It was late spring, 1889. Pie Allen, two term mayor of Tucson, was recently deceased, but the town was already in mourning as the newly chosen town marshal had been bushwhacked. Lawlessness had run amuck for months as the number of bad-cases multiplied. Jake Cantlin was summoned to Arizona by older brother, Matt, general manager of the large stage and freight outfit which had suffered substantial loses. Matt had convinced the town council Jake could bring resolution to the atrocities his company and the town suffered. The harsh enlightenment that welcomed Jake to the blemished Arizona town comingled the brutality of murderous outlaws, a cantankerous ex-confederate colonel, desert Apaches, and the sly saloon owner, Frazee Zink. An unsullied new U.S. Deputy Marshal, Joshua Stoner, took to Jake like a bear fresh out of hibernation that had found a spring-ripened trout stream. He saw that Jake was smart, strong, had the sand of Hickock and the six-gun ability of a Buffalo Bill sharp-shooter. Signs of culprits that dealt the dirty cards were shuffled and sleeved. It would require clever and bold law work, but if Stoner and Cantlin could persevere, they might be able to restore sanctity to the town and put a shine on the star shaped law badges.

All communities are teeming with energy, spirit, and knowledge, and Spiral to the Stars taps into and activates this dynamism to discuss Indigenous community planning from a Mvskoke perspective. This book poses questions about what community is, how to reclaim community, and how to embark on the process of envisioning what and where the community can be. Geographer Laura Harjo demonstrates that Mvskoke communities have what they need to dream, imagine, speculate, and activate the wishes of ancestors, contemporary kin, and future relatives—all in a present temporality—which is Indigenous futurity. Organized around four methodologies—radical sovereignty, community knowledge, collective power, and emergence geographies—Spiral to the Stars provides a path that departs from traditional community-making strategies, which are often extensions of the settler state. Readers are provided a set of methodologies to build genuine community relationships, knowledge, power, and spaces for themselves. Communities don’t have to wait on experts because this book helps them activate their own possibilities and expertise. A detailed final chapter provides participatory tools that can be used in workshop settings or one on one. This book offers a critical and concrete map for community making that leverages Indigenous way-finding tools. Mvskoke narratives thread throughout the text, vividly demonstrating that theories come from lived and felt experiences. This is a must-have book for community organizers, radical pedagogists, and anyone wishing to empower and advocate for their community.

Arizona became the nation’s 48th state in 1912 and since that time the Arizona constitution has served as the template by which the state is governed. Toni McClory’s Understanding the Arizona Constitution has offered insight into the inner workings and interpretations of the document—and the government that it established—for almost a decade. Since the book’s first publication, significant constitutional changes have occurred, some even altering the very structure of state government itself. There have been dramatic veto battles, protracted budget wars, and other interbranch conflicts that have generated landmark constitutional rulings from the state courts. The new edition of this handy reference addresses many of the latest issues, including legislative term limits, Arizona’s new redistricting system, educational issues, like the controversial school voucher program, and the influence of special-interest money in the legislature. A total of 63 propositions have reached the ballot, spawning heated controversies over same-sex marriage, immigration, and other hot-button social issues. This book is the definitive guide to Arizona government and serves as a solid introductory text for classes on the Arizona Constitution. Extensive endnotes make it a useful reference for professionals within the government. Finally, it serves as a tool for any engaged citizen looking for information about online government resources, administrative rules, and voter rights. Comprehensive and clearly written, this book belongs on every Arizonan’s bookshelf.

A comprehensive illustrated guide to Tucson's historical and contemporary architectural resources covers all facets of the city's architecture, from one-of-a-kind homes on Main Avenue and historic downtown buildings to destination resorts in the Catalina Foothills and other modern structures. Included are walking and driving tours of fourteen areas, along with maps, and annotated descriptions of individual structures--residences, schools, churches, government buildings, offices, commercial establishments, and others--accompanied by more than 140 photographs.

Arts as intimate as a piece of needlework or a home altar. Arts as visible as decorative iron, murals, and low riders. Through such arts, members of Tucson's Mexican American community contribute much of the cultural flavor that defines the city to its residents and to the outside world. Now Tucson folklorist Jim Griffith celebrates these public and private artistic expressions and invites us to meet the people who create them. Josefina Lizárraga learned to make paper flowers as a girl in her native state of Nayarit, Mexico, and ensures that this delicate art is not lost. Ornamental blacksmith William Flores runs the oldest blacksmithing business in town, a living link with an earlier Tucson. Ramona Franco's family has maintained an elaborate altar to Our Lady of Guadalupe for three generations. Signmaker Paul Lira, responsible for many of Tucson's most interesting signs, brings to his work a thoroughly mexicano sense of aesthetics and humor. Muralists David Tineo and Luis Mena proclaim Mexican cultural identity in their work and carry on a tradition that has blossomed in the last twenty years. Featuring a foreword by Tucson author Patricia Preciado Martin and a spectacular gallery of photographs, many by Pulitzer prize-winning photographer José Galvez, this remarkable book offers a close-up view of a community rich with tradition and diverse artistic expression. Hecho a Mano is a piñata bursting with unexpected treasures that will inspire and inform anyone with an interest in folk art or Mexican American culture.

What exactly is a desert? How can I attract hummingbirds? Are cactus spines poisonous? Is a javelina a pig? This book provides detailed answers to 42 questions that the staff at the Desert Museum are most often asked. Supplemented with nearly 100 illustrations, this 200 page book is broken down into three sections: getting to know the desert, the desert as one's backyard and enjoying the desert. Seven useful appendixes cover a range of topics including hummingbird gardening, venomous bites and stings, climate and additional sources of information about desert life. A fun way to learn how wild and fascinating our deserts really are!