Description: This overview is the first to examine trading in the last quarter of the twentieth century, when changes in both Navajo and white cultures led to the investigation of trading practices by the Federal Trade Commission, resulting in the demise of most traditional trading posts.
Brief description: Willow Roberts Powers is an anthropologist. Originally from England, she moved slowly westward, settling down in New Mexico. She has written a biography of a trading family, as well as a history of trading. She received a Ph.D. from the University of New Mexico which focused on the history of an anthropological project in New Mexico.
Review Quotes: "Powers is admittedly sympathetic to the traders, seeing most of them as hardworking people who did in fact serve the Navajo. . . . Overall, this well-researched and personal account provokes reflection."