Three years ago, Gary Robinson published the first installment of Lands of Our Ancestors, a book of historical fiction aimed at relaying Santa Barbara’s Mission era from a Native American perspective for elementary school readers. In 2018, Robinson followed with a second book that explores the Mexican Rancho period, and he’s just released the third, which covers the gold rush and early years of California statehood — arguably the most brutal for the Chumash and other indigenous peoples.
A 16-year resident of Santa Ynez, Robinson — who is of Choctaw and Cherokee descent and has worked on storytelling with tribes across the country — recently answered a few of my questions about the series.
What led to this series? Back in 2015, I first learned of the impending canonization of Junipero Serra and heard outrage expressed by California native peoples. I began in-depth research into various periods of California history and listened to oral histories. During that research, I learned of the many atrocities perpetrated on California natives. This history wasn’t being taught in public schools, and the general public was not aware of most of it. So I felt compelled to do something.