Queen of Dreams

One of the things that struck me after the first dozen pages is that this is a real story about real Yaqui people. Heather provides us with a unique snapshot of American Indian life, the magic, the drama, and the power to see the world as the Yaqui do. We spend one-third of our lives sleeping. If you want to know more about the world that we spend so much time in and it's connection to our waking world, read this book.The first reviewer entirely missed the point of the book, only scratching the surface of a deeper understanding, and in so missed a chance to learn about their dreams and about themselves.

"Do not talk gosip to other women. Do not speak badly of anyone. Do not tell anyone you have problems - problems are what others will bring to you; you are the queen. If you have trouble, act happy. Now you have to walk behind me. That is how it is done on Yaqui. Oh, and one more thing. When I get up in the morning? I want you to make the bed first thing. Then cook my breakfast - two eggs over easy. One tortilla. "This is how Anselmo Valencia, a headman of the Yaqui Pasqua reservation, proposed his Anglo wife-to-be. The book is basically a compilation of Heather Valencia's more or less disastrous relationships with men up to the Yaqui chief that she meets at a deer dance in the Pasqua village. Valencia reveals a pattern of being controlled throughout her life by assorted husbands, medicine men, football stars etc trying to force her into adopting THEIR lifestyle, interests, values and passions. The Yaqui chieftain, clearly a remarkable and influential guy, is no different, only more canny and confident in making her fit into his universe. But, in contrast to others, he also gives something in return.Perhaps to compensate for the constrictedness of daily life, Valencia shifts into the dreaming universe and art-making. The book chronicles her experiences in which dreaming seemlessly morphs into reality, with characters from one merging into the other. We learn about unknown women who 'teach' her about dreaming in this dreaming domain; many of these women would eventually turn out to be Yaquis from the Pasqua reservation. This part resembles earlier works of Castaneda and Lynne Andrews and as in Castaneda, the reader is tempted sometimes to suspend her/his disbelief.This book also shows Heather's resourcefulness, toughness and ability to manifest her many talents, including painting and community work. Depictions of Native Americans in this book seem real, certainly more real than cartoonish characters from Andrews' books. There are a number of interesting details about Yaqui deer dancing, customs, etc. and astute and valuable descriptions of Indian perception, healing traditions, singing. Those were the parts that interested me the most: the impressions of an adopted outsider of Yaqui customs and behavior.