I was born in Houston, Texas in 1952. My father (Morris Benjamin Konstantin, Jr.) was born in east Texas. We do not know of any Indian blood in his ancestry. Oddly enough, though, he grew up in Cherokee County. My mother (Lila Beatrice Adair Konstantin) was born in Oklahoma. My Cherokee ancestry is from my mother. My enrollment number with the Cherokee Nation is C0189288. My Grandfather (George Adair) was on the Dawes Rolls (#2391), as were my Great- grandparents Joseph Adair (2389) and Nancy Walkingstick (2390). My maternal grandfather died or disappeared when my mother was seven years old. She was the youngest child in her family (as was my father). While a few of my mother's older siblings went to "Indian" schools for a while, she did not. My mother was not raised in the "old ways;" but, she is extremely proud of her heritage. I inherited this pride and interest from her. My father's father divorced my grandmother when she was pregnant with my father. She never saw him again. Despite looking for him over the decades, my father never met his father.
I have 3 grown children, Ron, Heidi & Sarah (I started VERY early). There are pictures of them on the "photo" page, if you are interested.
There have been a wide variety of jobs since I started working at age 11.
Some of my jobs have been:
I have had a fairly good education, attending public schools in Houston and Pasadena, Texas. My undergraduate college work was at San Jacinto Jr. College (Pasadena), Rice University (Houston), and San Diego State University in California. Financial problems forced me to leave Rice in 1977. I finally got my B.A. at San Diego State in 1991 (I was a senior for 14 years - I don't recommend waiting that long to go back). Some of my educational honors were the "Dean's List" a couple of times, and "Who's Who among Students at American Universities and Colleges in 1977 (Rice) and 1991 (SDSU).
With a personal library of over 3,000 volumns, I am a voracious reader. In the 1970s, I served on the Library Board in Pasadena. We built a new library while I was on the board. Thus my name appears on the dedication plaque attached to the front of the building.
I have written, or contributed to, five books. My first books (2002) was This Day In North American Indian History. I wrote the entire book. I contributed articles and appendix material for two different encyclodpedias: Native America: From Prehistory To First Contact, andTreaties With American Indians. The fourth book I worked on was Native American History For Dummies. I wrote six of the twenty-four chapters of this book. I wrote most of the material in my fifth book - The Wacky World Of Laws. The title explains it all. I have posted links to four of these books below.
I have traveled through much of the western and southern United States, and a large part of Mexico.
Just for info, I get a bit irritated whenever I hear the phrase "Native American" to describe the ancestors of the indigenous people of this continent. When it comes to words to describe this part of my background, I prefer just about ANY other term: American Indian, Indian, Aboriginal American, First American, First People, First Nation, etc., etc.
I have talked with thousands of people about this. I have only encountered a few American Indians who prefer the NA term. Most older Indians only use the term when someone else brings it up first. It is fine with me if people want to called themselves NA. That is their choice and I respect their right to do this. More younger people are using this term, as they have heard it all of their lives.
By far, most American Indians prefer to be called by their given name (Phil, for example). Most would also prefer the use of their tribal name (Cherokee, for example) over any other phrase.
I realize American Indians are not from India, thus American Indian is an inaccurate term. In my mind though, anyone born in the Americas (North and South) is a native American. For example, if your name is Fujiyama or Schmidt, and you are born in Bolivia, by definition, you are a "native American" since you were born in the Americas. I am "politically correct" in many ways, but not this one.
Lecture over......
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Click on the cover to order a copy or to get more info. |
This Day in North American Indian History This Day in North American Indian History is a one-of-a-kind, vastly entertaining and informative book covering over 5000 years of North American Indian history, culture, and lore. Wide-ranging, it covers over 4,000 important events involving the native peoples of North America in a unique day-by-day format. The thousands of entries in This Day in North American Indian History weave a compelling and comprehensive mosaic of North American Indian history spanning more than five millennia-every entry an exciting opening into the fascinating but little- known history of American Indians. Over 100 photographs and illustrations - This book has 480 pages, weighs 2.2 pounds and is 8" by 9.5" in size. The Dates, Names and "Moons" section of these pages are based on the book. |
 This is the cover to my 4th book. Click here to got more info, or to order a copy or to get more info." |
Native American History For Dummies I wrote six of the twenty-four chapters in this book. I am credited with being the technical editor. Book Description: Native American History For Dummies introduces readers to the thousand-year-plus history of the first inhabitants of North America and explains their influence on the European settlement of the continent. Covering the history and customs of the scores of tribes that once populated the land, this friendly guide features vivid studies of the lives of such icons as Pocahontas, Sitting Bull, and Sacagawea; discusses warfare and famous battles, offering new perspectives from both battle lines; and includes new archaeological and forensic evidence, as well as oral histories that show events from the perspective of these indigenous peoples. The authors worked in concert with Native American authorities, institutions, and historical experts to provide a wide range of insight and information. |
 This is the cover to my 3rd book. Click here to got more info, or to order a copy or to get more info |
Treaties With American Indians I wrote an article and several appendix items for this book. Clips from a review on Amazon.com: *Starred Review* In the 93 years from 1778 until 1871, there were more than 400 treaties negotiated by Indian agents and government officials. Editor Fixico and more than 150 contributors have crafted a three volume comprehensive tool that will soon become essential for anyone interested in the topic. A resource section with lists of “Alternate Tribal Names and Spellings,” “Tribal Name Meanings,” (<---- I wrote this part) Treaties by Tribe,” and “Common Treaty Names” and a bibliography and comprehensive index are repeated in each volume. This impressive set has a place in any academic library that supports a Native American studies or American history curriculum. It is the most comprehensive source of information on Canadian-Indian treaties and U.S.-Indian treaties. Also available as an e-book. |
 "The Wacky World of Laws" It was just released in May 2009. 
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The Wacky World of Laws. Click on the cover to order a copy or to get more info. The Wacky World of Laws is a compilation of U.S. and International Laws that are out of the ordinary. With the U.S. churning out 500,000 new laws every year and 2 million regulations annually, this book is the ideal go-to book fro everyone who wants a good laugh at the expense of our legal system. Law so often can be boring! Now with The Wacky World of Laws, you can be the hit of any water cooler conversation, and amaze your friends with precious legal nuggets. I wrote most of this book. It is my fifth book. |
