Mouse's Tank: The Legend Retold

by Mike Donahue

The Southern Paiute had lived in the harsh Mojave Desert for eons before white men moved into the area. For most of Mouse's life he had been a thorn in the side of the whites who were taking his homeland at an alarming rate. Generally, the whites met little resistance from the Southern Paiute, and then along came a Native American man who believed that, at the very least, the white man should acknowledge and respect the ways of the Southern Paiute.That man was Mouse. For stealing something as insignificant as a steel-bladed sheath knife, Mouse became the target of whites in Southern Nevada.Mouse's Tank makes compelling reading for anyone interested in the Mojave Desert, the Southern Paiute and the encroachment of the whites into Southern Nevada.

129 pages, Hardcover

First published December 31, 2005

Reviews

[Jonathan Blake · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mouse's Tank is a fictionalized retelling of the story of Mouse, a renegade Southern Paiute who steals from the white Mormons of St. Thomas who have stolen the homeland of his people, the People, where they had lived for a thousand years. Mouse is immortalized in the name of Mouse's Tank, a natural catch basin in the of the Valley of Fire where he hid out.

I picked up this local publication because I had visited Mouse's Tank and heard the story about the Indian who defied white man's law and because I'm fascinated by the lifeways of the people of the Mojave. Being a native Las Vegan, I feel a deep connection to the desert spaces of my childhood and like to hear stories about its people.

The writing is rather florid; the author romanticizes the Paiute, falling into the Noble Savage meme; and the book could have used some more proofreading, but it was a quick, enjoyable read. I could tell the author shares my love of the subtle beauties of the Mojave. The desert landscape could easily be confused for the protagonist because of how much attention its sight, sounds, and scents receive.

Despite its flaws, I enjoyed it. Perhaps that's because I'm a native son.

[Camille Robison · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was written by my Grandma's neighbor. I liked it because I know the place and it has childhood signigficance to me.