Delfina Cuero: Her Autobiography - An Account of Her Last Years and Her Ethnobotanic Contributions (Ballena Press Anthropological Papers, No. 38) (Paperback)

~ (Author), Florence Connolly Shipek (Author), Sylvia Brakke Vane (Editor), Rosalie Pinto Robertson (Translator), Lowell John Bean (Preface)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

"My name is Delfina Cuero. I was born in xamaca [Jamacha] about sixty-five years ago [about 1900]. My father s name was Vincente Cuero, it means Charlie."

"With simple elegance the story of a Kumeyaay woman from the San Diego region engulfs the reader, until we feel as though we are sitting at the feet of some great-aunt or grandmother as she tries to pass onto us something of worth from her life. As though her existence among us was not enough. Elders benefit us all. If we stop to listen we may be enriched beyond our wildest dreams. In this powerful and moving book, Florence Shipek makes available the memories and thoughts of a woman who remembered old ways and described the changing scene in terms which speak volumes in simple sentences. Though the autobiography is short, the information contained within can literally change one s entire perspective as to who belongs on which side of which border. How so much could have gone on with so few Americans being interested or aware becomes an ever-growing question as the narrative comes to a close."

Paul Apodaca in News from Native California, Fall, 1989

This book contains not only the autobiography that Apodaca reviewed, but also Shipek s account of the rest of Delfina s life, and her ethnographic notes. Shipek has organized data gathered in two ethnobotanical field trips into the format of an ethnobotany. This book has become a classic, a favorite of teachers and their students, as well as of the general public.

Product Details

• Paperback: 98 pages
• Publisher: Ballena Pr (June 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879191228
• ISBN-13: 978-0879191221
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #765,453 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An important perspective of San Diego History, July 26, 2001

By	Gabriella (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews

I am currently learning about California Native American History, but there are so few books out there. The ones that do exist such as Indians of CA: The Changing Image by James Rawls & Strangers In A Stolen Land by Richard Carrico are informative, but rely on newspapers and Euro-American opinion as a primary source. Albeit important, these books do not reflect Native American perspectives at all. This biography is the only text I know of that attempts to fill this gap. I especially like this book because I grew up in San Diego and to learn about what this county looked like 100 years ago moves me. Knowing the places that Delfina Cuero mentions sometimes brings me to tears. It is an invaluable piece of history, and it is an inspirational account of human resilience.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, great history, October 7, 2009

By	E. Mickle - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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This book really opens your eyes to all of the struggles of the native people of southern California. It also shows how much knowledge they possessed. The westerners may not have thought they were a civilized culture because of the cultural differences, but this book proves them wrong.