In this collection of his works, Cal Cumin deepens our understanding of Montana—both past and present. When the Skunkbrush Turns is how the Crow describe that time in the fall of the year when the hardy shrub native to the rolling hills of Montana turns from its usual shy green to a brilliant red. Cumin has roamed the land around Billings since he was a boy, and he tells of Native American lore, the coming of the white people and the ensuing battles, and the ongoing incursion of 'civilization.' Inherent in these essays, poems, haiku, and free association of ideas and images is Cumin's love for his high plains homeland.