Mouse’s Tank: The Legend Retold by Mike Donahue
Mouse’s Tank is a fictionalized retelling of the story of Mouse, a renegade Southern Paiute who steals from the white Mormons of St. Thomas who have stolen the homeland of his people, the People, where they had lived for a thousand years. Mouse is immortalized in the name of Mouse’s Tank, a natural catch basin in the of the Valley of Fire where he hid out.
I picked up this local publication because I had visited Mouse’s Tank and heard the story about the Indian who defied white man’s law and because I’m fascinated by the lifeways of the people of the Mojave. Being a native Las Vegan, I feel a deep connection to the desert spaces of my childhood and like to hear stories about its people.
The writing is rather florid; the author romanticizes the Paiute, falling into the Noble Savage meme; and the book could have used some more proofreading, but it was a quick, enjoyable read. I could tell the author shares my love of the subtle beauties of the Mojave. The desert landscape could easily be confused for the protagonist because of how much attention its sight, sounds, and scents receive.
Despite its flaws, I enjoyed it. Perhaps that’s because I’m a native son.