Sacred Heart to Santa Fe: Remembering Tony Hillerman

A standing-room only-crowd gathered at the Shawnee Public Library about a month ago for a special occasion: the designation of the library as the Tony Hillerman Literary Site by Friends of Libraries in Oklahoma. Though most of the seats were occupied when I arrived, I was able to snag a chair on the front row (notoriously a tough one to fill for assemblies). Hillerman—a native of the Shawnee area known for his series of Navajo detective and mystery books set in New Mexico and Arizona—died in 2008, but his daughter Anne Hillerman continues the series today.

Anne accepted the honor for her father. When Anne started speaking she mentioned how her sister Jan couldn’t be in attendance because she had just been in Oklahoma for a funeral the week prior. I was not surprised to hear this, because the funeral in question was for my grandfather, and I saw her there. Tony Hillerman is my great-uncle, making his children my first cousins, one generation removed.

Oklahoma-born writer Tony Hillerman, left, pictured with brother Barney Hillerman, right. Photo courtesy Oklahoma Historical Society

Anne Hillerman, daughter of Tony Hillerman, speaks during a ceremony naming the Shawnee Public Library as the Tony Hillerman Literary Site. Photo by Ben Luschen

Uncle Tony—as my father and his siblings have always referred to him—was born in the community of Sacred Heart, about thirty miles south of Shawnee, and attended a school for Indigenous girls. As Anne said during the ceremony at the library, the students there eventually forgave Tony for not being Native, but they never forgave him for not being a girl. He was a World War II combat veteran and earned a Purple Heart for his service. Tony attended the University of Oklahoma after returning to The States and worked as a journalist in Oklahoma and Texas for several years before moving to Santa Fe, New Mexico.

It was in New Mexico where he made his name as an author. He introduced the character of Joe Leaphorn—a contemporary, thorough, and analytical Navajo detective for the tribal police—to the world in his 1970 novel The Blessing Way. The debut sparked a series of books chronicling the adventures of Leaphorn and Jim Chee, a colleague who is more dedicated to the traditional culture of the Diné people. The series spanned eighteen novels over three decades (Anne has contributed ten additional books and counting—which include enhanced crime-solving contributions from the character of Officer Bernadette Manuelito—in her father’s absence). Some likely remember the series of PBS movies in the early 2000s starring Oklahoma native Wes Studi as Leaphorn.

Photo courtesy the Oklahoma Historical Society

The dedication at the Shawnee library was nice, and I’m glad I attended with my parents. AMC debuted the series Dark Winds in 2022, starring Zahn McClarnon (Big in Reservation Dogs), Kiowa Gordon, and Jessica Matten as Leaphorn, Chee, and Manuelito, respectively, in a show based on Hillerman’s novels. My parents and I have watched together since the beginning. There are many differences between the television series and the novels which will likely catch longtime readers off guard, but it might be best to approach the show as a depiction of the characters in an alternative timeline. Despite the differences, when Game of Thrones creator George R. R. Martin and Hollywood legend Robert Redford team up to adapt your great uncle’s stories as AMC’s spiritual successor to Breaking Bad, you kind of got to pay attention.

The third season of Dark Winds is currently airing on AMC, with new episodes debuting every Sunday night.

I was eighteen when Uncle Tony died in 2008. As residents of separate states, we only interacted in-person a handful of times during his life, most of them very early in my youth. He nonetheless made a big impact on me. He would mail me children’s books with handwritten notes on the inside cover. When he came to visit Oklahoma he would tell the most engaging stories that captivated the whole room. Every new book he published had flashy, bold, sometimes eerie cover artwork, and though they seemed too adult for me to read as a kid and young teen, I was proud to see them displayed in every bookstore I visited.

By comparison I have spent much more time as an adult with two of Tony's six children, daughters Anne and Jan (my cousins). Several years ago I even stayed with Anne and her family in Santa Fe for a few days. It’s important for writers to keep community with each other, who else can understand our condition?

Ben and cousin Anne Hillerman

Having a well-known writer like Tony Hillerman in the family who—even just occasionally—acknowledged my existence without a doubt contributed to the feeling that being a writer was a realistic career path for me. I don’t have a book to my name (yet!), but I try to imbue every article I write with elements of literary storytelling. I think Uncle Tony as much as anyone understood that the best stories in life surround us every day.

Written By

Ben Luschen

Luschen joined the *Oklahoma Today*’ staff as Research Editor in 2021 and currently works as the magazine's Web Editor, managing the website and social media fronts. His past *Oklahoma Today* stories have ranged in content from the state's bee and quail industries to its vibrant art and music scenes. Not adverse to a road trip, Luschen is always on the lookout for the next big adventure. He is never out of opinions about the current state of Oklahoma City Thunder basketball.