Last Saturday night I had a talk and a book signing at Changing Hands in Phoenix. There was a familiar face in the crowd. He was a former teammate from Mohave County Union High School, named Allen Tapija.
The 1965 Kingman Bulldogs roster, including BBB and Allen Tapija, and yes, Charlie Waters (second row, far right), Philbert Watahomogie (first row, far left), Dan The Man Harshberger (second row, far left), Wendell Havatone (third row, far left), Wayne Rutschman and Rick Ridenour (row one, far right.
Allen had just perused "The 66 Kid" and was somewhat incredulous that I actually lived in Peach Springs, which is on the Hualapai Indian Reservation. He asked me if I had received a Hualapai name and I told him, no, not as far as I knew. "Well," Allen told me, "you have one now: Bah-Chook."
And what does that mean?
"The boy who made us laugh."
Now there's an Ind-din handle I can live with!
"History does not repeat itself, but it does rhyme."
—Mark Twain