title: Plunder of the Ancients: A True Story of Betrayal, Redemption, and an Undercover Quest to Recover Sacred Native American Artifacts
author: Lucinda Schroeder
description: <span><span>Whenever Native ceremonial spiritual objects like masks and statues are seen as trophy items by collectors, you can bet the black-market operatives are ready and willing to lie, cheat, and steal in order to make some tainted money. Lucinda Schroeder writes a driving nonfiction narrative of these goings-on in New Mexico, all the more absorbing because she isn't just an author spinning a well-researched tale; she's a special agent who worked undercover in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and even Germany to identify wrongdoers and return the sacred objects to the Dine and Puebloan peoples, where they belong. . . .You'll savor this deftly written page turner that educates as it entertains.</span></span> (<i>New Mexico Magazine</i>)<br /><br />
zlib_text: 
  
  
  ![cover.jpg](../Images/cover.jpg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  THE
  
  
  
  
  
  ANCIENT ONE
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _To my mother,_
  
  
  
  
  
  GLORIA BARRON
  
  
  
  
  
  _With special appreciation to_
  
  
  
  
  
  DENALI,
  
  
  
  
  
  _age three, for the name Kandeldandel_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The Halamis, the Native American people who figure prominently in this book,
  are completely fictional. All aspects of their life, including their beliefs
  and their mysterious disappearance several centuries ago, were created
  exclusively for this book. For authenticity, certain aspects of their culture
  are drawn from the author's research into the history of actual residents of
  the region, including the Tolowa, Takelma, Coos, Yurok, Wiyot, Hupa, Karok,
  Coquille, and Tututni peoples.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![img1.jpg](../Images/img1.jpg)
  
  
  
  
  
  ![img2.jpg](../Images/img2.jpg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  PART ONE:  
  
  
  Into the Crater
  
  
  
  
  
  ![img3.png](../Images/img3.png)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I: THE BROWN ENVELOPE
  
  
  
  
  
  First, God created Rain. Then Drizzle. Then Mist, then Fog. And then: More
  Rain.