Book Description

Lame Deer

Storyteller, rebel, medicine man, Lame Deer was born almost a century ago on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota. A full-blooded Sioux, he was many things in the white man's world -- rodeo clown, painter, prisioner. But, above all, he was a holy man of the Lakota tribe.

Seeker of Vision

The story he tells is one of harsh youth and reckless manhood, shotgun marriage and divorce, history and folklore as rich today as ever -- and of his fierce struggle to keep pride alive, though living as a stranger in his own ancestral land. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Enjoyable Account of a Man's Life
Lame Deer was many things in his life. He was an outlaw, lawman, rodeo clown, and Indian medicine man. At a later point in his life Lame Deer came to meet an artist living in NY named Richard Erdoes. The men decided to collaborate together to write a book about the life of Lame Deer. Lame Deer himself was a Sioux medicine man trained in the ways of the old ones. This book is gripping and humorous. The first part recounts many funny personal stories about Lame Deer's life and his run-ins with the law, his personal feelings about the present state of the US, and his own thoughts about what it means to be an Indian. The latter part of the book focuses on ceremonies like the sundance, sweatlodge gatherings and also discussion about the sacred pipe. Lame Deer explains how important symbolism is to the Indian and also explains a good deal of Indian mythology in the latter part of the book which helps the average reader get inside the minds of these people and their beliefs. Throughout this book the reader will come to develop an emotional affinity with Lame Deer. You find yourself feeling how he does about pollution, broken promises, and disregard for sacred beliefs. It's very compelling. Sadly, we are also told much about how Indians faired badly at the hands of white guns, diseases and white "instant gratification" attitudes. I don't think the book was perfect because Erdoes was not an actual writer at the time although he did a decent job putting the book in literary form. I suppose he should at least be lauded for helping us to interpret Indian mysteries. My only major gripe about this book was that it wasn't longer.

Frank, Funny, and Irreverent look at life.
You will find yourself laughing out loud at the antics in this book numerous times. I almost fell out of my chair when the book detailed Lame Deer's crime spree of moonshine whiskey and stolen cars. ;-) This one story alone os worth twice the price of the book!

There is much wisdom in this book; but the ceremonies in this book are not entirely accurate.

Many American Indian Nations witheld accurate information, but now more and more of them are coming forward and releasing accurate information. Even some of the Hopi Elders came forward about two years ago and released some of their sacred prophecies. I hope it is not too late.

I am deeply disturbed by the Kettle dance, but I am not of that culture, and have no right to judge it.

I would like to give this book five stars but I can't because some of the ceremonies are wrong.

I say the ceremonies are wrong because I have read ceremonies in many other books, and I have several full blooded American Indian friends, and they confirmed what I read in these other sources.

I recommend these books regarding American Indian Spirituality in the order listed.

"The Sacred Pipe" Joseph Epes Brown

"Native Wisdom" Ed McGaa

"Mother Earth Spirituality" Ed McGaa

"Foolscrow: Wisdom And Power" Thomas E. Mails

"Black Elk: The Sacred ways of the Lakota" Wallace Black Elk & William S. Lyons.

I recommend "The Sacred Pipe" highest because Mr. Brown actualy lived with the famous holyman Nick Black Elk for a few months while gathering information for this book.

Then; there are some books written by Indians that are full of new age pap because it sells. ;-(

I am the proud carrier of a Catlinite (pipestone) pipe that my American Indian friends helped me obtain. I agree with the 1990 quote by Orval Looking Horse "No one should be denied a peace pipe.".

If you have questions or comments; E-mail me. Two Bears.

Wah doh Ogedoda (We give thanks Great Spirit)

A powerful and funny book....
People here are prasing this book for the insight it gives into the lives of Native Americans. Not that this book isn't important for its take on Amerindian culture: to say that John Lame Deer doesn't have a grasp on what is important to himself and his people would be improper and negligent.

People are missing two of the things that make this book so powerful: its humor and its take on the white world that exists outside of the reservation. Erdoes commentaries on his Indian visitors, Lame Deer's comments on EVERYTHING, and the voice and process of this book are FUNNY. This book is well-constructed and fun to read. On to the second point: Lame Deer is fairly sucessful in making Europeans often look like clowns-- stripping their culture and sophistication, making them more human....

This book should have a much wider audience than it has ever had (and that is actually fairly substantial, strangely enough....) Not that this is a book that could change a person's life: it could at least give direction to the perplexed. I highly recommend this book....

powerful
I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Without a lot of unnecessary rhetoric it will have a powerful effect on you, if you only read the introduction.

Insightful insider's view of the Indian tradition
I highly recommend this book for those interested in the rich heritage of the Native American contribution to all of us. This book appeals on a human level in which Lame Deer describes the trials, tribulations and joys of his life. He tells it like is, having been forced to adapt to white men's ways; yet he maintains a sense of perspective and humor. Especially enlightening is the Indian spiritual quest and reverence for nature. A very enjoyable book. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The Autobiography of Black Hawk
The last "Indian War" in Illinois occurred in 1832 when a small band of Sauk refused under the leadership of the warrior Black Hawk to abandon their village (located under a subdivision of the present Rock Island, Illinois). They wandered up the Rock River, fighting contingents of regular army and state militia (a young Abraham Lincoln served several stints as a volunteer but saw no fighting; a young Jefferson Davis played a role in the last phases of the conflict), slipped into Wisconsin, and were finally defeated in a brutal massacre of men, women, and children on the banks of the Mississippi. Black Hawk surrendered and was taken East to meet President Jackson. After a short term in confinement, he and his companions were taken on a tour of the East Coast, an effort by the United States government to impress him with the young nation's overwhelming superiority in numbers and technology. The plan worked, by Black Hawk's own testimony, and when he returned to the Midwest he lived out the rest of his life in obscurity in a village in Iowa. He never saw his home again.
The origins of the autobiography published under Black Hawk's name has generated controversy. It was dictated to a half Native American interpreter, Antoine Le Claire, who rendered it into English, then edited by an Illinois newspaperman named John B. Patterson, who put it into publishable form. Both men swore that the result was faithful to Black Hawk's words, but the skeptical reader may be permitted some doubt; the language is clearly that of the period (surely Patterson's work), and Black Hawk himself complains on at least one occasion that his interpreter's grasp of the Sauk language did not suffice to translate a flowery speech. So what we have here, while no doubt in general faithful to Black Hawk's intentions and life story, cannot be his ipsissima verba. (It is a pity, given these doubts, that the editor of the volume, who has otherwise done an admirable job of annotation and commentary, did not compare the language of the preface, which records Black Hawk's own Sauk, with that of the text as a whole.)
Despite these doubts, there can be no question that the Autobiography affords us an extraordinary opportunity to see the impact of midwestern expansion on the native population from their own point of view, and to obtain direct access -- even if it has been mediated somewhat for non-native consumption -- into the social world of a people soon to vanish. The war itself is somewhat of an anti-climax, and deeply sad, doomed as resistance clearly was from the beginning. It is rather the self-presentation of a proud, successful Sauk warrior, endowed with considerable facilities of self-reflection and honesty, that make this book a treasure that every American should read.

A Book for Anyone
As a college student from the blackhawk area, I found this book captivating. Really written for any age or education level, I think anyone and everyone should read it. A heroic story of a real man, the book is a beautiful journey through history. The story some details of Black Hawk's life before the war and describes the events behind the wars and his interpretation of them well. I would recomend this to anyone from junior high up and definatly anyone from Rock Island or the surrounding areas. ... Read more

Book Description

A compelling biography of an extraordinary man who lived, fought, and made his mark in two worlds--Indian and white.

The amazing and uncommon life of George Bent spanned one of the most exciting epochs in our nation's history. Born to a prominent white trader and his Indian wife, George Bent was raised as a Cheyenne and, later, educated in white schools. He fought for the Confederacy in the Civil War and later became a Cheyenne warrior. A survivor of the horrific 1864 Sand Creek Massacre, he rode with the ferocious Cheyenne Dog Soldiers, and became a prominent interpreter and negotiator for whites and adviser to tribal leaders. He hobnobbed with frontier legends Kit Carson, Buffalo Bill, Wild Bill Hickok, and George Custer, and fought side-by-side with great Indian leaders. Always brushing against the edges of greatness, always in the center of controversy and danger, Bent was a survivor. Yet for all his adventures, accomplishments, and friendships, George Bent, the halfbreed, never found lasting happiness in either world, Indian or white.

Yet this man, in his final years, saved the memory of his people by sharing with historians the story of the fighting Cheyennes. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Halfbreed is history at its best
The story of George Bent is riveting. Halfbreed is history at its best. It is exceptionally well written and, at the same time, superbly researched and footnoted. Many historians and writers have incorporated bits and pieces of the Bent story into their work, but Halfbreed is the first attempt to tell the whole story. Halaas and Masich have pieced together a rich tapestry as Bent's life weaves in and out of Indian and white worlds. Following the Sand Creek massacre of 1864 Bent chose the Cheyenne path, in war and peace, until his death in 1918.

I recommend Halfbreed for everyone interested in the American West, the Civil War, Indian culture, and great storytelling.

P.S. I'm not sure if it's still in print, but these are the same authors who wrote Cheyenne Dog Soldiers--now the standard source on that subject.

Halfbreed has it all
Halfbreed reads like fiction, but this story is for real: George Bent is born (1843) in a Cheyenne tipi near Bent's Fort on the Santa Fe Trail during the heyday of the fur trade. His mother is a Cheyenne princess and his father the king of the mountain men. He is sent off to St. Louis to be educated in white schools and suffers the indignities of a mixed blood in a white world. Still he fights for the Rebels during the Civil War, is caught up in the Sand Creek Massacre, and then rides with the Cheyenne Dog Soldiers as they fight the US Army to a standstill on the high plains in 1865.

The authors discovered hundreds of letters, written by Bent between 1864 and 1918, providing amazing and intimate details of love, war, and the Cheyenne struggle for survival. Bent knows everyone who's anyone in the American West-Custer, Buffalo Bill, Kit Carson, Red Cloud, Tall Bull, and Black Kettle. Caught between white and Indian worlds at a pivotal time in history-Bent's story is one of adaptation, courage, survival, and, in the end, triumph. He saves the history of the Cheyenne people.

I'm not usually a footnote fancier, but some of the tidbits buried in the notes are even juicier than the narrative. This is great history--very readable. Highly recommended.

Highly recommended
I love history but most history books are too academic. This book was like reading a story. I learned so much about the Cheyenne people and their relationship with other Indian societies and the white culture. This book is a must read for anyone. I actually couldn't put it down. ... Read more

Book Description

The life story of Ishi, the Yahi Indian, lone survivor of a doomed tribe, is unique in the annals of North American anthropology. For more than forty years, Theodora Kroeber's biography has been sharing this tragic and absorbing drama with readers all over the world. Ishi stumbled into the twentieth century on the morning of August 29, 1911, when, desperate with hunger and with terror of the white murderers of his family, he was found in the corral of a slaughterhouse near Oroville, California. Finally identified as an Indian by an anthropologist, Ishi was brought to San Francisco by Professor T. T. Waterman and lived there the rest of his life under the care and protection of Alfred Kroeber and the staff of the University of California's Museum of Anthropology. Karl Kroeber adds an informative tribute to the text, describing how the book came to be and how Theodora Kroeber's approach to the project was both a product of her era and of her insight and her empathy. 32 b/w photographs, 5 line illustrations, 1 map ... Read more

Reviews (9)

AMAZING
I could write an enormous review, but I want to keep it very simple.
Just read the book!
The most intriguing part is when Ishi walked out of nowhere into "civilization".
AWESOME, AMAZING, GREAT, WONDERFUL.

The last free Native American in California
This book is one of two I routinely give to people who move to northern California. The other one is The Ohlone Way, by Malcolm Margolin. Ishi was the lone survivor of a doomed tribe of Yahi Indians on the slopes of Mt. Lassen. Other members of his tribe were murdered by a planned campaign of genocide during the settling of the West. When Ishi stumbled out of the hills of his birth in 1911, he landed in the 20th Century, huddled in the corner of a cattle corral on a ranch, dressed in rags, starving, desperately lonely, and probably certain he would be killed. Instead, a wise sheriff in Oroville called on some anthropologists from Univ of CA in Berkeley, and Ishi eventually came under the benevolent but somewhat demeaning (he was made the centerpiece of a museum exhibit) protection of Alfred Kroeber. It is Kroeber's wife who wrote this touching, heartwarming, illuminating and ultimately tragic history of Ishi's life in the 'modern' world.
Most moving for me was a long middle section that recounted a magical summer when Ishi took Kroeber and his teenage son back to Mt. Lassen and showed them his native territory. They lived together as unspoiled and free Native Americans for the summer, hunting deer, swimming in cold streams, living in huts and caves, building fires, making bows and arrows... An experience that was destined never to be repeated.
Wonderful archival photographs supplement the imminently readable text.
Don't miss this very special and quintessentially Californian piece of history. But there's no rush: this book is destined to remain in print forever.

Timeless
This was one of the most fascinating and thought provoking books I have ever read. It is a beautifully written book that brings with it an entire range of emotions from rage and disgust, to hope and forgiveness.

I thought that the best part about this book was the look into Ishi's Yahi and Yana culture, and its overview of California indian tribes in general. The myth that the Californian indians were a simple and childlike race subsisting on what they could dig from the ground is thoroughly debunked by this book.

California's varied geography produced one of the most culturally diverse places on planet earth prior to white settlement. Interestingly, this belief that California is made up of many sub-states still exists, and books have been written about the various regional differences within California. The same was true for the aboriginal tribes, and Kroeber brings amazing facts to light about this. According to Kroeber, California was made up of 250 distinct tribes, many with their own languages, culture, and customs. Of the six super-languauge groups of North American Indians, 5 were represented in California. According to best estimates, these five language groups divided themselves into 113 distict spoken languages. Only Sudan and New Guinea have comparable cultural and linguistic diversity. One fact that floored me was that the Yahi language was bifurcated between a male and female dialect. Males and females used these dialects when they were in groups of their own sex. When a male reached puberty, he was taken from the care of his mother and other women, and lived in almost an exclusively male world were he learned the male dialect and hunting skills.

Kroeber opens the book with this linguistic/cultural look at California indian culture just prior to white migration, and goes into great detail about Ishi's tribal culture in particular. (We even get a lesson on the term "glottochronology" which is the study of the roots of a particular language). About a third of the book is this background, and I found it to be absolutely fascinating.

The book also spends considerable time on the extermination of the Northern California indians and Ishi's tribe in particular. Of course, these accounts are horrible and no less disturbing than accounts of the Jewish holocaust. The indians were seen as varmits, and they were exterminated with the same attitude that the wolves, grizzlies, and other unwanted wildlife were exterminated. Of course, this was not the attitude of all whites, but not enough of them stood up to stop the carnage.

Beyond the stories of human slaughter, racism and genocide, the greatest tragedy was that cultures, which existed with amazing complexity and richness for centuries, were obliterated and replaced with a white mono-culture within 15 - 20 years.

The last third of the book deals with Ishi's discovery and how he lived his remaining days under the care of the authors husband, an anthropologist at UC Berkeley. The relationship between the anthropology department at Berkeley and Ishi was one of the only beneficial outcomes of the collision between Anglo and Native cultures. Ishi (not his real name, but a pseudonym he adopted after capture) is given a room at the anthropology museum and is made assistant janitor to help cover his living expenses.

It is during this time that he imparts his language and culture to save it from oblivion and to provide future generations, like myself, the ability to learn about Yahi life. Ishi is also treated with respect and dignity, and despite a life of mistreatment, Ishi shows no resentment or bitterness towards white society.

I believe the main injustice done to Ishi by Berkeley was that after his death they allowed the removal of his brain for study, in direct violation of his cultural beliefs about keeping the body whole for cremation. His brain was sent it to the Smithsonian Institute where it was kept in storage for almost 100 years. This was unnescesary, and it has taken almost an entire century to return his brain and provide final dignity to this man.

excellent book
This book tells a true story of a common science fiction theme, How would a Stone Age person acclimate himself to modern civilization, if suddenly transported there. Ishi was the last remnant of a California hunter-gatherer tribe. He was starving and near death when discovered by a California rancher. Thus began his journey from primitive beginnings, to journalistic sensation, to scientific curiosity, and finally as a working member of society in the California of the 1920's. and '30's. As the subject of scientific study, Ishi shows that basically people everywhere and for all time are the same, but it is the differences that of course makes it interesting. One example is that at first anthropologists thought Ishi could not count above the number ten. It was later found that he saw no reason to count abstractly. He had a numbering system that extended quite high when physical objects were present. One of the most shocking revelations for Ishi, were not the buildings, cars, trains or machinery of modern life, but the number of people that existed. This is a man who had never seen a crowd of people, he had watched his remote lingering tribe-members die off when he was a child . A hunter-gather lifestyle can only support a sparse population. From Ishi's perspective the largest crowd and perhaps the world consisted of those fifty tribe members when he was a young boy. The book gives a humorous account of Ishi's shock of seeing a crowded San Francisco Beach on a hot summer day. The book is very well written, an easy read and very entertaining. It is surprising that this book is not more popular.

This book will make you more human
This is an incredibly well-written account of a solemn, sad, stone age man, calling himself Ishi, who wandered one day out of the forest into 20th century California civilization. For background information -- the author, Theodora Kroeber, was the wife of one of the men privileged to be Ishi's friends, Alfred Kroeber. Dr. Alfred Kroeber was a very important American anthropologist early in this century -- a student of Franz Boas, and a parent, with Theodora, of the writer Ursula K. (for Kroeber) LeGuin. Theodora Kroeber, at any rate, was in an excellent position to tell Ishi's story from the inside, and she does a fantastic job of it.

Perhaps it's significant that this, the most impactful account of Ishi, was written NOT by an anthropologist, but by an anthropologist's wife. She was able to think simply as a non-"objective" fellow human being, and she talks about Ishi with great warmth and sympathy. Think for a moment of what it might be like to be wholly unacquainted with even the rudest, most fundamental elements of civilization, and to need to fit in. Ishi met this challenge, in his own time, and in his own way. You will never forget his story.

I would just like to add, very quickly, that even today Ishi's story is sometimes lived out anew. In Massachusetts, several public schools have taken in students from tiny villages in the Sudan. These students are learning for the first time in their lives of such things as writing, money, and shoes. Stairs, of all things, are very confusing to some of them. I don't even want to think about what they make of such overwhelmingly powerful modern developments as the atom bomb, shopping malls, or Britney Spears.

Ishi's story is timeless, yet timely for all who choose to ponder it. This book is amazing. One billion thumbs up. ... Read more

Reviews (23)

A Beautiful and Compelling Biography
This is a highly unique biography and is a well-deserved classic in the world of literature. Sandoz did not write the standard Native American story from the point of view of the outsider (that is, the white conquerors), but created a book that feels as if it was written by the Indians from their own world view. Sandoz had the great advantage, in the 1930s, of interviewing still-living oldtimers who really knew Crazy Horse, and her combination of first-hand Indian accounts and meticulously well-crafted prose makes for an extremely compelling story of the last years of Indian freedom. In fact, this is not so much a biography of Crazy Horse, but a much larger story of the Lakota (Sioux) people in which he is the central character. The book does not include much historical detail, as that would be the white man's method of writing, so for such information on late Sioux history you would have to look elsewhere (such as *Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee* by Dee Brown).

However, we do get a book full of beautiful and poetic prose such as "there was a star with a long white tail to speak of good things," and consistent use of Indian terminology such as "burning cup" for whiskey or "soldier chief" for army officers. This style of writing does make the reading of this book stiff and long-winded in places, but Sandoz must be commended for her very unique and moving methods. In the end, Crazy Horse himself comes across as a troubled loner among his people, a bit manic-depressive but a strong leader and warrior, and he remains as dark and mysterious to us as he was to his friends and enemies. And as usual for Native American histories from this period, the end of the story gives us the depressing loss of the people's freedom and the noble but hopeless efforts of a great leader to save his people. Concerning the special 50th anniversary edition of the book, you can ignore the rather sycophantic introduction by Stephen B. Oates, but the stunning cover painting by Ed Lindlof is almost worth the price of admission alone. [~doomsdayer520~]

This book opened a new page in my life
It will be 3 years ago this February that I first read this book. I then bought the hard cover version so I could keep it in my library and read it over and over again.

Prior to this, my interest in Western history was confined to pioneers and cowboys. The Indians were just some folks who happened to get a tough break. This book though, opened my mind to a culture that I had never known or thought much about. Now I read every book I can get on the subject, and spend my summers touring forts and battlefields.

Since my first reading of Crazy Horse I have read a biography of Sandoz. I know that her research was maticulous and that she had a good rapport with the Indians who knew Crazy Horse and were still living at the time she was writing. Of course, since this is mostly an oral history it is hard to know what is actual truth and what is the myth which grew around the subject, but it doesn't really matter. No one can read this book without coming away with a new understanding of what it was like to live the free life on the Plains, and how devestating it must have been for those who lost it.

Strange Book about a Strange Man
This book is interesting because of the way it's told. It reads much like a novel would read. It's related from an Indian omniscient point of view. In other words you feel as if a Native American were sitting down recounting the tale. During the story we see Crazy Horse grow from a young boy called Curly hanging around his warrior friend Hump to a mighty warrior brave in battle. Sadly as most people know his people endured many hardships and many broken promises made by soldiers representing the Great Father. Reading this you can't help but be somewhat moved and have compassion for the eventual demise of the Oglalas that was well underway during Crazy Horse's life. Towards the latter part of the book emotions run deep as you see how jealousy, anger, and greed ripped apart what could have been good relations among the different Native American peoples. Of course, Crazy Horse the man we come to know in this book undergoes many of the hardships of the people himself. Almost as if he is the embodiment of the transition from the Indians to the white man's world at any cost.

I did have a couple of problems with this book though. Namely, I found the writer's sentences to be ambiguous a lot of the time. There are no complicated words here as she is trying to write in the plain-spoken Indian style but many times I felt she was unclear so you would find yourself reading passages several times over to try and get sure her meaning. After a while this can become tedious. I also felt the prose could have been more lucid. Just because you're telling a story in a plain-spoken style doesn't mean you have to forsake any intellctual-sounding prose altogether. For these reasons it can be a taxing read which made what could have been a great book into just a good book. I still do recommend this work for a good perspective on the Native American view of history (even though some of the historical events in the book are no doubt dubious) if you are prepared to put in some effort and time reading it.

Recommended
Immerse yourself in the life and mind of the Oglala Lakota with Sandoz's biography of Crazy Horse. In his preface, Steven Oates perhaps best summarized the book in writing "by incorporating the Indian oral tradition into her narrative...Sandoz got closer to the truth of Crazy Horse and his world, and thus to the truth of history, than she could ever have done had she adhered strictly to "facts" taken from the written records of the white people." Although she had been accused by some of putting words in Crazy Horse's mouth with her style and use of oral history, Sandoz was no slouch as a historian. The book was a dozen years in the making and meticulously researched. As I read the story of Crazy Horse, I found myself so captivated by his story, and by Sandoz's retelling of it, that I was somehow hoping to be saved from the inevitable, tragic conclusion to the life of this truly heroic American. Anyone with an interest in American history must read this book.

Crazy Horse is one of the TRUE heros in American history
This is one of the first books I have read in a while where I wasn't able to put it down. The story of Crazy Horse's life is so compelling, and inspiring. His commitment to fighting for the rights of his people even in the face of defeat is a quality contemporary America could learn a lesson from. I highly recommend this book. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Recommended on official Hopi website
I haven't read this book yet, but wanted people to know the Hopi themselves recommend it. See this website: www.hopi.nsn.us/Pages/Read%20List/readlist.html.

One star is being very generous!!!!!!!!
If I were to pick a more accurate rating I would make it a -2. This is book is very thorough and detailed to the point of boredom. It should have about 160 pages instead of 380.

If you are into this topic then you would love it. But as for me I had to force myself to read 5 pages in a setting. The only reason I read it was because I had to write a paper on it.

Insight into turn-of-the-century Hopi
I enjoyed this book so much that I finished it in a couple of days. In my opinion, Don Talayesva is a charming narrator. His sometimes humorous, many times heart-breaking recollections underscores the tremendous cultural, social and religious upheavals the Hopi tribe were going through at the beginning of the 20th century, as no anthropological or historical work could ever do.

Sun Chief Review
This book is incredibly uninteresting and poorly written. The writing style doesn't flow well, and there is no particular plot to speak of. I wouldn't recommend it.

Excellent view of Hopi lifestyles in transition
It's a little ironic that they listed the "author" of the book as Leo W. Simmons when this is actually an autobiography of Don Talayesva. Nonetheless, it's an excellent account of the life of a Hopi man during a time of great change. Talayesva was born in 1890 and the book covers his life up to 1940. This was a period of great change for the Hopi in the pueblo of Oraibi. Talayesva lived through the great social conflict that caused the split of the village and the aftermath of that split, as the traditional ways at Oraibi were steadily eroded by the white Christian government, settlers, tourists, and missionaries.
Talayesva's account of his life is an important and lasting record of the hard life of the traditional Hopi people. Unfortunately, nobody has taken the time to complete the account of Talayesva's life and I was left with a sense that the story is unresolved. Surely, he had another 10 to 40 years of life left after the end of the book, but that isn't covered here. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A page of history no one wants to see
When most kids skip school they don't get shipped off to a Residential School where they are treated less than human and have to learn quickly to get a long. From the opening sentence you are hooked as the boys armed with slingshots decide not to waste the day in school but go hunting instead. Trouble brews and soon the Indian agent shows up to take little Basil away to Spanish - a small town on the North Shore north of Manitoulin Island. The only problem is the Indian agent - (heartless white men who loved to play God) wanted a "pay" load and up and took the five year old sister of Basil too. Nobody got to say yes or no it was a done deal.To say this book is all serious - well it isn't. Humour comes through again and again these are surviors here people - not victims. Basil was gratefull for the education he got and where it lead him but the out come always depends on the person. What would challenge one person who drive someone else to the edge and over it. The boys rise to the challenge of chicken farming at the school - collecting eggs they'll never get to eat. A page turner for sure, take a closer look at Canada's dirty little secert that is just now being dealt with in court. A follow up list is in the back of the book to tell you what happened to these boys. Excellent read not to be missed ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A good book for the novice historian
I read this book for a college Ohio History class. I hadn't had any previous knowledge about Tecumseh other than he was an Indian leader. Overall it was a very interesting book. Some may run into some problems if they do not fully understand the history of the War of 1812 in Ohio. Some of the battle descriptions go into detail. There is a chapter in the book that describes some of the Shawnee cultures and customs that I found very interesting.
All said, this is a very good biography of a very respected Indian leader.

Solid introduction
This book is a textbook companion of the author's biography of Tecumseh's brother, Tenskwatawa or the Prophet. R. David Edmunds is known for both his combination of ethnographic material, oral tradition, and traditional historical research with good storytelling. His unique contribution is highlighting the importance of the religious message of revitalization to Indian resistance in the Old Northwest. This book is a good introduction to Indian experiences in the Old Northwest during the Revolutionary and Early Republic Periods. Those really interested in this title may want to continue their reading with "The Shawnee Prophet" by the same author, "A Spirited Resistance" by Gregory Dowd, and "The Middle Ground" by Richard White.

Interesting Topic--Boring Book
Tecumseh was a powerful warrior and a powerful man. He led his people in what he thought was right, yet he did not stand for the massacre of those who took his people's land. This book gets that message through, but it is tedious. It reads like a high school textbook (and that is not a compliment).

A good book on Tecumseh
This book is a good overall view of the life of Tecumseh, the Shawnee chief. Also mentioned are his brother, the Prophet, and important historical events of the time. A good resource for those interested in the subject, a little dry for an everyday read. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

The Real Human Being
The rumors of this book began more than fifteen years ago, and those of us who understood that it was Dennis Banks, not the flamboyant Russell Means, who was the heart and soul of AIM, have been waiting patiently. It was worth the wait. Banks tells a truly Indian life story--it's no accident that more than half the pictures are of other people: his relations.

Don't look for startling revelations here. We still don't know who really killed the FBI agents at Pine Ridge. But if you want to know how it is to grow up Indian in today's America, this is the book to start with.

It would be great to see the University of Oklahoma Press with a deserved best seller. And Richard Erdoes has capped an admirable career as scribe to contemporary native peoples with his collaboration on this strong, true book.

Personal and informative
Dennis Banks was born in 1937 on the Leach Lake reservation in Minnesota.He was taken from his home at an early age and forced to attend a government boarding school designed to rid him of his Ojibwa ways and assimilate him into white culture.After a brief stint in the U.S. Air Force, Banks returned to the U.S. and lived in the Indian slums of Minnesota, and was arrested stealing food to feed his family.While in prison, Banks educated himself and was inspired by the Civil Rights movements of the 1960s.After his release, Banks became a founder of AIM, the American Indian Movement, an organization deeply footed in Native religion and culture, designed to unify and inspire Indians in the fight for equal rights.Richard Erdoes has written several books on American Indians, including Lakota Woman.He spent many years with AIM and has documented much of their struggle in photographs.
This autobiographical account of the life of an AIM leader spans over 70 years, from Banks' birth to the present.Although the story recounts many events from Banks' life before AIM, the main focus is on the birth of the organization, and the major events in which AIM took part.The most well documented parts of the book are the discussion of the 1972 Trail of Broken Treaties march to Washington, D.C., which ended in the occupation of the Bureau of Indian Affairs building, and the 1973 standoff at Wounded Knee aimed at ending the violence and corruption of the tribal government at the Pine Ridge Lakota reservation.Banks offers significant insight into these events, describing the causes and effects of AIM's actions, as well as the conditions they faced, the players involved, and the underlying theme of unity and dedication among the AIM members.He focuses also on the relationships he formed with fellow members and supporters, his family, and his goals in keeping AIM a peaceful group that used violence only when necessary for self-defense.He pays tribute to all who helped him and his family during their time hiding from authorities, which shows just how respected this man was by his supporters, as well as how feared he was by those who felt threatened by him.When asked what AIM accomplished 25 years ago at the height of its activism, and if Indians are really better off now, Banks responds, "We were the prophets, the messengers, the fire-starters.Wounded Knee awakened not only the conscience of all Native Americans, but also of white Americans nationwide...We resurrected old beliefs and ways of life, blending them with demands of modern life, with what we needed to survive...We no longer needed whites to "interpret" our culture." Banks is realistic but optimistic in his conclusions, and states, "We have not achieved all that we wanted.We have only made a dent in solving our many problems...We leave much to do for the new generations coming up...we are a still a strong people."
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone interested in prominent 20th century figures, social activism, Native American culture and history, or simply the autobiographical genre.In this first hand account, Banks provides details to which only he has access, and writes in a fast-moving way that maintains the interest of the reader.The account of the occupation of Wounded Knee was entertaining, educational, and heartbreaking.Banks describes his friendships with those who gave their lives for the movement, and even questions why he is still alive when others perished in the struggle.The emotional aspect of this book is what I found most valuable.Purely scholarly historical accounts of this subject may provide a more well-rounded view, but Ojibwa Warrior offers a glimpse at the humanity behind Dennis Banks, and the inner-workings of a man who has spent his life working for justice and equality.Richard Erdoes' photographs help bring the story of Dennis Banks and AIM to life, adding a face to many of the characters discussed in the book.

The Great Creator
When I read Dennis Banks' autobiography, it was as though someone led me through a perfect lecture of contemporary Native American history.I couldn't set it down, I was enraptured by the revolution and the significance that AIM still holds for uncountable groups of fellow humans.

I thank Mr. Banks and all the AIM members and supporters for the encouragement to be pure and true.

I am only a sixteenth Chippewa, but I feel my grandmother distinctly.My search for our history continues, and this book illuminated hopes and dreams that I couldn't have known existed had it not been for the bravery of those warriors who exercised their pride.Thank you, I will continue to endorse this book to whoever will listen.

I did enjoy my little nickname that I called him through the book, "The Great Creator" as he fathered eleven children with four different women.His love for them grows as he ages, and I hope his children can learn from him and not be too angry at him for his time dedicated to his life's work.It is a sacrifice to be a civic leader.

An excellent new story
The Sidekick to Russell Means, Dennis Banks was the romantic `crazy horse' of the AIM movement.His exploits put him at the top of the celebrated leaders of the movement, and his leadership at wounded Knee put him on the governments wanted list.This first person account is an excellent story of one many struggle to redeem the American Indian and stand up to oppressive or unjust government policies, put in place not only by the BIA but also by fellow Native leaders like Dick Wilson at Pine Ridge.

Anyone fascinated with the rise of AIM and its actions will enjoy this fast paced account which rivals Means own autobiography.Banks tells of his `exile' at Onandaga and his flight from federal authorities, as well as his leadership in many causes.

There are several flaws unfortunately.Banks gives almost no background on the many native tribes whose causes he championed.Even the Ojibwa culture is not given in much detail.Also a major drawback is the total lack of any maps.The AIM movement was a national movement representing tribes throughout America and demonstrating at many key reservations and yet we are not given any maps showing the mosaic of reservations.The siege of wounded knee with its many geographic descriptions and military confrontations is also not given a map, which makes it difficult to understand just how the action took place.Nevertheless this book should not be faulted for it is a true gem and a wonderful relic of a bygone age, when Natives found their spirit to retrieve themselves from many government programs that infringed on their way of life, told by one of its leading participants.

Seth J. Frantzman

An epic of the AIM movement
The counterpoint to Russell Means, Dennis Banks was the romantic `crazy horse' of the AIM movement.His exploits put him at the top of the celebrated leaders of the movement, and his leadership at wounded Knee put him on the governments wanted list.This first person account is an excellent story of one many struggle to redeem the American Indian and stand up to oppressive or unjust government policies, put in place not only by the BIA but also by fellow Native leaders like Dick Wilson at Pine Ridge.

Anyone fascinated with the rise of AIM and its actions will enjoy this fast paced account which rivals Means own autobiography.Banks tells of his `exile' at Onandaga and his flight from federal authorities, as well as his leadership in many causes.

There are several flaws unfortunately.Banks gives almost no background on the many native tribes whose causes he championed.Even the Ojibwa culture is not given in much detail.Also a major drawback is the total lack of any maps.The AIM movement was a national movement representing tribes throughout America and demonstrating at many key reservations and yet we are not given any maps showing the mosaic of reservations.The siege of wounded knee with its many geographic descriptions and military confrontations is also not given a map, which makes it difficult to understand just how the action took place.Nevertheless this book should not be faulted for it is a true gem and a wonderful relic of a bygone age, when Natives found their spirit to retrieve themselves from many government programs that infringed on their way of life, told by one of its leading participants. ... Read more

Book Description

"His narrative is griping....Mr. Utley transforms Sitting Bull, the abstract, romanticized icon and symbol, into a flesh-and-blood person with a down-to-earth story....THE LANCE AND THE SHIELD clears the screen of the exaggerations and fantasies long directed at the name of Sitting Bull."
THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW
Reviled by the United States government as a troublemaker and a coward, revered by his people as a great warrior chief, Sitting Bull has long been one of the most fascinating and misunderstood figures in American history. Now, distinguished historian Robert M. Utley has forged a compelling new portrait of Sitting Bull, viewing the man from the Lakota perspective for the very first time to render the most unbiased and historically accurate biography of Sitting Buil to date.
WINNER OF THE SPUR AWARD FOR BEST WESTERN NONFICTION
HISTORICAL BOOK OF 1993
A MAIN SELECTIN OF THE HISTORY BOOK CLUB
A FEATURED ALTERNATE SELECTION OF THE QUALITY PAPERBACK BOOK
CLUB

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Reviews (16)

Good book!
I highly recommend this history. Utley is an accomplished and prolific writer of the US Western experience. This may be his best work. He brings the Sioux holy man to life as a complete person that the readers can meet and understand. The fact that Utley has a thorough command of the historical events that surround Sitting Bull makes this complete work of history and biography. If you're looking for a biography of Sitting Bull this is the place to come. If you're looking for a good history of the West during this time period Utley's book will serve you well too.

Great overview
This book brings Sitting Bull alive and takes into account many of the considerations that went into the life of Sitting Bull and the Nation Building ambitions of the emerging United States. The beginning seems slow as Sitting Bull's early life is largely intertribal warfare with Crows, but once the railroad starts intruding on Indian lands it becomes much more interesting as the complexity of diplomacy and war is examined from all angles.

The best part is the end where the tension between modernity and Plains Indians creates a conflict between Sitting Bull and the Indian agent assigned to him. The by-no-means inevitable death of Sitting Bull at the hands of tribal police chiefs echoes in eery ways the handling of Pine Ridge by Dicky Wilson in the 70s when assassination was commonplace.

I have a test for any biography. If the biography is over and you feel like you know the subject then it's well written. I rank Robert Utley up with Alison Weir as one of the best historians of our time.

Compelling narration of a great leader
Ever since my childhood, I have always been enamored of the Native Indians. It wasn't the Indian of the Cowboy tv shows where they were portrayed as idiots or savages ~~ but as the people who were close to nature and the spiritual world.

This book does not disappoint. This is a very concise portrayal of Sitting Bull from an author who took great pains to portray Sitting Bull as how the Indians viewed him and as how as the Whites viewed him. He didn't allow his emotions cloud the facts ~~ it was very obvious that he took time to research the facts and present them without boring the reader to tears. He showed Sitting Bull as the greatest Sioux leader of all time and how he worked to unite the Lakotas and the Hunkpapas as well as other Indian nations together to defeat the White invasion. He also presented the facts that allowed the readers to be aware of why the Indian battles were a losing cause ~~ simply because there were more of the Whites coming. There were not enough Indians to keep populating the land.

This is one of the most in-depth research I've read and enjoyed on any Indian leader. This one goes beyond Sitting Bull and talk about the problems the Indians faced ~~ and yes, it does have some moments in there where you just allow your emotions to override the story ~~ Sitting Bull may not have had it easy but he sure didn't make it easy for the US military or the Indian agents on the reservations. He gave back as good as he could ~~ and he never quit fighting for his people. He is admirable not only as a man, but as a leader. This is definitely a worth-while reading for anyone who is interested in history ~~ especially Native American Indian history.

6-26-04

sitting bull
I,VE.read the Lance and the Shield and i thank its one of the best books ive read in a long time, iam proud to be related to sittng bull he was one of the best heros in his time. foxychic47@scglobal.net

Boring
I found this book to be boring. Always interested in Native history, I found very little new information here. ... Read more

Book Description

A heartbreaking story of victory, defeat, and of a spiritual search in a profane world, this is the story of Night Bear and his people. It is the tale of the land they cherish and the lives they hold sacred, lived until the enemy can no longer be stopped, and the dead have few left to weep for them.
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Reviews (12)

Time to get this book into the schools! Our kids deserve it!
Seven Arrows is a story made for telling. I've heard Storm in person, and you know his stories are aimed at the next generation. This is probably the "Grimms Tales" of Native Americana, in a book. The imagery is specialised to show a tribal world view, just as if it were German or French; gets us the same results, and is as valid as Mother Goose or any-other curriculum for schools. Nothing else is required. The message is getting PEACE. This is done by all people in the same way, but they use differing techniques. That principle must be taught within our schools now so that the future population sees their own vision-quest as a means for life together peaceably with their fellowman. Seven Arrows has many features that could be used to advantage by teachers right here and now.

Jumping Mouse
I do not want to use the maximun of 1,000. In a few words I would like to say that I can not put this book down. I will not be satisfied until I am able to tell this story out loud. If anyone has any suggestions on how to do this in a creative way without taking from it contents I welcome your ideas. I wish a Native American would reply that would awesome.

Controversy? Still a great book!
Al Carroll's review is not the first encounter I've had with criticism of "the white man" continuing to abuse indians, now by "stealing" their religion. I am sympathetic with this point of view, but I also think that "the white man" desperately needs all the help he can get toward becoming more respectful of other life forms and more "spiritual" in the sense of being less materialistic. Surely, the religion and spirituality can be shared by all who need it.

The beautiful artwork in Seven Arrows is criticized for "getting the colors wrong." This strikes me as a foolish criticism, as though the only valid interpretation of a traditional theme must have the traditional colors as well. This is reactionary thinking; for a tradition to be of the greatest value to the living, I think that change is sometimes necessary. If the artwork in Seven Arrows is valid as art, I think that's enough to justify its existence, regardless of its lack of "reverence to tradition." Not every crucifix needs to have a bleeding Christ on it. I don't recall what Storm says about the art in the book, but I don't think it's presented as "views of traditional Cheyenne art." It seems pretty clear that these are modern interpretations of traditional themes.

In any case, if he "got the religion wrong" and "got the artwork wrong," it's still a dazzling book and I recommend it highly. You can read the "story of Jumping Mouse" from the book on Storm's web site, www.hyemeyohstsstorm.com.

The following is the review I had on my web site before reading this current controversy:

Hyemeyohsts Storm's Seven Arrows is a most unusual book, and reading it has been a profoundly interesting and moving experience for me. Seven Arrows is in the form of a novel with a lengthy nonfiction introduction and loads of artwork and photographs. However, as novels go, it simply fails to follow the convention, in two basic ways: most of the main characters are violently killed in the story, and the book contains half-a-dozen lengthy allegorical tales that dramatically slow the action.

Overall the picture presented is that of the ending of a way of life and the introduction of a new way. The narrative mostly consists of characters riding or walking from place to place, meeting other indians (I believe there are no non-indian characters), talking about the latest doings of the crazy white man, telling stories, and killing or being killed. The death of the main characters is quite disconcerting at first. The novel begins by presenting the doings of a character, who is then killed. Another character becomes central to the story, and sooner or later he also is killed. Eventually one learns not to expect the current main character to survive; this expectation leads to abandonment of the usual "naive identification" that engages the reader to most novels and to take instead a more Olympian view. One begins to think of the human characters being as symbolic and allegorical as the mice, wolves, and buffalo that are prominent in the "teaching tales."

Embedded in the narrative are about half-a-dozen lengthy allegorical tales that often seem to bear little relation to the actions of the human characters who tell the stories. In addition to these "teaching tales" themselves, interpretations of the events of the tales are presented. These interpretations, in conjunction with the introduction, lead one to think of the symbolism, "looking beneath" and reinterpreting everything that happens in the story. As is the case with any allegory worth reading, these tales and the book as a whole defy simple and unambiguous interpretation. There are multiple layers here, and each tale, and the entire book, should be thought of as flowers which can be opened a petal at a time. This approach to the tales is explicitly encouraged in the narrative.

The artwork and photographs alone are worth the price of the book. The photographs are mostly of indians and their artifacts and various native animals and birds, and almost all of them are striking or thought-provoking. There are also about a dozen exquisite color plates of indian figures and shield designs incorporating symbols that occur in the narrative. Many line drawings decorate and illustrate the text. All these elements work well with the text, though regrettably some of the photographs are marred by the two-page spread treatment they receive.

Seven Arrows presents a point of view and way of life which I found alien, yet attractive. The gentleness of these indians and their good will towards each other, the slow pace of indian life, and the symbolic and puzzling stories the characters tell each other, all contribute to the inducing of a state of peaceful contemplation and a longing for a quieter way of life. This is a book I intend to reread often. It strikes me as a very profound book, but this is the profundity of obscure poetry, of a flawed quartz crystal, or of a human eye or mind: the deeper you look, the more you will see, but the dull or hurried eye may discern little of interest. If you're looking for something different and potentially life-changing, give Seven Arrows a try.

Beware of False Prophets...Who Provide Reviews at Amazon
The book, "Seven Arrows" has been in print since approximately 1972. It is a remarkable book, one that speaks to many generations of wise people searching for a deeper meaning, an experiential understanding of life and mystery.

It is important to read Mr. Storm's book with an open mind - an approach lost on a sad gentlemen reviewer who claims to be a professor of history at Arizona State University. The reviewer is mean-spirited, inflamatory and excitable. Althouh the reviewer seeks a position of authority as a learned man, his claims re. Mr. Storm's book are tenuous and irresponsible.

Learn to judge for yourself the many merits of "Seven Arrows".

Cheyenne Call This Book Desecration & Blasphemy
HYEMHOYOSTS STORM DESECRATES CHEYENNE BELIEFS
By Rupert Costo, President of the American Indian Historical Society and Publisher of The Indian Historian

Seven Arrows brings disgrace to its publisher, Harper and
Row. It falsifies and desecrates the traditions of the Northern
Cheyenne, which it purports to describe.

This reviewer withholds judgment as to whether Mr. Storm is a
Cheyenne as he claims to be.* He certainly shows little or no
understanding of the Cheyenne Way. The publisher circulated a letter giving Storm's enrollment number. But an enrollment number does not an Indian make! Quite a few Anglos and some blacks were adopted into Indian tribes. Sometimes the Indians were forced by the US government to accept them. In other cases whites were deceitful enrolled.

If indeed he is an Indian, the tribal chairman states "I
don't know how he got on the tribal rolls." Shame on him for making a blasphemous travesty of the Cheyenne Way in Seven Arrows.

This is a book put together with considerable pretensions.
The first thing that strikes the eye is the illustrative work:

1) The color plates are a solid disaster, in extremely poor taste, and the end result desecrates the Cheyenne religion. The Cheyenne do not use such garish colors. Theirs were the colors of the earth.

2) The designs are actually blasphemous to Cheyenne religion,
portraying their religious motifs in the worst possible manner,
making a mockery of the religious beliefs and the theological system of the people.

There are so many irreligious and irreverent inaccuracies in
this book that a committee of the Northern Cheyenne is now examining it in detail.** The reaction of Cheyenne people at Lame Deer was disbelief and anger: "Bunk!"

1) His description of the Sun dance is WRONG.

2) His drawing of the Sun Dance Lodge is NOT Cheyenne.

3) The Four Sacred Directions are INACCURATELY described as north-south-east-west. They are in fact the northeast-northwest-southeast-southwest.

4) The sacred number given is WRONG.

5) The Cheyenne shield colors are WRONG. They are red, black, white, and yellow, not the monstrosity of color shown in the plates.

6) The shield designs are WRONG and actually BLASPHEME the Cheyenne religion.

The publisher has boasted this will be a best seller. Not
surprising. This is a White Man's interpretation of the Cheyenne. A reader searching for a true interpretation of the Cheyenne people will not find it in this book.

It is most unfortunate that this author, who has no religious
or secular status in the tribe, is so presumptuous as to
bestow "Indian" names upon his White benefactor, Douglas Latimer, a vice president of Harper and Row. Only the tribe and religious leaders can do this. In performing such an irreligious act, Storm has outraged and insulted the Cheyenne, their tribal traditions, and religion. On the other hand, it is inconceivable any self respecting individual would accept a pseudo-Indian name given by one who is not authorized to do so. No self respecting Indian would do it either. It is ump quah, as we say.

This reviewer wonders whether Storm is attempting to create a
new theology for the Cheyenne.*** If so he has failed, and succeeded only in vulgarizing one of the most beautiful but least known religions of man.
-------------

This review originally appeared in The Indian Historian, Vol. 5, No. 2, Summer 1972. The emphases and numbering were added.

*Subsequent research has turned up two possibilities not known at the time Costo wrote his review. Storm's real first name is Charles or Chuck. At other times he has also taken the pseudonyms "Wolf Storm" or "General Storm." He is, in fact, German-American, and is blue-eyed, blond-haired, and fair-skinned. A few Native people have come forward claiming to be relatives of his, and it's possible he may have a small amount of Crow ancestry. These distant Crow relatives in turn have Cheyenne relatives, which may account for how he was
deceitfullyenrolled.

** Storm's publisher Harper and Row escaped a lawsuit by publishing the book as fiction. (They also paid what the Cheyenne openly called "reparations" for the damage done by Storm's book.) At the same time, Storm and the inner circle of his cult followers maintain his books are absolutely and literally true.

***Storm remains a pariah to the Cheyenne. There is no sign of any Cheyenne accepting his blasphemous take on Cheyenne belief. Storm himself has never lived among the Cheyenne, and today lives near the Crow reservation on the profits from his books. His appearances to promote his blasphemy of Cheyenne beliefs are always heavily protested. ... Read more

Book Description

Red Cloud was the only Native American leader ever to win a waragainst the United States Army.Here, for the first time in print, isRed Cloud's "as-told-to" autobiography in which he shares the story ofhis early years. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Good Portrait of a Brave and Intelligent Warrior.
This is quick read, but well worth it. On occasion the editor lacks detail, but the content is very useful for anyone seeking a greater grasp of life as an Oglalas Sioux.

A valued mirror to the world of the culture, nation & man.
The story of the rediscovery of The Autobiography Of Red Cloud is told in the introduction. Though much edited, the narrative derives from talks between Red Cloud and Samuel Deon, an old trader friend, recounted to Charles Allen, contemporary postmaster at Pine Ridge. The Autobiography Of Red Cloud spans the life experiences of Red Cloud up to 1865-66, the time when the Oglala chose the war path against whites. Written in the third person and otherwise heavily edited, The Autobiography Of Red Cloud tells much of Oglala life and war practices prior to 1865. These reminiscences detail Red Cloud's experience in war with his Tribe's traditional enemies - Shoshones, Pawnees, Arikaras, Arapaho, and Crow. A vivid picture of Lakota plains life at the height of glory days emerges. The high regard for honorable battle with a worthy adversary, the daily and seasonal patterns and activities of the tribe and many daring exploits establish the foundation for Red Cloud's well deserved reputation as war leader. A picture of a shrewd, astute man with uncanny timing emerges. Also delineated like a war bonnet is the habit of command, not always easily held among the Lakota. Another of Red Cloud's demonstrated skills is the ability to analyze a natural setting and then use it to tactical advantage, as well as to predict the plans and moves of his enemy. The sometimes close relationship between enemy tribes is richly described or inferred. To read The Autobiography Of Red Cloud is to have some experience of that 200 plus year old life of the Plains Indians - hunting buffalo, riding and stealing horses, following the game in season, etc. that so briefly held full flower before white settlement took over. In the aftermath even today, it will be a valuable mirror to the world of the culture, the nation, and the man.

Nancy Lorraine Reviewer ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Surprising Impact: Pocahontas in Virginia and England
This is a captivating tale of the Powhatans and their Pocahontas, or Matoaka as she was known. Born the daughter of the powerful Powhatan, it's almost as though she were placed by providence at the juncture of the English and the eastern woodlands Indians.

Just ten when the Jamestown settlers arrived in 1607, she became early known for her cheer and joy in seeking friends amongst the colonists. But clashes came, and her aging father sought to expel the settlers, and almost succeeded, with the help the colonists' starvation and disease. Three years after their arrival, the colony was abandoned, the departing ships at the mouth of the James waiting for the morning tide to carry them to England.

The relief ships pulled into view at that instant, a miraculous event, and Jamestown survived, and in time established a firm foothold in Virginia. Clashes with the Powhatans continued, however, and the colonists captured Pocahontas as a hostage against the relief of the Indian-held English captives. In her captivity, which seems to have been a friendly one, she was converted to Christianity-- the stories of her memorizing the various church liturgies are dear-- and married the young colonist John Rolfe. Her father agreed to abandon his war against the settlers, and indeed touchingly sent a string of fresh water pearls for her wedding and deeded land to Rolfe. There were to be eight years of peace following their union.

The Virginia Company saw advantage to her traveling to London with her new husband, and by then young Thomas Rolfe, their child. They arrived in England in 1616, and she was received as royalty by King James and Queen Ann, and met many of the English notables of the day. But the climate took its toll, and she succumbed to tuberculosis or smallpox on the very eve of their departure for Virginia. She died in Gravesend in Kent County, and lies today in the little St. George's Churchyard there.

Her monument is the peace which allowed the English the final foothold in Virginia, in spite of its eventual price on the Indians. Barely twenty when she died, she is recalled as a sprightly girl, an evocation of an America long gone.

Woodward's book is filled with details and documentation, and well worth a five-star read! What she omits, however, is that Pocahontas is survived by thousands of American descendants today, each carrying her memory in their blood as the 400th anniversary of that first north American colony nears. ... Read more