TRAVERSE CITY — Local author Robert (Bob) Downes has received a statewide honor for his book chronicling the history of Native peoples in the Midwest.
Downes’ nonfiction title, Raw Deal: The Indians of the Midwest and the Theft of Native Lands, earned a book-of-the-year award from the Historical Society of Michigan. The State History Award will be presented Sept. 26 at the society’s annual awards ceremony in Alpena.
Published by Downes’ company, The Wandering Press, Raw Deal won in the private printing category, which recognizes works from non-university presses. Downes said he hopes the award will spark wider awareness.
“This is a huge honor and will hopefully generate more interest in the Native peoples on this side of the Mississippi and their valiant struggle to retain their homeland,” he said in a news release.
The author spent three years writing the book, which has been praised by history professors for its readability and reviewed positively in the Ojibwe tribal press of the Upper Midwest. Covering events from the Ice Age 13,000 years ago through modern times, the book examines six treaties that deprived Native peoples of Michigan of their land.
It also includes chapters on the Mound Builders civilization, the spread of disease by European explorers, battles fought by Native warriors, forced relocations such as the Chippewa Trail of Tears and Potawatomi Death March, and the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that legalized Native gaming.
Downes will appear this fall as a featured author at the Michigan City Public Library’s literary event and will speak at the Elk Rapids Historical Society on Oct. 9. He will also present a one-man multimedia show, “Stories and Songs - An Evening with Author Robert Downes,” Nov. 20 at the Traverse City Opera House, blending stories from his nine books with music he has composed.