Dr. Larry Murillo Releases Memoir Becoming Who I Am
The Shoshone-Bannock author explores family history and personal loss in his latest published work.
Updated on Oct. 22, 2026 in Native American
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Shoshone-Bannock tribal member and public health veteran Dr. Larry Murillo has released his new memoir, Becoming Who I Am: A Native Memoir of Family, Loss, and the Experiences We Carry Forward. The book examines the complex history of his family, including the loss of six of his parents' seven sons.
Why it matters
The memoir serves as an invitation for readers to investigate their own family legacies and the often unspoken stories that define individual and collective identities. By sharing his journey, Murillo hopes to foster healing and provide insight into the generational resilience of Native communities.
Dr. Murillo, who spent over 40 years in public health, holds degrees from Gonzaga University, Idaho State University, and the University of California, Berkeley. The book is currently available for purchase on Amazon in hardcover, paperback, and Kindle formats.
The players
Dr. Larry Murillo
He is a Shoshone-Bannock tribal member and public health expert who founded Tribal Illumine LLC.
Ida Murillo
She is the mother of the author who experienced the loss of six of her seven sons during her lifetime.
Florentino Murillo
He was a dedicated employee of the Union Pacific Railroad for more than 50 years.
The details
Murillo, who founded Tribal Illumine LLC, developed the memoir through extensive interviews with his parents and the guidance of Native Elders. The narrative also touches on his father's five-decade career with the Union Pacific Railroad and his own experiences growing up in Pocatello and maintaining ties to Fort Hall.
Timeline
September 2026 marked the period when Murillo's previous work, I SEE A SOUL, achieved an Amazon No. 1 ranking.
October 22, 2026, is the date of this report.
Culture Shift
This memoir participates in the broader movement of Indigenous authors reclaiming personal and tribal narratives within the modern American literary canon. By bridging his public health background with personal history, Murillo contributes to a growing body of work that prioritizes ancestral perspectives.
Local readers can access the memoir through Amazon to support a native Pocatello author’s contribution to regional literature. Engaging with the text provides an opportunity for residents to better understand the deep historical ties and family legacies rooted in the Fort Hall community.
The takeaway
Murillo’s work demonstrates how personal and familial narratives can serve as a conduit for broader cultural healing. Readers are encouraged to document their own family history to preserve the experiences that might otherwise be lost to time.
Further reading
Discover more about regional cultural traditions and voices in the Native American section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by East Idaho News.
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