Attached for your edification is a pdf version of my short novel, Kaaknu The Volvon, self published several years ago with the idea to convince Steve Jobs and PIXAR to tackle the subject of redefining the public narrative concerning California Native American history, society and civilization.
Sadly, he died before I could get it to him.
2011
To: Steve Jobs and Pixar
Dear Sir,
The attached story/screenplay has a purpose:
Change the perception in the public mind of native Californians as lazy, slovenly, unattractive primitive people, not worthy of further investigation, into a more accurate and humanizing portrayal, which will bring their 10,000 year civilization into clearer perspective and pique interest into further respecting and honoring the values, achievements, and stability of their culture.
Kaaknu the Volvon actually existed during the forced transition to European lifeways. The Volvon territory still sits virtually untouched from the time of extirpation to the present, from the top of Mount Diablo to the Eastern Black Hills of Morgan Territory.
The Volvon tribe that controlled this area, which was the spiritual center of the universe for all the tribes
in Central California that could see it, has essentially vanished, but their spirit lives on in many magical places in their ancestral homeland.
This story could very well resonate with indigenous peoples worldwide, and the more accurate we can make the portrayal, the better for all concerned. Still, it is an historical fiction presented here, and artistic license should play a part In it’s development.
Much is not known about prehistoric California. This is an opportunity to change that.
Yours truly,
James Benney