Southwestern States Research Articles

“It’s How You’re Delivering These Messages”: An Examination of Black Women Early Childhood Educators’ Liberatory Practices Through Poetic Inquiry

ABSTRACT Over the course of 18 months, I found myself on a journey that began with two research questions based on my wonderings and observations about the lives of the women I witnessed engaging with young Black children in ways that the academic literature had not expounded upon. In this article, I use poetic inquiry to elucidate the liberatory practices of five Black women early childhood educators in a southwestern state. Rooted in Black feminist thought and ars spirituality, I analyzed my co-researchers’ narrative portraits to craft found poems that explored the connection between their embodiment of reciprocal authenticity and liberatory practices that further developed young Black children’s critical consciousness. As a means of (re)claiming my responsibility as a scholar and teacher educator, I provide the reader with poetic offerings that speak to the intergenerational freedom dreams of these Black women educators.

Canine cutaneous tumours from three southwestern states of Nigeria: a retrospective study.

Over the years, studies have shown that the skin is the most commonly affected organ for both neoplastic and non-neoplastic conditions (Broden et al., 2010). This occurrence has been attributed to continuous exposure of the skin to physical, chemical, and environmental factors (Guzman et al., 2003; Pakhrin et al., 2007). Cutaneous tumours are the second most frequently diagnosed cancer in dogs resulting in approximately 30% of all tumours reported and are usually excised due to easy surgical access than tumours in other organs (Moraes et al., 2009). Several authors have reported the occurrence of tumours by utilizing data obtained from registries, animal hospital reports, and diagnostic laboratory reports. Most of these reports vary greatly in terms of data sources, sample numbers, the size of geographical regions assessed (Graf et al., 2018; Kok et al., 2019), prevalent environmental influences, and breed populations (Kaldrymidou et al., 2002; Sanja et al., 2005; Pakhrin et al., 2007). Previous studies have shown that dogs are susceptible to tumours at any age and there is a marked predisposition in aged dogs than young dogs because of a progressive accumulation of genetic mutations (Reif, 2007). Environmental chemical contaminants (especially pyrethroids) also have been implicated in the occurrence of mammary adenocarcinomas (Reif, 2007). Ultraviolet light rays have also been studied as a possible aetiology of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in animals with poor skin pigmentation (Reif, 2007). In Nigeria, different case reports on canine tumours have been documented (Amber and Ralph, 1982; Faramade et al., 2017), but the risk factors and distribution of the disease in these species are very limited and restricted to the databases of Veterinary Teaching Hospitals of universities and private veterinary clinics in the major cities. The documentation of occurrences of different tumour types in a particular geographical region is necessary because it provides easy access to data for further investigation and helps in prompt diagnosis and management by clinicians (Moraes et al., 2009).

Knowledge of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases among Healthcare Workers: Nigerian COPD Research Project (NICORP)

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a preventable and treatable chronic inflammatory lung disease that often causes obstruction to airflow in the lungs. The main risk factor in Nigeria is long term exposure to indoor pollution from cooking with firewood and fossil fuel in poorly ventilated spaces. Aims/ objectives: The aim was to evaluate the level of COPD knowledge among healthcare workers (HCWs) in the southwestern state of Nigeria.Materials/ methods: Self-administered online BCKQ which is made up of 65 stem questions was used to evaluate the level of knowledge of HCWs. The overall score of individual participants was represented in percentages and frequencies. Tests of statistical significance like the Chi-square test are applied to find out the statistical significance of the difference in percentages. Univariate analysis was done using respondent knowledge about COPD as the dependent variable and the socio-demographic were identified as independent variables. A p-value of <0.05 was taken as statistically significant in the calculations of variables. Results: Four hundred and five healthcare workers were involved in this study, 53.3% of whom were females. The mean age of the study cohort was 48.7±0.55 years, significant majority (75.6%) of whom were <40 years. (p< 0.001). Majority of cohorts (39.3%) were doctors, while 32.0% were nurses. Only 11.7% had PhD or Fellowship as their highest educational qualification. The overall mean total score of cohorts on the Bristol COPD questionnaire was 51.9±21.9 %, with 40.4% having good scores and only 11.3% had excellent score. Mean knowledge scores were high among doctors (69.9±02.4), HCWs with medical fellowships /PhD (69.9±02.4) and had worked for <10 years. A positive correlation was demonstrated between age, level of education and knowledge score (p<0.05). Conclusion: This study examined knowledge of COPD among healthcare workers in the southwestern part of Nigeria and confirmed that the knowledge of COPD among healthcare workers was essentially good but there were serious gaps in knowledge observed in areas of vaccination, inhalational therapy, and use of inhaled and oral steroid.

Assessment of Cost and Time of Errors in Construction Documents on Selected Building Projects in Nigeria

The construction industry has generally been tagged with poor project performance. Cost and time overruns are the leading causes of poor performance. Design and construction errors are equally leading causes of cost and time overruns. The objectives of this study are to investigate the prevalent types of errors in construction documents, the cost implication of the errors, the time implication of the errors, and strategies adopted to mitigate the errors. The study involves an interview of construction professionals on 51 selected building projects across the southwestern States of Nigeria through the non-probabilistic convenience sampling technique. The findings of the study indicated that the Nigerian construction industry is largely dominated by the use of traditional procurement method and many construction projects lack complete construction documents. Also, errors in construction documents added about 9% to the contract sum and 31% to cost overrun. It also added about 21% to the agreed duration and 40% to the total time overrun. The study concluded that errors in construction documents affect project duration more than the project cost and can triple the agreed duration of building projects in some cases. The study recommended that based on the projects investigated, an additional 10% should be added to the agreed cost and 20% to the scheduled duration of building projects.

Antimicrobial, Physicochemical, Proximate and Heavy Metal Profiles of Selected Honey Samples from two Southwestern States in Nigeria

Honey is made up of a variety of sugars, minerals, vitamins, enzymes, proteins, phenolic mixtures, and organic components, which define if the honey is genuine or contaminated. As a result, this work was undertaken to examine the nutritional and heavy metal properties of honeys sold in two Nigerian states in the South west. Samples of honey were taken from twenty hives in two southwestern states and tested for antimicrobial, physicochemical, proximate, and heavy metal characteristics using standard recommended procedures, while heavy metals were detected with an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. Zones of inhibition at 100 % w/v for the test organisms are 10 – 28 mm for E. coli, 13 – 26 mm for Salmonella, 17 – 27 mm for Staphylococcus aureus, and 11 – 25 mm for Klebsiella with S. aureus being more sensitive to the honey samples. The range of pH for physicochemical is 2.51 – 3.87, Total Titratable Acidity 0.07 – 0.53 percent, Acidity 1.20 – 6.77 %, and the ranges for proximate analyses are 1.09 – 1.59 % protein, 7.10 – 11.37 % moisture, 0.33 – 0.63 % Ash, 0.20 – 0.30 % fat, 83.71 – 91.11 % carbohydrate, and 342.95 – 371.20 kcal/g energy. There was significant correlation recorded between protein, moisture, ash, fat, carbohydrate and energy contents of the honey samples. All the honey samples were negative for lead, chromium, and cadmium. Copper was the only metal found, having concentrations range of 5.0 to 25.0 mg/kg. Because the majority of the samples fulfilled the Codex Alimentarius Standard for honey, they can be taken or used therapeutically.

Universal use of face mask for the prevention of the spread of COVID-19 in community settings in a South-western State of Nigeria: willingness and barriers

Background and objectivesOne of the major drivers of the novel coronavirus (SARS‐CoV‐2) pandemic is community transmission. Nigeria, like other countries globally, took to strict preventive public health measures including good respiratory and hand hygiene, physical distancing, and the use of face mask to control the spread of COVID-19 disease. Furthermore, the government of Lagos State in Nigeria made a pronouncement on the universal use of face mask in the community. While the use of face masks has proven to be an effective barrier to the transmission of respiratory diseases, its use in the community is uncommon. This study assessed the willingness and compliance with wearing face masks for the reduction of the community spread of COVID-19 and identified possible barriers to use of mask among residents in Lagos State.MethodsThis was a descriptive cross-sectional study, that surveyed 552 respondents who were adult residents of Lagos State. Data collection was quantitative, using a pretested, interviewer-administered questionnaire, and findings were presented in frequencies and percentages. Pearson’s chi-square and logistic regression analyses were used to test the association between variables. The level of significance was set at 5%.ResultsA majority (75.7%) of the respondents were willing to wear a face mask in public areas but only 21.9% of the respondents were willing to wear a mask at all times. The most identified barriers to wearing mask were discomfort (72.5%) and inconvenience (77.7%). Two-thirds of the respondents reported they were compliant with always wearing a face mask when leaving home. Only 15.0% of the respondents wore the mask continuously and appropriately, covering the nose and mouth. Having a post-secondary education and being older (40 years and above) were found to be positive predictors of both willingness to wear a mask and compliance with universal mask policy (wearing masks continuously and appropriately).ConclusionOur findings suggest that willingness to wear a face mask influences compliance, and that having a post-secondary education and being older (> 40 years) were positive predictors of both willingness to wear a mask and compliance with universal mask policy (wearing it continuously and correctly). The major barriers to wearing masks were discomfort and inconvenience. Effective risk communication strategies to reach diverse groups for better compliance with public health measures are urgently needed even for the future.

Transformative leadership conversation: a conceptualization and empirical test of its function

PurposeThe study begins by defining and conceptualizing Transformative Leadership Conversation (TLC). The conceptualization addresses the meaning of transformation, sensemaking and learning dialogue, and the conversation structures of framing, questioning and listening, and affirming. Next, the authors build a theoretical argument from self-determination theory on the function of TLC. The study concludes with an empirical test of the structure and function of TLC.Design/methodology/approachThere were two parts to the empirical study. First, the authors designed and tested a scale to measure TLC by its structural features (e.g. questioning, listening and affirming language). Second, the authors used a correlational design with ex-post facto data to test the primary assumption that TLC activates autonomous motivation and action. Data came from a random sample of 2,500 teachers in a southwestern state. Useable responses were obtained from 1,615 teachers, for a response rate of 65%.FindingsThe empirical tests reveal that the 12-item and 6-item measure of the School Leader Transformative Conversation Scale present valid and reliable evidence on the frequent use of TLC. Consistent with the hypothesized model, TLC had a direct, positive relationship with teacher vitality. It also had a negative relationship with autonomy frustration and a positive indirect effect on teacher vitality by reducing the negative effect of autonomy frustration.Originality/valueTLC advances a new conceptual lens to study school leadership as a discursive process. The concept opens lines of inquiry that have not yet been examined in school settings.

Two Decades of Civil Society Activism and Advocacy: Navigating the Labyrinth of the Development and Security Agenda in Southwestern Nigeria

In the last two decades of democratic governance in Nigeria, the civil society organizations (CSOs), which form a large group of vocational, social, political, cultural, educational, and religious volunteer activists, are reputed for building local capacity and advocating with and for the poor, with a relatively visible impact on policy and practice. This paper builds on existing literature concerning how the empirical realm of civil society, to which advocacy is most directly related, has been utilized within the three different components of a comprehensive advocacy strategy– transformational (citizen empowerment), developmental (civil society strengthening) and instrumental (policy influence). Drawing from the perspectives of multi-sectoral, territorial, and local approaches, the paper also examines how development partners, practitioners and researchers can actively enhance civil society's resilience and sustainability to influence pro-poor policies and promote the developmental agenda in southwestern Nigeria. It specifically focuses on the mechanism for connecting the objectives and resources developed by Nigeria's six southwestern states through their Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) commission at the regional level as they relate to the problems and priorities that apply at the rural community level where the majority of the citizens reside.

Culture training for strategic marketing : Case study of a Juneteenth block party

Juneteenth, the annual cultural celebration also known in the African American community as Emancipation Day, was made a national holiday in 2021. Today, the holiday that commemorates 19th June, 1865, the date when news of emancipation and the end of slavery finally reached enslaved peoples in the farthest reaches of America’s south-western states, is challenging companies and organisations to figure out how best to honour this shiny new and momentous holiday. And while many organisations struggle to get smart about this ‘new’ holiday, organisations that seek to understand the cultural ethos of the celebration — and their part in it — have demonstrated success. To better understand a successful campaign, this case study will examine how an event and training model with a block party theme succeeded in ‘getting Juneteenth right’ to create an informative, engaging and inspiring workplace initiative. The brand and shopper marketing agency extended the implementation of its agency-wide diversity, equity and inclusion reorientation strategy to include its Juneteenth celebration. Taking this cultureforward approach, the agency sought to educate, inform and enlist its own employees in a uniquely authentic way to build cross-cultural knowledge to strategy, creative, media and retail marketing for its list of Fortune 500 clients, including EJ Gallo, Procter & Gamble and White Castle.

An Assessment of the Impact of Disruptive Technologies on the Efficacy of Accounting Practices in Selected South Western States, Nigeria

Advancement in technology has brought intense but healthy competition among professional bodies in Nigeria, especially in the field of accounting. This has systematically transformed the accounting process from a traditional analog to a digital system. It is on this note that this study examined how disruptive technology affects the efficacy of accounting practice in Nigeria. This study employed a survey research method with the use of a structured questionnaire distributed among professional bodies in Ekiti, Osun, and Ondo States, South Western Nigeria. Regression analysis of Ordinary Least Squares coupled with correlation analysis were employed. The results revealed that artificial intelligence, blockchain, big data, and the internet of things had a significant positive effect on the controlled variable in Nigeria. The results also revealed that cloud computing had insignificant negative effect on the dependent variable. With the F Statistics (7.113) = 109.747, P = 0.000 < 0.05), the results showed a significantly strong relationship between the controlling and controlled variables. It is, thus, recommended the pivotal need for accounting practitioners to enhance their knowledge of disruptive technologies through training and retraining, and continuous attendance of related workshops organized by the respective professional bodies in Nigeria.

Virtual International Group Study Program: Towards Understanding Sustainable Development Goals and Community Development in Nepal

To fill the gaps in international education left by the COVID-19 pandemic, many study abroad educators have become creative with their international programming by going online. This theoretical paper describes the conceptualization and delivery of a virtual collaborative program that was developed through a partnership between the Faculty of Social Work professors at the University of Calgary in Canada and Southwestern State College in Nepal. In this article, we share the model of the program and our motivations for developing the program; a formal evaluation of the model has not yet been conducted. Our pedagogical approach was grounded in anti-oppressive practices, which prioritizes the importance of engaging in empowering practices that share power based on mutual respect and learning. In our attempt to address and mitigate divides of students in the Global South and North, we sought to maximize engagement between students, educators from both institutions and social work practitioners (formal and informal) from Nepal to help promote intercultural learning. We also chose the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals as a site of inquiry with the aim of bridging divides and uncovering commonalities across the two countries – Canada and Nepal. With a mission to deliver an interdisciplinary approach to social work, in this paper, we outline the ways that virtual programming can be made collaborative, immersive, and experiential for all participants regardless of their global location. Lastly, the future of this program will be discussed as travel-based education reopens around the world. In presenting our model, we hope to inform the development of future anti-oppressive international education in social work.

Reporting COVID-19 Cases through the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response Network in the Southwestern State of Nigeria: A Health Facility Survey

Reporting COVID-19 Cases through the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response Network in the Southwestern State of Nigeria: A Health Facility Survey

Pollution and risk assessment of phenolic compounds in drinking water sources from South-Western Nigeria.

This study reports the occurrence and risk assessment of 2,4-dinitrophenol (2,4-DNP), phenol (PHE), and 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (2,4,6-TCP) in drinking water sources in three south-western States in Nigeria (Osun, Oyo, and Lagos). Groundwater (GW) and surface water (SW) were collected during dry and rainy seasons of a year. The detection frequency of the phenolic compounds followed the trend Phenol > 2,4-DNP > 2,4,6-TCP. The mean concentrations of 2,4-DNP, Phenol, and 2,4,6-TCP in GW/SW samples from Osun State were 639/553 μg L-1, 261/262 μg L-1, and 169/131 μg L-1 during the rainy season and 154/7 μg L-1, 78/37 μg L-1, and 123/15 μg L-1 during the dry season, respectively. In Oyo State, the mean concentrations were 165/391 μg L-1 for 2,4-DNP and 71/231 μg L-1 for Phenol in GW/SW samples, respectively, during the rainy season. Generally, in the dry season, these values decreased. In any case, these concentrations are higher than those previously reported in water from other countries. The concentration of 2,4-DNP in water posed serious ecological risks to Daphnia on the acute scale while it was algae on the chronic scale. Estimated daily intake and hazard quotient calculations suggest that 2,4-DNP and 2,4,6-TCP in water pose serious toxicity concerns to humans. Additionally, the concentration of 2,4,6-TCP in water from Osun State in both seasonsof the year and in both groundwater and surface water poses significant carcinogenic risks to persons ingesting water from these sources in the State. Every exposure group studiedwere at risk from ingesting these phenolic compounds in water. However, this riskdecreased with increasing age of the exposure group. Results from the principal component analysis indicate that 2,4-DNP in water samples is from an anthropogenic source different from that for Phenol and 2,4,6-TCP. There is a strongneed to treat water from GW and SW systems in these Statesbefore ingesting while assessing their qualityregularly.

Public Health Activities: Evaluation of Community Pharmacists’ Attitude, Practice and Barriers in a Nigerian Southwestern State

The Nigerian health system continues to face double burden of communicable and noncommunicable diseases. To meet the country’s health needs, the number of healthcare professionals participating in public health activities must be increased. The purpose of this study was to assess the attitudes, practices and barriers to rendering public health services among community pharmacists in a southwestern Nigerian state. We used a pretested self-administered questionnaire to collect data on 120 community pharmacists’ sociodemographic characteristics, practices, attitudes and barriers to providing public health services. Participating pharmacists must have at least one year of experience working in a community pharmacy. Data were summarised descriptively using IBM SPSS (version 23.0). Females’ respondents were (n = 69, 57.5%) and (n = 82, 68.3%) pharmacists had 1 year– 5 years’ experience. Most (n = 116, 96.7%) of the respondents agreed that pharmacists should be involved in public health activities, and (n = 106, 88.3%) respondents disagreed that public health activities should be carried out only by doctors and nurses. Overall (n = 89, 74.0%) of the respondents had positive attitude to public health activities (score ≥ 80%) and majority of the community pharmacists had been practicing public health activities. Insufficient time (n = 65, 54.2%) and lack of financial capital to implement changes (n = 84, 70.0%) were identified as prominent barriers that hindered community pharmacists from rendering public health services. Community pharmacists had positive attitude towards the practice of public health activities. However, further studies should emphasise on how to overcome barriers preventing their involvement in public health activities. Providing incentives for public health services rendered could increase community pharmacists’ involvement in public health activities.

Effect of Treasury Single Account Adoption on Financial Control in Selected South Western States of Nigeria

Effect of Treasury Single Account Adoption on Financial Control in Selected South Western States of Nigeria

Self-medication with over-the-counter drugs among consumers: a cross-sectional survey in a Southwestern State in Nigeria

ObjectivesThis study set out to assess the knowledge, perception and practices of consumers regarding self-medication with over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, the prevalence of risky practices and their associated factors in pharmacy...

Overview of Pesticide Usage, Misuse and Its Impact on Environmental Degradation in South-western States and Some Part of Northern States in Nigeria

This study assessed and oversees the pesticides usage, misuse and its effects on environmental degradation in Southwest and some Northern part of Nigeria. It also gathered information on why farmers misused the pesticides. Data for this study were collected from secondary sources like books, electronic sources, experimental and field reports. It was discovered from the literature searched that males were majorly pesticide users than the females. Higher education levels of farmers reduced the misuse of pesticides. Majority of farmers were reusing pesticide containers for keeping valuable thing in homes and that pesticides which are highly toxic are being used by farmers. It was also noted that, farmers are misusing agrochemicals due to inappropriate use of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), mixing of two chemicals which are meant to perform different role, lack of checking expiry dates on the pesticides containers and inability of many farmers to read and understand the instructions on pesticide containers. Many farmers experience discomforts such as vomiting, itching eyes, burning sensation, dizziness, nausea etc. Impact of pesticides on the environment were revealed to have detrimental effect on hatching of egg of some aquatic organisms, hinders reproductive and endocrine systems and contamination of food, water, death of livestock, fish death and loss of biodiversity as a result of environmental hazards caused by pesticide usage. It is therefore concluded that farmers should be encouraged to use their complete PPE during pesticides application to avoid having discomfort, and the use of pesticides should not be anchored by old age farmers. Moreso, banned pesticides should be monitored not to be sold in the market, adult education should be organized for the pesticide users and encourage proper disposal of pesticide cans into appropriate incinerator after used.

Post Covid-19 Pandemic: Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Digital Learning Platforms For Students' Engagement In Mathematics Lessons

School closures in Nigeria during the Covid-19 pandemic left millions of students and lecturers dependent on online teaching and learning. Online teaching and learning are an unprecedented experience for most lecturers and students; consequently, there was then a limited experience with it. This study examined and evaluated the integration of Digital Learning Platforms into the teaching and learning of mathematics during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, it assesses the perception of both students and lecturers about the use of Digital Learning Platforms and their general rating of the effectiveness of the available digital platforms for mathematics teaching and learning processes. Simple random sampling procedure was used to select twenty (20) lecturers and hundred (100) undergraduate students from a federal government owned university in the Southwestern State of Nigeria. 
 The percentage was used to analyze the respondents’ demographic information while the Chi-Square was adopted to analyze the data. Results of the analysis of the formulated hypothesis indicated that two or more digital platforms were used by the lecturers to teach mathematics in post covid-19 pandemic and both Zoom and Google Meet are considered effective for mathematics teaching in post covid-19 pandemic. Also, lecturer’s digital skills are dependent of the integration of digital learning platforms in mathematics teaching and student’s academic engagement exposure is independent of digital learning in pre-and-post-covid era
 Based on the findings of the study, it was suggested that digital technologies may be included in mathematics curricula at various stages of education and education stakeholders should take advantage of the findings of this study to encourage lecturers to continue using technologies in mathematics teaching.

Learning through radio and television during COVID-19: perspectives of K-12 stakeholders

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted traditional education, leading to the adoption of alternative methods, such as learning through radio and television for K-12 students. Television and radio became popularly adopted platforms to disseminate educational resources during the pandemic in developing countries, such as Nigeria. This study gathers the perspective of K-12 teachers and students during the crisis to find out the effectiveness of the utilized platforms, examine the challenges encountered, and suggest the way forward in case of future occurrence. The concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM) guided the study. A qualitative methodology of interpretivism was employed using 20 participants that comprise students and teachers across the five south-western states in Nigeria. Findings show that teachers adapted their lessons to be delivered through broadcasts, while school administrators have worked closely with broadcasters to develop and implement educational content. Students have had mixed experiences, with some finding radio and television engaging, while others face challenges with engagement and adaptability. In essence, the result shows that most of the respondents though acknowledged the effectiveness of the radio and television approach to learning but opined that the lessons are not detailed enough. Furthermore, educational television broadcast is preferable to radio lessons as the visual effect contributes significantly to learning. The study concludes that broadcasters have played a critical role in delivering educational content, partnering with schools, and developing programs that align with the curriculum during the pandemic. The study discussed its implication, followed by limitations, and gave direction for future studies.

Daring to Dream: Contextualizing B. M. Bower’s The Eagle’s Wing with Colorado River Compact History

Daring to DreamContextualizing B. M. Bower’s The Eagle’s Wing with Colorado River Compact History Patricia J. Rettig (bio) For the seven US states of the Colorado River Basin, 2022 was to be the year for centennial celebrations of the Colorado River Compact, the multistate legal agreement that changed the West. Instead, as low river flows threatened water supplies for homes, farms, and power production, historical reflections were overridden by discussions of the increasingly urgent environmental and management challenges the Compact caused. Indeed, calls to renegotiate the Compact demonstrate the dire circumstances. An innovative document drafted and negotiated between January and November 1922, the Colorado River Compact, crafted to achieve solutions for its time, marked a turning point for the region. Most immediately the end goal for the seven southwestern states was to agree on how to share the river and thereby resolve the interstate conflicts impeding river development. By ensuring some level of certainty, the agreement enabled construction of dams for flood control, water storage, and power supply. Engaging creatively with this “subject of national importance and interest” the very same year, popular western writer B. M. Bower crafted a novel dedicated to the idea of damming the Colorado River. With the “timely” topic being an unconventional choice for Bower, The Eagle’s Wing: A Story of the Colorado became the first novel to depict the dam-building era of Colorado River development.1 In the book Bower presents a dramatic alternative approach to dam building, shaking characters out of their complacency and confronting readers with difficult questions. Contextualizing this otherwise obscure novel with primary sources conveying the history of the Colorado River Compact—especially [End Page 47] documents of originator Delph Carpenter—reveals how perceptively Bower commented on contemporary river issues. The novel generally aligned with the times but diverged in important ways as well. Examining The Eagle’s Wing in light of Colorado River Compact history shows the dominant interest in solving river problems through innovation, creativity, and action. This essay will draw on Colorado River Compact history after it first positions The Eagle’s Wing within the broader context of B. M. Bower’s work. Then, following a review of scholarship on Bower and The Eagle’s Wing, Delph Carpenter’s compact concept will be explored, primarily using a reflective essay he wrote. The successful process that brought about the Compact will be summarized through the Colorado River Commission meeting minutes and other historical documents. These contextualizing elements will then be used to illuminate how The Eagle’s Wing aligned with and diverged from its times, and what it can show us now. B. M. Bower and The Eagle’s Wing Though unknown to the public now but recently recovered by literary scholars, B. M. Bower (1871–1940) was, according to William Bloodworth, “the only woman to become an important writer of westerns” (95). Bower, whose complete name by 1921 was Bertha Muzzy Bower Sinclair Cowan,2 published more than one hundred short stories and nearly seventy novels between 1904 and 1941. Twenty years and more than thirty novels into her career with the publication of The Eagle’s Wing: A Story of the Colorado by Little, Brown and Company in 1924, Bower had built her nationally popular reputation on formula Westerns of the type involving cowboys, cattle, and conflict, where the good guy gets the girl. Having always incorporated less violence in her stories than did male writers, such as competitors Zane Grey and Clarence Mulford, Bower became comfortable with departures from the formula as her career progressed (Arbuckle 76; Baym 185; Bloodworth 101). In May 1922, when she was likely working on The Eagle’s Wing, Bower wrote to her publisher that she desired to “avoid that killing quality of sameness” across her novels.3 Though Bower wrote more than cowboy Westerns, these have been the focus for literary scholars recently recovering her work. [End Page 48] From the first to the most recent scholarship, Bower’s Chip of the Flying U (1904) and the related “Happy Family” books (fifteen in all) have garnered the most attention.4 These novels and stories, published over the course of thirty years, featured cowboy Chip...