The University of Arizona Press
The Sons of Gunshooter
A Navajo Resistance Story
Paperback ($21.95), Ebook ($21.95)
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An inspiring new take on a history we thought we knew
In 1919, the brother of one of the West’s most famous Indian traders was shot to death in a remote corner of the Navajo Nation.
Part history, part true crime, The Sons of Gunshooter reexamines the killing and subsequent murder trial, while simultaneously embedding the story in a much larger saga of colonization and resistance. The result is a book that’s sweeping in its scope and surgical in its approach. Rewinding the clock to 1868, the authors follow the intertwining paths of two families to offer a riveting, deeply personal account that has been hailed as “a new way of doing historiography.”
One of the authors is a descendant of participants in the case; the other is an investigative journalist. By merging Diné oral traditions with archival evidence, they succeed in upending one false narrative after another.
In 1919, the brother of one of the West’s most famous Indian traders was shot to death in a remote corner of the Navajo Nation.
Part history, part true crime, The Sons of Gunshooter reexamines the killing and subsequent murder trial, while simultaneously embedding the story in a much larger saga of colonization and resistance. The result is a book that’s sweeping in its scope and surgical in its approach. Rewinding the clock to 1868, the authors follow the intertwining paths of two families to offer a riveting, deeply personal account that has been hailed as “a new way of doing historiography.”
One of the authors is a descendant of participants in the case; the other is an investigative journalist. By merging Diné oral traditions with archival evidence, they succeed in upending one false narrative after another.
“The Sons of Gunshooter is an excellent example of a Diné-based narrative that honors Diné oral histories and showcases Diné resistance and resilience in the face of settler violence.”—Jennifer Nez Denetdale, author of Reclaiming Diné History: The Legacies of Navajo Chief Manuelito and Juanita
“This book combines the knowledge and skills of Navajo family historian Dorothy Denetclaw with those of forensic scholar Matt Fitzsimons to tell a story about the 1919 killing of Charles Hubbell, a trader among the Navajo people, by two young Navajos, sons of Gunshooter, and the legal aftermath. The authors embed this story in the much larger saga of the mid-1800s U.S. conquest of northern Mexico and, soon after, of the Navajo Nation, in both of which the Hubbells took part and established their regional political and mercantile power. The story illustrates how the racism that plagues criminal justice in the United States today is baked into the system from its very origins, including settler conflicts with Indigenous peoples.”—Klara Kelley, co-author of A Diné History of Navajoland
“Great story. I enjoyed reading it, and I learned quite a bit.”—Raymond D. Austin, former associate justice of the Navajo Nation Supreme Court and author of Navajo Courts and Navajo Common Law: A Tradition of Tribal Self-Governance
“The Sons of Gunshooter is one of the best researched, best written histories I have ever read. And I read a lot of history.”—Cindy Yurth, former reporter for the Navajo Times
“The authors unpack a complex history drawn from newspaper articles, government and trading post archives, books, magazines, and Dorothy’s extensive oral history records. Copious footnotes confirm how the ‘devil’s in the details.’ The collaborators adopt a ‘take-no-prisoners’ approach, evidenced by their meticulous research that serves as a model to challenge the sustained whitewashing by settler academics and trade book authors who persist in romanticizing the ‘Old West.’”—Kathy M’Closkey, author of Swept Under the Rug: A Hidden History of Navajo Weaving
“Dorothy’s work is rooted in K’é, a love and respect for her family, the Navajo people, and Navajo language and culture. We can see and appreciate her family’s history through this lens. We can feel the power of K’é.”—Kathleen Manolescu, founder and former publisher of Leading the Way: The Wisdom of the Navajo People
“This book combines the knowledge and skills of Navajo family historian Dorothy Denetclaw with those of forensic scholar Matt Fitzsimons to tell a story about the 1919 killing of Charles Hubbell, a trader among the Navajo people, by two young Navajos, sons of Gunshooter, and the legal aftermath. The authors embed this story in the much larger saga of the mid-1800s U.S. conquest of northern Mexico and, soon after, of the Navajo Nation, in both of which the Hubbells took part and established their regional political and mercantile power. The story illustrates how the racism that plagues criminal justice in the United States today is baked into the system from its very origins, including settler conflicts with Indigenous peoples.”—Klara Kelley, co-author of A Diné History of Navajoland
“Great story. I enjoyed reading it, and I learned quite a bit.”—Raymond D. Austin, former associate justice of the Navajo Nation Supreme Court and author of Navajo Courts and Navajo Common Law: A Tradition of Tribal Self-Governance
“The Sons of Gunshooter is one of the best researched, best written histories I have ever read. And I read a lot of history.”—Cindy Yurth, former reporter for the Navajo Times
“The authors unpack a complex history drawn from newspaper articles, government and trading post archives, books, magazines, and Dorothy’s extensive oral history records. Copious footnotes confirm how the ‘devil’s in the details.’ The collaborators adopt a ‘take-no-prisoners’ approach, evidenced by their meticulous research that serves as a model to challenge the sustained whitewashing by settler academics and trade book authors who persist in romanticizing the ‘Old West.’”—Kathy M’Closkey, author of Swept Under the Rug: A Hidden History of Navajo Weaving
“Dorothy’s work is rooted in K’é, a love and respect for her family, the Navajo people, and Navajo language and culture. We can see and appreciate her family’s history through this lens. We can feel the power of K’é.”—Kathleen Manolescu, founder and former publisher of Leading the Way: The Wisdom of the Navajo People
242 Pages
6 x 9 x 0
Published: March 2026Paperback ISBN: 9780816556168
Published: March 2026Ebook ISBN: 9780816556175