Author Talk: Joe David Pool

Joe David Pool, author of A History of the Indians of West Central Louisiana, visits to talk about his book and to discuss indigenous artifacts to honor Native American Heritage Month.

About himself and his book, he says:

“From 1993 to 1997, I lived on the Navajo Reservation where I taught New Mexico History. In this process, I was inspired to complete the manuscript for this book based on research that I completed while living in Louisiana.

A number of years ago, I found my first arrowhead while living in Vernon Parish. My curiosity was aroused and I went to the DeRidder and Leesville libraries to determine what tribe had crafted this work in stone. To my disappointment I found only one book, at that time, concerning Louisiana Indian History. And so my adventure began.

This book is a product of an accumulation of information from archaeological reports, history books and interviews with over fifty amateur archaeologists who would not trust professionals. Included are tribes such as Caddo, Atakapa, Choctaw, Koasati, and Avoyel. You will learn who these Native-Americans of West-Central Louisiana were and what their lives were like. ”