A Culture of Courage
A Culture of Courage spans three decades in the life of a young Sioux boy as he grows to manhood during the turbulent times of 19th century Montana. From the simple years of the 1840’s through the complicated Indian wars of the 1870’s, his faith and courage remain undaunted. As the world around him seems to fall apart, he is forced to make life-changing decisions for which there are no good choices. The struggle culminates at the Battle of the Little Bighorn.
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About the Book
Part one, The Making of a Brave, portrays the early life of Moksois and the ten-day test of survival required for a young man to be recognized as a brave. Alone in the mountains, he faces danger from wild animals, weather, and unfriendly Indians. Because of his bravery, he earns the name Knows No Fear.
In part two, The Making of a Warrior, Knows No Fear must face the feared Crow warrior, Red Dog, after his grandfather was killed and his fiancé and mother taken captive. For the first time, his warrior skills are put to the test.
The Making of a Chief, part three of A Culture of Courage, depicts the differing thoughts, feelings, attitudes and actions of Native Americans as they face a rapidly changing world. While strangers settle their land, soldiers demand their surrender. The question they must ultimately answer is...which is more important, holding onto a way of
life or life itself?
Throughout the story, mountain man and trapper Benjamin Hawkins remains a loyal friend and ally of Knows No Fear and his people.
About the Author
Jackson T. Redmon (Jack) was born in 1935 in Marshall, North Carolina. He graduated from Mars Hill High School in 1953 during the Korean War and immediately joined the army. After three years of service he was released, married Jewel Greene of South Carolina, and entered Clemson College in the fall of 1956. Four years later he graduated with a degree in Agricultural Engineering. After working for three years in Oklahoma and Missouri, Jack and Jewel moved to Montana with their new son, Troy. Jack was hired as an instructor in the Agricultural Engineering Department at Montana State College (now MSU). Six years later his love for the Montana outdoors had grown too strong to remain in a classroom, and he took a job as manager of a ranch near Livingston, MT. By then two daughters, Amy and Jill, had joined the family.
Most of the next twenty years were spent farming and ranching in Montana, with four years in the early 1970’s farming on the Fort Peck (Sioux) Reservation in northeastern Montana. There, a second son, Keith, was born. A decision, made with two other farmers in 1974 to start a livestock equipment business in Billings, put farming on the back burner for a few years while Jack moved to Billings to manage the business. Two years later a third son, Cody, was born. The business was sold in 1982, and it was back to the ranch near Livingston. After retiring from ranching in 1987 and moving into town, Jewel started a bakery/catering business that she and Jack operated for the next twenty years. Now, finally retired, they still live in Livingston and enjoy spending as much time as possible with their eight grandchildren.
Living in Montana has given Jack a great appreciation for the history and culture of the Plains Indians. A Culture of Courage is his first historical novel.