Media
Interview Questions
1. You have Modoc blood. Didn’t that create a bias in writing MODOC: The Tribe That Wouldn’t Die?
2. War is such a “man topic,” and other books on the Modoc War are all written by men. Where do you think that places you as a woman, and how do you think your gender has created a different book?
3. Your book pays an unusual amount of attention to women, which is unlike most books written on Indian wars. In fact, it’s not only Modoc women that you write about but settler women, too. You use words like “ingenious” and “quick-thinkers.” I think you also discovered that you are a descendant of the legendary Modoc “Woman Warrior.”
4. You say that the biggest mistake past authors writing on the Modoc War have made is that they plowed into writing about the war without understanding the Modoc culture. What exactly do you mean?
5. You have spent over a decade researching and writing this book —and redefined the meaning of “persistence” along the way. What does that mean?
6. It’s been said that after the Modoc War, Modocs who were sent as prisoners of war to Oklahoma Indian Territory found an enemy more lethal than guns. What was that?
7. I know you have a mission with this book and it’s pretty amazing. It has something to do with the Modoc tribe being split after the war, with one group in Oregon and the other in Oklahoma. You say that the descendants, even though closely related, don’t even know each other today—strangers. You want to do something about that.
8. Is your name “Cheewa” Modoc and how did you get it? How about the “James” part?
9. There are multitudes of Indian wars or battles in American history. What makes this war unique and worth reading about?
10. You are said to be a master storyteller and your book, as well as your work as a motivational speaker, reflects that. But you say you are also a “story-catcher” and that families everywhere should be doing that. What do you mean?
11. You are of mixed blood—Modoc, Irish, and German—like many Americans. You work with children a lot and have advice for parents on ways to teach your child to survive and enjoy living in a diverse society.
12. There were 20 U. S. soldiers pitted against every single Modoc warrior, yet the Modocs stood off the military for six months and dealt fatalities and hardships. What leadership strategies did the Modoc implement that could be used in organizations and corporations today to accomplish a mission?
13. What’s next for Cheewa James?
