Muledeer Chronicles Reviewed

I always have an interest in books about Native American lore revolving around the skinwalkers, the deadly witches of southwestern tribes.  Over the last several years, tales of the infamous “Skinwalker Ranch” in northern Utah have made the term more familiar to those interested in the paranormal, but the lore has a long history among the tribes of the four corners region.

The latest offering on the topic is “The Muledeer Chronicles A Skinwalker Book,” by Erick T. Rhetts.  Rhett’s bio says that he grew up on the east coast of the United States and now lives out of the country, so he doesn't appear to have any direct ties to the southwest.

The Muledeer Chronicles purports to be a true account based on the journals of a Paiute Indian prospector.  The claim that it’s a true story has caused a bit of controversy with some other reviewers.  I’m not going to pass judgement on that aspect one way or the other, except to state that there are a couple of curious contradictions in the account if it is indeed a true tale.  One notable example is the Paiute author of the journals giving measurements in centimeters instead of inches.

That being said, I enjoyed the story and its integration of some small bits of skinwalker lore.  The book reads rather like the text version of a “found footage” movie, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing as it makes for a quick pace.  Coming in at only 80 pages, I can recommend it if you have an interest in all things skinwalker related and can detach from worrying whether or not it’s a factual account.