Local Author Visits Kiwanis

A real basket made nearly a century ago by Rosie Hicks, a young Nuwa (Kawaiisu) woman, was the inspiration for a book called The Butterfly Basket. It was written by Sand Canyon resident Cynthia Waldman. She spoke recently to the Kiwanis Club and told how she combined her lifelong love of nature and a keen interest in Native American culture to write this interesting book. The story takes place in the early 1930s in the Tehachapi area and tells of a friendship between two eleven year old children, a Kawaiisu girl and a girl from Chicago.

Also present at the meeting was Susan Hill, the illustrator. She talked about making drawings that reflected the area where the story took place. She and the author have been friends for several years and discovered how they could combine their talents to mutual advantage. The book has been praised for its accuracy in depicting the life and culture of the Kawaiisu people.

Kiwanis meets each Wednesday at noon at Pacino's Italian Restaurant, 1100 W. Tehachapi Blvd., Tehachapi, Calif. A brief business meeting is followed by an interesting speaker. Guests and prospective members are always welcome.