My new novel, Into the Fog (available now on Amazon) is set in and around a fictional farming community of Peach Blossom, Oklahoma. It’s near the real city of Tahlequah, located about an hour from the state capital of Tulsa. While researching the book, I learned much about Oklahoma, street drugs, and art—and a little about the Cherokee Nation. Here are a few things that might interest you.
About Oklahoma
1
During the Civil War, most of what is now Oklahoma was a largely unorganized region known as Indian Territory (see the red swath in the map below). The area was occupied by Native Americans who were forcibly removed from their ancestral homes. Some of the tribes participated in the Civil War as part of the Confederacy, while others fought with the Union. In 1907, what is now Oklahoma became a state.
2
There are 39 Native American tribal nations in Oklahoma. The largest is the Cherokee Nation (removed from their ancestral homes in the states of North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama), with their headquarters in Tahlequah. The tribes native to Oklahoma are Caddo, Osage, and Wichita.
3
Oklahoma is simultaneously considered part of the Southwest and South. Some even consider it part of the Midwest, but not in the official U.S. census.
Oklahoma Agriculture
4
Sugar maple trees grow in parts of Oklahoma. Their sap is harvested for maple syrup in March and April, when nighttime temperatures are below freezing and daytime temperatures are above freezing.
5
While people enjoy peaches in the summer, they are harvested in Oklahoma between June and September. The riper they are, the sweeter they are.
Drugs
6
Oklahoma voters approved medical marijuana use in 2018. While doctors must prescribe it, there are no specific medical conditions for doing so. A license to grow marijuana is easier and cheaper to obtain in Oklahoma than in most other states where it is legal. Many growers have rushed into the state, leaving Oklahoma with the moniker, The Wild West of Weed.
7
Parents need to know about a dangerous street drug called flakka, a synthetic opioid that is highly addictive and renders people into a zombie-like state during which they lose their memory and free will. (NOTE: Many medical professionals say it is impossible to make someone do something that isn’t in their character.) A similar substance is known as Devil’s Breath (aka Scopolamine and hyoscine), formerly used for motion sickness or to reduce nausea after surgery. No one should use these drugs for recreation or for medical purposes without a doctor’s guidance.
8
Jimson weed is a plant that sometimes is used for dangerous purposes such as hallucinations, but it also is sometimes used traditionally to treat conditions like asthma, cough, flu (influenza), swine flu, and nerve diseases. There is no scientific evidence to support these uses. News stories abound where people have combined jimson weed with angel’s trumpet (see below) to create a zombie-like drug. No one should use jimson weed for recreation or for medical purposes without professional guidance.
9
Angel’s trumpet is a plant that is sometimes used for dangerous purposes such as hallucinations, but it also is sometimes used traditionally to treat aches and pains, arthritis, rheumatism, headaches, infections, and as an anti-inflammatory. There is no scientific evidence to support these uses. No one should use angel’s trumpet for recreation or for medicinal purposes without professional guidance.
aRMY rANGERS
10
Women soldiers trained with Army Rangers to work with women and children in Afghanistan to uncover weapons and terrorists. The Afghan culture makes it difficult for men to interview Afghan women.
