Book Description

A great hunter, Little Water has a special gift – he can communicate with the animals of the forest, who respect him. One day, when Little Water returns from the hunt, he finds his village silent. Everyone is very sick, and the medicine man cannot cure them. He instructs Little Water to seek help from the animals. But Little Water is caught in a terrible storm and injured. The animals come to his help and give him knowledge of their healing powers. With their help, Little Water is able to save the villagers, who never forget the gift from the forest animals. ... Read more

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The Seneca legend about the gift of the animals
"Little Water and the Gift of the Animals: A Seneca Legend" is a story that represents the high regard Native Americans hold for the natural world in which they live. Young readers are probably familiar with how the Native Americans relied on certain animals for food and clothing, but in this story author-illustrator C. J. Taylor shows how they also used to provide medicine for both the body and the spirit. It also reflects the tradition of only taking what was needed and always giving thanks to the animals that provided such gifts.

Little Water is a young hunter of the Seneca, who were the westernmost and largest tribe of the Iroquois Confederacy (a.k.a. The Five Nations), inhabiting parts of what is now northwestern New York state. However, Little Water does not always hunt when he goes into the forest because he had the special gift of being able to talk to the animals. In doing so his special friend was Wolf, who sometimes seemed to know what Little Water was thinking without them speaking at all. One day Little Water's grandfather, Stone Owl, tells him that a terrible sickness has come over the village that his medicine cannot cure. It is up to Little Water to go into the forest and ask for the help of the animals.

Taylor tells the story of what happened when Little Water was injured during his search and how the animals of the forest came to his rescue because he had always shown them kindness and respect. As Taylor points out at the end of her book, the Little Water Society still exists among the tribes of the Confederacy, which shows the relevancy of the legend in today's world. In fact, "Little Water and the Gift of the Animals" is a retelling of "The Grateful Animals, a legend of the Little Water Society." This is a rather simple tale, but young readers will appreciate how each of the gifts bestowed by the animals gets used by Little Water's tribe, even though the book only touches briefly on those specifics. Consequently, this book would make a nice story for teachers to use to reinforce such practices amongst the Native Americans in a unit studying their cultures. ... Read more

Book Description

When the buffalo herds fail to appear one spring, a village in the Black Hills of South Dakota finds itself in turmoil: the people grow selfish and the elders lose their authority. But a beautiful woman comes, bearing a message. Only if the people learn to cooperate in the building of a great tipi, will she return with the first peace pipe and the rules of how it must be offered to the earth. Her message delivered, she returns to the hills and is transformed into a white buffalo, which in turn becomes a grazing herd. ... Read more

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The Oglala legend of the origin of the peace pipe
Although the title of "The Secret of the White Buffalo" mentions the sacred white buffalo that is a part of many Native American legends, the story retold and illustrated by C. J. Taylor in this volume is actually about how the peace pipe was brought to the Oglala people. The peace pipe is still one of the great symbols of brotherhood and friendship, and while every tribe has its own legend about its origin, it is not surprising that the Oglala's origin story is mixed with that of the legend of the white buffalo as well.

The story begins with one village in the Black Hills of South Dakota where it has been a long, cold winter and the people are growing restless waiting for spring. The elders know that when the buffalo return in the spring everything will be better, but when the weather grows warm the buffalo do not return and the tribe's two best scouts, Black Knife and Blue Cloud, are sent to search for the herds. They do not find the buffalo, but they are approached by a beautiful woman who gives one of them a message to be delivered to the people of the village. Tell are to stop fighting and to prove they can work together by building a great tipi in the center of the village in which she can live. When the village has done as she has requested, the woman comes to the tipi and tells the people that she has a gift for them.

Teachers who use "The Secret of the White Buffalo" in classes will want to take advantage of the information that Taylor provides on the last page of the book where she talks about the Oglala Sioux. Young students being told this tale will need to appreciate the importance of the buffalo as the basis for the domestic economy of the Plains tribes. For these people the return of the herds each spring was uncertain, which was why there were rituals and prayers designed to persuade the buffalo to come back in the spring.

There is a Lakota version of this story that is essentially the same, although it talks about how the beautiful woman comes to the village not only to give a gift but to see Buffalo Walking Upright, who is an especially good man to whom she gives a sacred prayer. Consequently, the version that Taylor tells her is pretty much the most popular of the legends surrounding the origin of the peace pipe, although she does make the story appropriate for kids in telling what the beautiful woman does to the young warrior who does not respect her.

Taylor has produced a series of such books retelling Native American legends, such as "How Two-Feather Was Saved From Loneliness," "The Ghost and the Lone Warrior," and "Little Water and the gift of animals." Each tells its story in a simple and direct style while the accompanying oil paintings make use of the vivid colors of nature. In reviewing these books several publications have talked about Taylor's work as being uniquely Canadian, but certainly there value extends to young readers south of the border as well.

White Buffalo Calf Woman brings the Pipe to the Sioux
As a member of the Santee Sioux, I grew up with this story about White Buffalo Calf Woman. This is a central and integral story of the Dakota/Nakota/Lakota (called Sioux by Anglo-Americans)people. This is a theological story, a story of how the Dakota received the gift of the pipe and its meaning as a communion of the peoples, creation, and reality. This is a lovely re-telling of the story with wonderful illustrations. The themes of unity, thanksgiving, rightful living, and spiritual preperation are seen throughout this short story. Both children and adults will enjoy and value this book. ... Read more

Book Description

How did people come to inhabit the Earth? Were bones, collected in a basket, changed into people and scattered East, West, North, South? Perhaps animals formed the Earth from moss floating on a raft after a great flood. Or did the first woman fall through a hole in the sky to make her home on the back of a turtle? Did souls emerge from a dark underworld by climbing a grapevine? A wonderful collection of stories taken from Chuckchee, Cree, Mandan, Modoc, Mohawk, Osage, and Zuñi legends.
... Read more

Book Description

Iceman sits by his small fire, feeling old and tired after a long winter. Suddenly, a spry young man with a wreath of sweetgrass around his neck appears at the campsite with a message. Iceman tells the stranger, called New Dawn, of his powers: how his cold breath turned leaves brown and blew them from the trees, how he made bears and beavers hide in their dens, how he shook his head and caused snowdrifts to form. New Dawn then delivers his message, which is the coming of Spring. As he sings his song, he grows stronger and taller, the snows melt, birds return to the budding trees, and Iceman retires for the next season. ... Read more

Book Description

All peoples have their own stories of how the Earth was created, what separated the land from the seas, and how the many animals, fish, and other creatures came to have their particular characteristics. The native tribes of North America are no different: they too have stories about the “way things began.” A fascinating collection of tales that explain the origins of tornadoes, forest fires, butterflies, horses, Niagara Falls, why dogs are our best friends, and even a very funny story of why owls and rabbits look the way they do. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The Seneca legend about the gift of the animals
"Little Water and the Gift of the Animals: A Seneca Legend" is a story that represents the high regard Native Americans hold for the natural world in which they live.Young readers are probably familiar with how the Native Americans relied on certain animals for food and clothing, but in this story author-illustrator C. J. Taylor shows how they also used to provide medicine for both the body and the spirit.It also reflects the tradition of only taking what was needed and always giving thanks to the animals that provided such gifts.

Little Water is a young hunter of the Seneca, who were the westernmost and largest tribe of the Iroquois Confederacy (a.k.a. The Five Nations), inhabiting parts of what is now northwestern New York state.However, Little Water does not always hunt when he goes into the forest because he had the special gift of being able to talk to the animals.In doing so his special friend was Wolf, who sometimes seemed to know what Little Water was thinking without them speaking at all.One day Little Water's grandfather, Stone Owl, tells him that a terrible sickness has come over the village that his medicine cannot cure.It is up to Little Water to go into the forest and ask for the help of the animals.

Taylor tells the story of what happened when Little Water was injured during his search and how the animals of the forest came to his rescue because he had always shown them kindness and respect.As Taylor points out at the end of her book, the Little Water Society still exists among the tribes of the Confederacy, which shows the relevancy of the legend in today's world.In fact, "Little Water and the Gift of the Animals" is a retelling of "The Grateful Animals, a legend of the Little Water Society." This is a rather simple tale, but young readers will appreciate how each of the gifts bestowed by the animals gets used by Little Water's tribe, even though the book only touches briefly on those specifics.Consequently, this book would make a nice story for teachers to use to reinforce such practices amongst the Native Americans in a unit studying their cultures. ... Read more

Book Description

Crippled in an accident and left behind by his hunting party, Lone Warrior must overcome hunger, cold, pain, and despair to survive. But most terrifying of all his trials is the appearance of a skeleton-ghost arisen from the grave. That Lone Warrior can still remember to express his gratitude to the animal he must kill to survive, and that he does not allow fear to diminish his dignity, makes him an ideal hero. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The Araphao legend of the Lame Warrior and the Skeleton
"The Ghost and Lone Warrior" is a retelling by C. J. "Carrie" Taylor of the Arapaho legend of "The Lame Warrior and the Skeleton."Lone Warrior is leader of a hunting part who hurts his ankle in an accident while crossing a stream.The next morning his ankle is so swollen that he cannot walk, so he sends his friends on without him, promising to return to the village on his own as soon as he can.His friends build a lean-to against the mountainside and put food and firewood within his reach so that he will be comfortable.But his ankle does not heal and when his food runs out the snow comes and Lone Warrior is in trouble.

Before things get too bad Lone Warrior drags himself out to find food and is able to slay a buffalo, even when he is unable to walk.But when he drags himself and his food back to camp he has a visitor: a frightening skeleton-ghost wearing a red cloak.What he tells the Lone Warrior is not only surprising but significance, and makes this an important Araphao legend about courage and endurance.It also provides insights into the values that the Arapahos felt their leaders needed to posses and puts the actions of Lone Warrior as he faces his challenges alone in a new and revealing light.However, I think I actually like the original name of the legend a bit more, knowing that his lone, lame warrior will end up being a mighty chief.

In her afterword Taylor makes the claim that not only are the Arapaho are famous as the great buffalo hunters of the Plains, but that many of the stereotypes about the Indians seem to be based on them.However, this legend comes from a time before horses were first introduced by the Spanish conquistadors to North America, which will compel young readers to rethink their assumptions about what life was like for these people.The story of "The Ghost and Lone Warrior" continues the series of native legends reflecting the mystical and traditional lifestyles of North American Indians in Canada that Taylor began retelling and illustrating with "How Two-Feather Was Saved From Loneliness."

A respectful retelling of an Arapahoe legend.
This book is a lovely retelling of the Arapahoe legend of "The Lame Warrior and the Skeleton".In its ten pages, the writer touches on the characteristics of leadership.The illustrations are beautiful and meaningful.This would be a great book to read with a child to discuss such themes as leadership, death, interrelatedness, and thanksgiving.It is truly a beautiful book and story. ... Read more

Book Description

Two-Feather had been wandering all winter, lonely and hungry. One spring night he goes to sleep to forget the despair, only to be awakened by a voice calling his name. It is a woman, so beautiful that Two-Feather immediately falls in love with her, and begs for her to stay with him forever. The woman leads him over mountains and through forests. Two-Feather obeys her every command, even the last, most difficult, only to find she has left him, but not without ensuring that he will never be lonely or hungry again. ... Read more

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The Abenaki legend of the origin of fire and corn
"How Two-Feather was Saved from Loneliness" retells the Abenaki legend of how both fire and corn were brought into the world, thereby having a great impact on the lives of the early humans in North America. This story in set long ago, before anyone knew how to make fire, and there were few people who wandered far searching for food. All winter long Two-Feather had met no one and had nothing to eat but the bark from the trees and the roots he dug out from under the snow. So he was glad when spring came for he had fresh water to drink and count find food to eat, but he was still lonely and wished he could just see another face.

One day when Two-Feather lay down to sleep on the soft moss to forget his loneliness, he woke up when he heard a voice calling his name. When he opens his eyes he sees a strange but beautiful woman. Time and time again Two-Feather tried to touch the woman, but he could not get close enough to do that, so instead he made a drum and in the moonlight sang of his love for her. Because he is so lonely and she is so lovely he begs her to stay with him forever. But the strange woman announces that she has come to look after Two-Feather, and if he does what she says, he will never be lonely again.

The story retold and illustrated by C. J. Taylor, an Indian artist, is unusual is that it combines three origins into one legend. In addition to including the origins of fire and corn, "How Two-Feather was Saved from Loneliness" also tells how communal life began for the Native Americans. Young readers will be interested to learn that before plowing was known the main way in which land was cleared for planting was by burning away the vegetation. With the start of farming it was possible for Native American peoples to stop living the nomadic lives of the hunter and to gather into settled communities instead. This was the first of several books depicting Native America legends, and in terms of the story it tells it is arguably the best I have read to date.

"How Two-Feather was Saved from Loneliness" is a retelling of the legend "The Origin of Corn." The Abenaki settled a vast expanse of territory, from the coast of Main west to Lake Champlain in New York State as well as north to Quebec and south to North Carolina. The Eastern Abenaki tribes lived primarily by hunting and fishing before the arrival of the European settlers, while the Western Abenaki tribes raised large crops of maize, which suggests the legend originated with them. This legend is also a story of unrequited love, but most importantly it explains the origin of a couple of key parts of Abenaki life and gives them the aura of mysticism. As always, young readers will find the key Native American ideal of living in harmony with nature. ... Read more

Book Description

A wonderfully gruesome group of not-so-benign creatures from native North American folklore. In these tales, readers learn of a witch who steals buffalo and the coyote who steals them back, a giant fish that kills anyone who ventures on a lake, a greedy giant who drinks all the water on earth and another giant who drinks blood. More importantly, we meet the brave people and animals who subdue these creatures through a combination of luck, skill, and old-fashioned courage. ... Read more