Book Reviews by the Reluctant RetireeWhere Birds Land
An inspiring storyof determination and grit . . .
Where Birds Land
by Mary Ruth Barnes
Genre: Native American Women’s Fiction
An inspiring story ofdetermination and grit . . .
Ella McSwain is a Chickasaw womanraising her family amidst evolving turmoil within the budding state ofOklahoma. After Ella is left with an unusable plot of land, she finds herselffighting for her family’s rightful allotment. Faced with crooked businessmen,land grifters, and grueling court battles, can she summon the strength topersevere against all odds?
In this stand-alone companion to Little Bird, Mary Ruth Barnes crafts anengaging family saga that spans from Indian Territory to Oklahoma statehoodagainst the backdrop of the state’s changing landscape.
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Mary Ruth Barnesgraduated with a Bachelor’s Degree from North Carolina State with high honorsand a Master’s Degree from Montana State. After college, Barnes taught highschool and college English, Art and Computer Science for 14 years. Barnes hasreceived numerous awards for her art and writing on the state and nationallevel from 2011-2022. Barnes recently published her first novel “Little Bird”with the Chickasaw Press about her great-great-Grandmother’s journey in IndianTerritory. “Little Bird” won two 2022 Ippy awards, receiving gold for the coverdesign and silver for best Midwest regional fiction. Barnes is extremely activein her community through Rotary (a member since 1996), P.E.O. (PhilanthropicEducational Organization), and Kappa Kappa Gamma Alumni Association. She isalso a current member of the National Watercolor Society.
In 2022, Barnes was inducted into the Chickasaw Hall of Fame andCapitol Hill High School Hall of Fame for leadership in her community. She alsowon the 2022 “55 Over 55 Inspiring Oklahomans” award for making a difference inthe lives of others. In 2019, Barnes won the Women in the Arts Recognitionaward from the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution.And in 2015, Barnes was selected as the Chickasaw Dynamic Woman of the year.
Barnes has had many short stories and watercolors featured in severalissues of the journal of Chickasaw History and Culture, Ishtunowa. She was alsohonored as a Chickasaw Artist in the July 2015 issue of the Distinctly Oklahomamagazine. Her story of inspiration leading to painting and drawing was featuredin a book by Allison Fields, Chickasaw Artisans. In 2017, Barnes was selectedfor the registry of Native American Artists located at the Heard Museum inScottsdale, AZ. While traveling and vacationing in South Texas with her art,Barnes was interviewed and featured in the RV Wheel Life Magazine for the 2017issue. Barnes retired from a career as the Director of Planned Giving forAmerican Cancer Society in 2017, where she raised over 35 million dollars forcancer research. Her artwork “Fight of Hope” is currently featured in theCancer Journal of Native American Research and is on display in the surgerywaiting room of the Chickasaw Nation Medical Center. Her watercolors can alsobe found at several locations across the State of Oklahoma, including theArtesian and the Welcome Center located in Davis.
She has been a long-time equestrian, Barnes and her husband, Mike liveon a ranch in south central Oklahoma. They have two sons, Wiley and SelbyBarnes, and six grandchildren. Both sons work for the Chickasaw Nation. Mrs.Barnes enjoys traveling with her husband in retirement.
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Joli Campbell
