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Reviewed by:
  • Comanche Marker Trees of Texas by Steve Houser, Linda Pelon, Jimmy W. Arterberry
  • Daniel R. Uden
Comanche Marker Trees of Texas. By Steve Houser, Linda Pelon, and Jimmy W. Arterberry. College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2016. ix + 186 pp. Figures, references, contributors, index. $35.00 flexbound.

Comanche Marker Trees of Texas is a collaborative work by Steve Houser (owner of Arborilogical Services, Inc.), Linda Pelon (Professor of Anthropology at McLennan Community College), and Jimmy W. Arterberry (Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the Comanche Nation) that traces the continuing journey of the authors and their collaborators to identify and certify Comanche marker trees in the southern Great Plains. This book is divided into three parts. Part 1 gives necessary background information on Comanche marker trees—what they are, what they are for, and who they are for—as well as a detailed description of the marker tree identification process developed by the authors. Part 2 deals with the biology of Comanche marker trees, describing the indicators and effects of the human practice of tree-bending and how it differs from the natural (non-human) bending of trees. In Part 3, profiles (including photographs) of certified Comanche marker trees are presented. The first marker tree certification took place in 1997, and a total of six trees had been certified at the time of this book’s publication in 2016, with more since.

Hundreds of trees have been submitted for consideration as Comanche marker trees, and the list continues to grow. The goal of the authors and fellow volunteers is to eventually confirm or rule out each tree candidate. Their process for doing so calls for a careful examination of the tree and its place, including past and present human activity. Multiple lines of evidence (e.g., biological, cultural, historical, geological, and spatial) are combined to determine the likelihood that a tree is in fact a Comanche marker tree. Ultimately, the decision to formally certify a marker tree lies with the Comanche. The authors emphasize the foundation of their collaborative tree evaluation process in respect for the trees, land, and people. Researching and affirming Comanche marker trees is not only a time-intensive endeavor but also a time-sensitive one. Given that the minimum qualifying age for a Comanche marker tree is 144 years, and given the harsh conditions that marker trees endure on the Southern Plains, fewer and fewer marker trees remain. However, the trees, like the Comanche, persevere and [End Page 218] maintain their significance in contemporary landscapes of the Southern Plains.

This book will be understandable and interesting to a wide audience. Sufficient biological, cultural, and historical information is provided to accommodate readers from different backgrounds and disciplines. As the authors note, students of Comanche land-use patterns may find the book particularly useful. Beyond being a description of Comanche marker trees or the authors’ process for identifying them, this book is a call for volunteers to join in the efforts of Comanche marker tree identification, as well as a call for submitting additional tree candidates for future consideration. More information on volunteering and tree submission can be found on the website of the Texas Historic Tree Coalition (http://www.txhtc.org/).

Daniel R. Uden
Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research
Unit, School of Natural Resources University of Nebraska–Lincoln
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