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Reviews of The Chief and I As reviewed in Style Weekly“Through journal entries that span the beginning of 2002 through the end of 2006, Tootelian chronicles her transformative experience caring for the aging chief of the Mattaponi tribe, Webster Little Eagle Custalow. Born the day the Titanic sank, Custalow, a deeply spiritual leader, was as comfortable on a horse as he was on a motorcycle. Tootelian’s entries—raw, graceful and often poetic—don’t end with Custalow’s death, but continue with her fight to preserve the Mattaponi River, which she came to love as much as she loved the chief himself.” — Valley Haggard Radio Interview by Liz Humes' Wordy Birds at WRIR FM 97.3 To listen, go to http://wordybirds.org/archives/ and click on Karen Tootelian. The Chief and I by Karen Tootelian Reviewed by Lenea England, Courthouse Market, King and Queen, Virginia August 20, 2002, Karen Tootelian joined paths with the 89-year old Chief Webster Little Eagle Custalow, chief of the Mattaponi Tribe and lifelong protector of the Mattaponi River . Karen was friends with Chief Little Eagle's son, Carl Lone Eagle Custalow, the primary caregiver for his father. Carl had been having some difficulty finding people to help care for his father. As he grew weaker, Chief Custalow had become fearful of hospitals and doctors, uneasy when nurses came to see him fearing they would send him back to the hospital. Read more... The Chief and I by Karen Tootelian Reviewed by L. Diana McMillion, Pleasant Living, November–December 2007 Karen Tootelian’s intimate journal The Chief and I begs closer attention to the beauty found in nature and humanity. Beginning in early 2002, she becomes a companion of the eighty-nine year old Chief of the Mattaponi Indian tribe, Webster Little Eagle Custalow. The chief’s gentle ways and wisdom are recorded as a shining light to those who knew him, and Karen details their friendship, her love for the land, and the fight to preserve the Mattaponi River. Read more... Mattaponi River is the tie that binds them KING WILLIAM - After reading "The Chief and I" by Karen Tootelian Westermann I wanted to take a long swim in the Mattaponi River and find the same peace it has given the author and her dear, late friend. For centuries the river has nourished the lives of the Mattaponi Indians. Today, it also nourishes Westermann's soul. In the summer of 2002, life presented the writer and environmentalist a rare gift: she began caring for the 89-year-old Chief of the Mattaponi Tribe, Webster Little Eagle Custalow. What began as her personal journals evolved into a book about their deep friendship, compassion for one another, and their love and spiritual bond with the river. Read more... |
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