Tales of a lost culture
Local author writes historical book
about North Coast Native Americans
BY CHLOE SKAAR
The book
‘Broken Arrow: History,
Myths & Legends’ by
Brian Ratty
Sunset Lake Publishing
Paperback, $15
Available at museums,
bookstores, libraries, gift
shops and online.
Lighthouses, coves,
beaches and trails have long
been a main attraction to the
Oregon C oast. They are a tes-
tament, often named after the
Native American tribes who
fi rst shaped the culture of Ore-
gon’s coast.
They are also a main
attraction to the Astoria area
for historical fi ction author
Brian Ratty and his latest
book , “Broken Arrow.”
“I’m not an expert or his-
torian … at my very best,
I’ve just got a great curios-
ity about our local history,”
Ratty said. “We all know the
Indians really got screwed by
the government … I wanted
to mention that, for the most
part, the Indians were very
welcoming to the (white
men) who came here.”
Ratty spent 34 years run-
ning the production company
Media West out of Portland.
He has written and published
10 books, mostly historical
fi ction, in the 15 years since
he retired, drawing on the rich
history of the Astoria area and
Oregon coast for inspiration.
After Ratty’s recent book,
“Tillamook Rock Light-
house: History and Tales of
Terrible Tilly,” he noticed
tourists were interested in
Oregon’s N orth C oast his-
tory, especially through an
informative book at the right
length and price point from
a local author. By exten-
sion, the book helped inspire
“Broken Arrow,” which was
released in July .
See Page 7
Brian Ratty is the author of ‘Broken Arrow,’ a book about the history of North Coast Native
Americans.
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