and false. As a populated city, it's just over 140 years old. When you ask any American about the history of a place, it rarely goes back any further than the earliest settlers from Europe. After the founding of the 13 original colonies, of course.

So who really counts as the first people in an area? What makes for historic events? How old is civilization in a location? Generally, these are more opinions than concrete ideas. Most of us know there were Native Americans living across the United States long before Europe even knew this land existed. But even beyond that, there are chunks of missing history left out of teachings about whole states. Even my own home state of Ohio has a far more interesting past than many of us know about.

Ohio was one of the first states beyond the original colonies to be carved out of the land back two hundred years ago. But what was it before then? You might be surprised by the answer. And had history gone very differently, we might be speaking an entirely different language.

If we go back a hundred years before the the Constitution existed, Europeans were already settling and conquering and claiming land across North America as their own. What would eventually become Ohio was part of the French colony of Louisiana (also called "New France" at certain times). Aside from the British colonies and Spanish Florida on the east (and New Mexico to the west), the rest of the land was claimed by France. This French part of Ohio history is completely ignored, but it doesn't end there. In the 18th century, Ohio was someone else's land as well.

In the decades before the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 (which almost made eastern Ohio into a state called Washington), the land owned by the French changed drastically. Spain acquired much of the western states and France split the land owned by England in half. Today, part of the section of New France stretching through the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River all the way to the Atlantic Ocean still holds on to its heritage and early name: Quebec. Shortly before the British took possession of much of this land in 1763 through the Treaty of Paris, Ohio and parts of Pennsylvania and New York were part of Quebec. Forgotten by today's residents, a few clues remain behind. The city of Erie, Pennsylvania, still sits near Presque Isle (or presqu'île, the French word for peninsula); Ohio has towns named La Croft, Bellevue ("beautiful view"), Bellefontaine ("beautiful fountain"), Marseilles, and even Marietta (named for Marie Antoinette).

One thing is certain; the French had a better rapport with the native Indians than their British counterparts. Centers of trade and forts sprang up throughout Ohio. One French trading post was just down the road from where I live, where the Cuyahoga River meets Tinkers Creek. Another was to the south in Boston, Ohio, where early settlers found apple trees planted by the French in the 1600s. And when the British tried to take over land, the Indians tended to side with the French. After the US became independent, they sided with British Canada. This is part of the reason there was such animosity between early settlers and the natives. Indians allied themselves with the wrong side regularly. Their punishment would eventually be to live on tiny reservations, stricken with poverty and alcoholism.

While there's a lot of history we'd rather forget, there's no valid reason to deny the French past for Ohio and many other states. We seem so keen to remember the British and American portions of US history yet ignore all the rest. But this is why I love history; it's a fascinating, unending discovery full of myths and mysteries. There's always something new to learn, even about your native town.

Beyond the Tumbleweeds...

Rather than write a long post today about a haunting or paranormal tale, I thought I would indulge your eyes and ears in a more visual method. Thanks to the creative people behind Paranormal TV, I bring you a fascinating video about spirits of Arizona's southwestern desert canyons.

From Navajo legend to ghostly occurrence, I present to you the story of the Shinday in "Red Feather and the Spirits of the Dead":

Beware of the Gnomes Near Nome...

Ah, Alaska. The land of caribou, soon-to-be-extinct glaciers, the Aurora Borealis, Eskimos, and perhaps something a little more sinister.

And I do mean 'little'...

At least that's what an email, which has been circulating as a warning, seems to be telling the locals. The Alaskan Bush isn't so safe. In the tundra lurks the ircenrraq, lying in wait to disorient, discomfort, and trap unsuspecting humans.

Ircenrraat, from Central Alaskan Yup'ik tradition, are little, mischievous creatures who live in the tundra. While their meddlesome ways often are notorious among the native peoples, every so often the myth attracts a little outside attention.

On May 7th, a man from Marshall stumbled across a young boy at Pilcher Mountain, all alone, in an area inhabited by large tundra brown bears. He was confused and has been crying. He had no recollection of where he was or how he had gotten there. He did, however, recall being lead away by "little beings" to the site where he encountered a young girl who had been kidnapped in a similar manner some 40 years prior. The ircenrraat decided to release him... at which point he was discovered by the man.

Similar stories have been heard over the years, and Pilcher Mountain itself is alleged to be a hotbed of ircenrraat activity. Thanks to the worldwide web, the man's warning email was forwarded on and his tale reached an Anchorage reporter.

Was the youth telling the truth? Do small creatures resembling elves or gnomes conceal themselves in the frozen Arctic?

Or has the permafrost and lack of daylight warped people's imaginations?

Supernatural Spotlight: Antonio R. Garcez

I don't have a single drop of Native American blood coursing through my veins. That does not mean I'm not extremely curious about the myths, lore, and history surrounding the early civilizations of the Americas. And oddly enough, I've had a few unexplainable experiences involving Native spirits during my life... experiences which still sometimes haunt me to this day.

In our modern times, the Eastern Woodland tribes of the Midwest are a distant memory. We are left with a few artifacts (arrowheads, mounds, and sparse monuments) acknowledging their existence in the region over thousands of years. The few whom were left were forced West in the early 1800s and late 1700s. Some descendants still can be found in the Southwest, though much of the original cultures are forgotten.

A few years ago, I stumbled across Antonio Garcez's website while browsing paranormal topics. It was sheer coincidence that someone mentioned his name and recommended his work. I bookmarked his site and ventured on with my research, soon forgetting the page in my hundreds of saved links.

Many months later, an email from the author reawakened my intrigue. He combines two of my favorite topics: Native American history and the paranormal. His books reveal hints of "entities" throughout Colorado, New Mexico, and other scenic, arid areas of the United States. On a backdrop of adobe homes and graceful canyons, the spirit world comes alive once more.

Not only is his website beautifully designed, but his work is truly outstanding. Before he came along, most books dealing with "ghost towns" failed to mention the supernatural aspects of these places. Starting in New Mexico, he began scouring the Southwest in search of ghosts. He spoke with regular people and discovered a fount of tales and plans to embark on further explorations around the country. There is even talk of television and film work based on his writing.

I have to admire the mavericks of the world who blaze new trails in the paranormal community. People like Garcez keep the field interesting...