Native American Books

Fool's Crow is one of the great holy men of the Lakota tradition. As a while man, I have been fortunate to take part in ceremony, chiefly in the Ute and Lakota traditions. In these days when wantabee teachers are charging for ceremony, true teachers do not charge for ceremony. There is controversy whether whites should be in ceremony. Those that allow this say that the creator looks at the heart. Walking the red road is both hard and joyful. Even though I been in ceremony for many years, I never understood the inner workings, until I read this book. It sheds light on both the teachings of Christ, and the Red Road. This book is a must read.
Randy Kemp
www.randykempcopywriting.com

This is a very enlightening book. Finally, it seems someone has had the courage to divulge some of the more esoteric teachings of Native American spirituality. I have studied esoteric teachings for many years, and there is far between books like these that really gives you many and deep insights. Definitely a book that can be read many times, and each time you will get something more out of it. A far cry from the books of "plastic medicine men". T. ex you can buy books out there that tells you how to make your own medicine wheel, even coming from a non-native background. This book will tell you that you are not reallly ready for any such thing before AT LEAST 30 years of study and practice. No quick-fixes here! As non-natives we need to have an very deep respect for Native American spirituality. First we took their land, then we prohibited their religion and language, forcing their children to go to boarding schools in order to brainwash them into Churchianity and capitalism (this first ended in 1970!!), and THEN well-meaning, if ignorant, people come and demand to be initiated into their spirituality, taking Indian names, charging money for teachings, etc. I do believe we can learn from them, if we will listen with an attitude of respect.It is wonderful that Chokecherry Call Eagle had the mission and the courage to publish the teachings in this book. An extremely honest and higly recommendable book..!

This book was a delightful surprise! The author's words and opinions spoke loudly to me and I appreciate his candor and willingness to present the story and information in a way that is more easily understood by people who are not steeped in the traditions and concepts of Native American Spirituality. While the book was very interesting and entertaining, the most important impact this book had on me was triggering a lot of introspection and thought on my own beliefs, particularly in regard to Native American spirituality. The author's sincerity and seriousness about the subject matter were refreshing, and the depth of his committment is obvious. There is one thing about this subject, book, and author that I was left with to chew on that I have thought of many times before and still have not found much resolution on. For people who are sincerely trying to learn from this Red Road in order to make themselves a better human being, the author's personal experiences are enviable. There is so much "stuff" out there and so few people who truly have the traditional knowledge and the sincere commitment, that experiencing the "real" thing when it comes to interaction with people tends to be the exception rather than the rule. I guess we all have to do as best we can, stay sincere and committed, and trust that the Creator will provide us with the appropriate guidance and direction. In closing, I would like to thank Mr. Gall Eagle for his willingness to share his life experiences, his knowledge, and his wisdom; but mostly I would like to thank him for simply being who he is and living the life he is living. There is much in this book for people to learn from, if you take the time to look within and examine yourself honestly. Take time to sit and "Cogitate" (as my grandfather used to say), to let the messages and wisdom that are there for you individually, manifest themselves. There is much here below the surface for those who ernestly seek.

I read a lot of books on Native American spirituality, Christianity and other spiritual paths, and I don't think I have ever encountered one this good. Chokecherry Gall Eagle has led a truly amazing and unparalleled life. The wisdom he has gained and the fact that he is willing to share this knowledge with everyone is still amazing me. There are so many lessons to be learned from what he has to say. I have read it twice and I am sure will read it many more times, just to soak in as much as I can. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in any aspect of spirituality, or to anyone who wants to read an amazing story.

It has been 140 years since that dark dawn rose over the eastern plains of Colorado bathing the land in blood and gore at Sand Creek. Countless books have been written about the subject, and its story has been recounted in film. Today, there are those who believe it was a massacre, others it was a battle that turned into a massacre, but to all academic historians Chivington's attack upon a sleeping village of Cheyenne and Arapaho was nothing but a massacre turned into a blood bath of unspeakable horror.

A new book by Thom Hatch is now available entitled, "Black Kettle: The Cheyenne Chief Who Sought Peace But Found War" The book is the first ever written biography about the Cheyenne leader. And, Sand Creek is at the center of Black Kettle's life.

Black Kettle is more than a story of one man's life. The story Hatch shares is rich in Plains Indian culture focusing on the Cheyenne people along with their form of government, laws, religion, courtship, and military society. The narrative follows the Cheyenne relationships with other tribes that were both productive and destructive. Hatch also describes life for the Cheyenne after the white man enters the scene. Hatch's passages about the warrior societies are filled with pageantry, color, and ritual.

Much of what Hatch discusses in this portion of the book has been written before, but Black Kettle finally becomes a human being instead of just a symbol of the wrongs committed against the Indians. After Black Kettle witnessed the peace gathering between his people and the Kiowas, Hatch explains its effect upon the Cheyenne leader.

"Perhaps this event made enough of an impression upon Black Kettle that it served as a lesson in shaping his future role as a man who believed that peace with any enemy - even the white man - was attainable if both parties were honorable and sincere with their promise to become friends."

The centerpiece of any story around Black Kettle has to be the Sand Creek Massacre and Hatch does not disappoint the reader. There can be no honest telling of Sand Creek that doesn't move the reader, and the story of Black Kettle at Sand Creek is powerful. Black Kettle leads as many of his people as he can to safety to the Sand Pits except for his wife, Medicine Woman Later, who is shot down near the creek in a hail of bullets.

At twilight, Black Kettle returns to find his wife as the soldiers commit the atrocities around him. Finding Medicine Woman Later still alive, Black Kettle carries her on his back for miles until he catches-up with the survivors, who by now are moving northeast away from the killing field. Putting his wife on a horse, Black Kettle leads his people to the Dog Soldier camps.

So ends the Sand Creek Massacre, but far more of the life of Black Kettle follows. A true leader is one that stands up for what he believes, never wavers, and makes decisions based solely on the betterment of his people, not for how it might make his life better. Black Kettle was such a leader. Black Kettle continued to sue for peace from the white man, even after Sand Creek, even though many of his people chastised him for it, even though the intimidation of the Dog Soldiers tried to stop him. Black Kettle knew his people would be doomed if they continued to fight the people moving into their lands. He believed peace was the only choice the Cheyenne had to save what they could of their way of life.

Tom Hatch brings us the complete life of Black Kettle -- his analysis of the man's life and the events surrounding it is fresh, bold, and provides new challenges for future researches.

Thom Hatch hits the mark on Cheyenne Indian Chief Black Kettle's efforts to uphold peaceful relations throughout manifest destiny. Despite broken treaty after broken treaty by the government and gluttonous bone-headed army generals with personal vendettas and lack of respect for the Indians, it is a wonder that Black Kettle maintained his philosophy on peace for so many years.
It is disheartening that the vision of peace is what eventually killed him along with many of his people.
If surviving the brutal and senseless butchery of Sand Creek Massacre by egotistical Colonel Chivington wasn't enough punishment, Black Kettle was to soon afterwards undergo additional tests of endurance from the thoughtless and misguided behavior of the U. S. military and government.
A very persuasive, gripping and touching account of one man's dream of peace.

This work explores the efforts of a great Cheyenne chief who, despite his betrayal by the white man, continued his search for peace, only to lose his life in the process. It reveals how Black Kettle stood in stark contrast to Chivington, Sherman, Sheridan, Custer and others, who enthusiastically effected our government's policy of destroying the culture of the Plains Indians and killing, with little or no excuse, innocent tribal menbers. Make no mistake, there were elements within the tribes who were no better. However, one cannot read this well-written account without coming away with a sense of revulsion toward those members of the white power structure and our military who made so little effort to understand a people who were different and to treat them with the respect they deserved. Read this book if you want to know more than one will find within the usual histories written by the victors.

The title should read, "Black Kettle, the Cheyenne Chief who Sought Life and Found Only Death". This is a difficult book to read because the story is not only true but shameful. As someone from Colorado, I was horrified to learn many of our streets and city areas are named after men who were often theives, liars, opportunists and some even condoned the murder of the Native Americans. One tries to frame the story in the context of the time and the ignorance and the misunderstandings of the of white America, yet in 2005 the site of the Sand Creek massacre is a minor footnote that most Coloradians are unaware and The Black Hills still have not been returned to the Souix, so has our sense of justice towards Native Americans really changed? The book does a excellent, informative telling of the story of a very shameful part of Colorado and American history.This is the story of an exceptional man who rightly always believed in peace but wrongly believed in the U.S. government. We should be reminded of this past and never forget the genocide that was carried out in the country in the name of westward expansion. Black Kettle should be remembered as man who was as great in statue as any American hero.

Mary Ellen Miller and the late Linda Schele put this book together in 1986. The field of Mayan studies is a fast-moving arena, and Mayanists already know a lot more now than they did when this book came out, but in my opinion this book is still the place to start if you want to begin learning about the Maya.

For one thing, the photography of the artwork is fantastic - the book is worth acquiring for that alone. Secondly, the commentary is by the greatest names in the field, including an introduction by Michael Coe. Thirdly, the book never strays from academic discipline, unlike a great deal of New Agey-type material written about the Maya. In fact, the book studiously avoids making any observations that cannot be substantiated - perhaps a reaction in the field of Mayan studies against the sometimes too pat assumptions that Eric Thompson made when he dominated the subject. Fourthly, it covers all the major cultural features of the Maya, providing abundant commentary on each piece of art portrayed. Last but not least, it tackles the thorny subject of Maya iconography. This is a field about which we already know a great deal more about now than we knew in 1986, but in fact if the book were written today there is probably very little that would actually be changed.

The book was printed in Japan, for some reason. No harm in that - the Japanese have a tradition, and a reputation, of producing quality bindings and excellent photographic reproductions, both of which are evident in this edition and which add to the quality of the book. I can't recommend it too highly to anyone interested in the Maya.

It is nearly twenty years since this book was published in 1986 as part of an exhibition at the Kimball Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas during the Texas Sesquicentennial. This book was and remains a triumph. We still mourn the loss of Linda Schele and are grateful the Mary Ellen Miller continues her work and teaching at Yale.

The book makes clear the Mayan Kings were not Emperors. They were rulers of city-states that competed with one another. They also had a spiritual role in the life of those they ruled. This book discusses how one became a Mayan King, life in the court, the role of bloodletting and visions (hallucinations?), warfare and human sacrifice, the all-important ballgame, the Mayan concept of afterlife and Xibalba, and the Mayan view of the cosmos. All fascinating topics and the articles are written quite well. I find them to be a captivating read.

The selection of images for the book is fabulous. This book can make a wonderful coffee table book, they are that beautiful. However, the articles are far superior to most books you find on coffee tables. I remember seeing Maya Blue (the shade that the Mayans painted on a great many of the monuments and sculptures) for the first time in this book. Having seen it in person since then I can tell you the shade is captured very faithfully in the photographs in this book.

Much has been written since 1986 and new discoveries and new examinations of existing discoveries deepen our understanding of the Maya. But this book still stands strong and valuable. It is not too technical for the general reader and still has value for the student. I am glad to have my copy on a shelf of favorite books.

The Blood of Kings by Linda Schele and MAry Ellen Miller was written on the occasion of the Kimbell Art Mesuem's exhibition of Maya Art in 1986. The hope was to draw attention to the rich legacy of Maya art along with a book that would give texture to these artistic recordings of the singificant ritual events in the lives of the Maya. What better way, since art has been our keyhole to understanding the magnificance of there thought, language, science and culture? Schele and Miller do an incredble job of focusing on these artifacts to bring us inside the current understanding of what th experts perceive the maya ritual and life to be about-- including the deciperment of the syllables of the maya language.

The book begins with a history of the road to understanding the Maya culture, complete with its meadering and diversions. This "age" delights in knowing that the Maya are filled with blood, both their own in bloodletting and those of captives that they sacrifice, unlike previous interpretations of a more peaceful existence. Blood, the ooze of life, was offered to eh gods in hopres that they would continue to give their ooze of sap, rain and other life-sustaining things. The book is based on 8 sections of art and interpretation: person, accession rites, courtly life, bloodletting, captives, the ballgame, and death, and the kingship of the Maya Cosmos. Of note as weel is the colors on p.158 where one can get an interpration of what the colors might have been in the Classic period.

In this book Coe prefaces the book commenting on the profound understandng that the world of the Maya is filled with notions of death. But the myth of the Mayas is that the hero twins went to the underworld and by trickery defeated death and those rose to take their place in the Mayan night sky. Perhaps these indiscernible Maya have continued to trick us as well in our attempts to traverse the road of their culture-- and their greatest preoccupation, enscribed on their ceramics and reliefs ---is not death, but life, in all its oozing forms.

When I went through school the Maya were peace loving agriculturists that invented a lot of neat stuff, especially in astronomy and calendars. We even looked at some of the writing. To bad we did not look a little closer.

Look at the cover of the book ad you will see a Mayan pulling a rope with knots in it through his tongue. The also had plenty of blood thirsty rituals and rivalries with neighboring Mayans. Their underworld is a place full of farts.

I bought this book as part of an exhibit at Kimball Art Museum in Fort Worth. I am still a member.

The book its self is oversized and has lots of glossy pictures. There are a lot of good references to other books and articles on the Myna.

After reading this book and getting a good overview of what Maya really is, you may want to find some of their writing "Popol Vuh : The Definitive Edition Of The Mayan Book Of The Dawn Of Life And The Glories Of" by Dennis Tedlock.

We bought this for our daughter since she loves dragonflies. Tony Hillerman has wrote many good books for adults and we thought we would try this children's book. It is a Zuni story of creation and has good morals and teaches how we should live and not be greedy. I recommend this book for all.

This retelling of a Zuni tale is very refreshing....an excellent book to share with your children. The story is strong in its content, and the life examples of cause and effect, how one behavior causes negative results, and how a positive behavior can cause a positive result.

This legend brings the reader into the lives of an ancient people, and one young boy. You share the journey, and rejoice in the conclusion.

I have shared this book with many friends, all of whom enjoyed the book.

I would compare this book, in quality of writing and content, to Mary Stewart's "A Walk In Wolf Wood".

"And because you have made me out of unselfish love you have touched me with life"

This is a transcript of a story that was verbally passed down through the generations of the Zuni. It was recorded in 1883 by Frank Hamilton Cushing. He had become a chief Priest of the Bow society of the Macaw Clan. The story is based on a drought that happened to the Ha'wi-k'uh about 1300; before the coming of the Europeans (1539-1540).
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The basic tail is of a people that treated food like mud, and were extremely rude to their corn sprits that were in the form of two old ladies. Only two children and a discarded old woman paid them any respect. This was very bad as the Zuni is part of nature and therefore nature and strangers are to be treated with respect.

Thus the story is of the drought that sent the people away and leaving the two children and old lady behind.
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The version I read was illustrated by Lazlo Kubinyi. It is out of print so I am ordering the one illustrated by Janet Grado. Other things I found interesting is that some of the places and things we read about in this story became titles of Hillerman books.

Hillerman brings to life this story from the Zuni, a Pueblo People of New Mexico. As the cover jacket says, this is "intended to teach both history and morality of a people", like an Old Testament story. The strength of the young boy who constructs a toy insect out of corn, is both touching and has lessons for us now in how we treat others and our resources. The drawings by Janet Grado, add nicely to the story, particularly the portraits of the corn maidens and the old woman. Although suitable for children, fans of Toni Hillerman will also enjoy this.

For years, Bobby Bridger has been presenting the story of Buffalo Bill in a musical act called Pahaska, a one-hour series of enthralling songs that tell the story of Bill Cody. Now, Bridger puts down the guitar and period garb from his act to show the history behind his art. In this historical tome, Bridger shows the serious academic side of his art. This book is a must read for anyone interested in the history of the West. Bridger's look at how the modern romantic vision of the American West was created is intriguing and as captivating as his music.

For years, Bobby Bridger has been presenting the story of Buffalo Bill in a one-hour musical act that tells the story of Bill Cody in a series of enthralling songs. Now, with this historical tome, Bridger has completed the circle. This is the history behind Bobby Bridger's art. Bridger puts down the guitar and period garb used in his musical drama to show readers the serious academic side of his personality. If you want some intriguing inquiry and suggestion about how the modern vision of the romantic west was created, this book is a must read.

Bridger, decendent of the reknown Mountain man, Jim Bridger, has written an outstanding book on two of history's most colorful and enduring icons of the American west and the dynamic process that each dealt with during the late 19th century America. Bridger is one the best entertainers in American today and this book only shows a small example of his profound abilities. Years of research and documentation of historical events pays tribute to truth, justice, and injustices, of the American West. This book should be a standard fare for all collegiate history classes and for the general public at large. History is always multi-sided and Bridger illustrates that to perfection. This is a must read. It will impress both scholars and the general public. BRAVO MR. BRIDGER! We look forward to the next! Sing on Great Spirit!

For years, Bobby Bridger has been entertaining audiences musically with his Ballad of the West. One of the hour sets, Pahaska, tells the story of Buffalo Bill in what Bridger describes as Homeric ballads. Now, Bridger puts aside the guitar and period garb to show his serious academic side. "Buffalo Bill and Sitting Bull: Inventing the Wild West" is the history behind his music. This book is a must read for anyone interested in the old west and is an intriguing look into how the popular vision of it was created.

Originally published in 1917, reissued in 1987, now released again with a new introduction by Jeffrey R. Hansen, Buffalo Bird Woman's Garden presents an agricultural calendar year's activities as remembered by Buffalo Bird Woman, an accomplished Hidatsa gardener born around 1839. Buffalo Bird Woman's Garden was a doctoral dissertation by a man who believed "It is of no importance that an Indian's war costume struck the Puritan as the Devil's scheme to frighten the heart out of the Lord's annointed. What we want to know is why the Indian donned the costume, and his reasons for doing it (p.xix)." Wilson also went on to write Goodbird the Indian His Story and Waheenee: An Indian Girl's Story (biography of Buffalo Bird Woman, 1839-1921). Using biography to study a culture was effective because it highlighted the variety of traumatic cultural shifts, changes, and transmutations painfully experienced by Buffalo Bird Woman and her family. The use of empathy informs the dated, 'superior' dominant culture outlook. Buffalo Bird Woman's Garden has been called a classic anthropological document. It certainly is that and more. As a model of respectful viewing and learning, as a mirror of the complex lifeway of ;the agricultural Plains Indians, as a chronicle of human adaptation, survival and ingenuity in the face of cultural disenfranchisement, Buffalo Bird Woman's Garden sets the bar for the standard. In addition, it gives eloquent testimony to one of the enduring gifts of the Hidatsa - their varieties of corn, squash, beans, and sunflowers. Even more enduring, perhaps, is the contribution highlighted by Jeffrey Hanson: "buffalo Bird Woman's Garden is not the end, but the beginning. It is a foundation, a viewpoint, and it presents a cultural relationship with nature that we can all appreciate and from which we can all derive benefit. (p.xxiii). Buffalo Bird Woman's Garden describes planting, preparation, cultivating, harvesting and storing practices, as well as traditional songs and prayers sung to honor and encourage the garden's yield. Beautifully detailed drawings by her son Edward Goodbird illustrate Buffalo Bird Woman's descriptions of gardening and storing produce and other activities. It is easy to see that modern ethnologists and authors such as W. Michael and Kathleen O'Neal Gear drew fairly heavily from the information presented in Buffalo Bird Woman's Garden. This is an enduring testament to a lifeway revalued today perhaps more as it should be.

Nancy Lorraine, Reviewer

This is a Minnesota Historical Society reprint of the anthropological study done by Gilbert Wilson in 1917, originally published as "Agriculture of the Hidatsa Indians: An Indian Interpretation." Wilson was among the first of a new school of American anthropologists that felt Indian cultures should speak for themselves, and not be spoken for by "white man's" interpretations. Consequently, the book really is, as the subtitle says, "an Indian interpretation." Most of the text is translated directly from Buffalo Bird Woman's own words, complete with stories, jokes, and personal anecdotes about village life. By the time you are done reading it, you will feel as if you met her personally.

I bought it because I am a Minnesota gardener, so I wanted to see what tips I might pick up from the ways of the indigenous people. The book is rich with useful gardening lore, including diagrams of various tools and structures, along with detailed descriptions of the different kinds of beans, corn, and squash that the Indians grew. Plus, there are native recipes you can try.

I was surprised to learn that, when the Indians dried squash, they didn't use mature fruits with hard skins like we do today, but preferred to cut them when they were 4 days old -- at about 3 1/2 inches diameter. They were more tender that way, easier to slice, and they dried better. The best squashes were marked in the field and allowed to mature for seed.

I also found it interesting that the Indians kept the different colors of corn separate, not like the multi-colored "Indian corn" we buy today for fall decorations. Although Buffalo Bird Woman did not understand the science behind genetics, she and her fellow Hidatsa gardeners did notice that corn varieties will "travel" (her word) from one patch to another if different colors are planted too closely together. So, women with adjoining fields would agree to plant the same varieties side-by-side, to help prevent this "traveling."

The Hidatsa women also understood the principles of good seed-saving techniques, and carefully chose seed from the very best squashes and corn ears in the crop, thereby improving their strains from year to year. Composting, however, was apparently unknown. Leaves and brush were burned, not composted, and they regarded manure as a dirty substance to be removed from the garden. But the Hidatsa did know the value of fallowing, and would allow a less-productive field rest a minimum of two years to renew itself.

Some of the techniques in this book are still quite useful today. I have begun pre-spouting my squash seeds, and planting them in the SIDES of the hills instead of on top, to help prevent the heavy rains from damaging the seedlings. Some of the fencing designs have found their way into my rustic Minnesota garden, too.

This book is also a priceless resource for "living history" re-enactors or "back to the land" homesteaders who might want to know how to build a traditional corn-drying platform, a food-storage cache, a homemade rake, or any of the other tools used successfully for many centuries before the Europeans came here. Simply a delightful book!

This is a unique and irreplaceable book. In the early 20th century, the author interviewed Buffalo Bird, an old Hidasta Indian woman about Indian farming methods in the mid 19th century. The result is a primer on how the Indians grew corn and other crops on the Great Plains. Interspaced with the explanation of agricultural techniques are charming stories, songs, recipes, and ancedotes told by Buffalo Bird. She also describes how the Indians preserved their crop.

The Hidasta lived in North Dakota and this book is a primer on how to garden in the State without recourse to chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or motor powered equipment. The Hidasta grew five crops: corn, beans, squash, sunflower seeds, and tobacco. Their methods of cultivation, storage, and usage of each crop is described, usually with enough detail to be copied by the modern low-impact sustainable agriculturalist. A large number of illustrations and photographs supplement the text and show how the Indians built fences, dug storage pits, dried squash, and laid out their fields.

A good introductory essay introduces the Hidasta, Bird Woman, and the author to the reader. The whole book is only about 150 pages, but there's a wealth of cultural and agricultural information here presented in a charming and easy-to-digest format.

Smallchief

A "must have" for anyone who is interested in doing a garden using authentic Native American practices, as used in the tribes in the Missouri Valley area. Details on laying out the garden, maintaining it, food storage, construction of tools, etc. are all included with sufficient clarity for reproduction.

This was my first experience with an Elmer Kelton book and I must say I enjoyed it entirely.
I was not really in a western mood when I first started the book, so that may be why it seemed to start a little slowly to me, but after a few chapters, I must say that I was throughly pulled into the action.
The characters were portrayed very well and realistically. Elmer Kelton's West is more realistic than mythological.
Gage Jameson, the protagonist in this western novel, is heroic yet believable. He's got faults, but overall you see he is a noble and good man.
There are some minor characters in the story that you will also grow to really like before the book ends, among them the Texan cook and the old buffalo hunter Shad Blankenship.

A really interesting, involving and entertaining read. I recommend it.

I couldn't believe when I opened this up that no one else had reviewed the book! You folks are missing out. This is the book that introduced me to Elmer Kelton, which is perhaps why it's my favorite. But everything about it is SO GOOD. The guns, the buffalo hunting, the Indians, the characters. Kelton is supreme. He is far better than Louis L'AMour in his authenticity and believablility, and everyone ought to see that in this book. The only writer I know of who is neck and neck with Kelton is Kirby Jonas, whom critics call the New Louis L'Amour. That's actually a disservice though, because he's far better. He rounds out his characters. Between Kelton and Jonas, the western field is filled!

I'm not normally a lover of Westerns, but I have Mr. Kelton's granddaughter in a class I teach and she talked a lot about her author grandfather, so I finally gave in and purchased a copy of one of his books. I guess I owe the granddaughter a big "Thank you," as "Buffalo Wagons" is terrific! Gage Jameson is an unusually well-rounded character for the genre. A veteran buffalo hunter, he has seen the northern herd wiped out. While he mourns the loss of the old ways, he also acknowledges his own role in that loss. Furthermore, even as he heads south into Comanche country, he agonizes that he is contributing to more destruction of the world he loves. This does not stop him, though, for buffalo hunting is all he knows. The antagonists include the Comanches desperate to save their way of life, although they are certainly not romanticized, and some of the white men Jameson trusts to travel south with him. Kelton's vivid descriptions of the llano estacado take the reader to that inhospitable land, with all of its beauty and danger. The plot contains enough twists--always credible and logical--to keep the most particular reader satisfied. I am eager to read more of Kelton's Westerns and am highly recommending them to my students and friends.

Buffalo Wagons had a grabbing attention getter in the first chapter. It had a GREAT plot and I felt involved with the characters quickly. The story had substance. I read the last four chapters by candlelight because our lights went out and I couldn't wait to read more! This is the first Elmer Kelton book I have read, but I guarantee, I will find more of his books.

Canada's First Nations is a solid piece of scholarship detailed enough to satisfy advanced historians and well written in order to please a greater audience.

Make no mistake, this is a vast topic covering 15.000 years in history and pre-history that had to be shrunk to 560 pages only. Of course there are a few omissions, of course there needed to be some sort of selection of incidents and sources. Most of the author's choice regarding her focus can be understood easily and makes the book a good read.

The only grave criticism of which the author cannot be spared is that at some places Dickason does not sufficiently question her ancient written sources, but rather takes for granted what has been said about amerindian behavioural patterns in the 16th and 17th century.

While this can be attributed to the vast undertaking itsself, it nonetheless may be one wrong approach to sources leading to a perhaps distorted picture of amerindian ancient culture.

One example: "All Iroquoians practised torture and cannibalism"...[56].
While the first can be regarded as proven, sources related to the alledged latter behaviour are definetely not to be taken at face value, as Heidi Peter-Röcher (Kannibalismus in der Prähistorischen Forschung, Studien zu einer paradigmatischen Deutung und ihren Grundlagen.) in her doctoral thesis of 1994 (University FU Berlin) quite convincingly points out.

In fact, as Peter-Röcher succeeded to show, remarks related to cannibalism have to be taken with utmost care. Peter-Röcher goes as far as questioning the existence of such a practise in history at all and relates that there is not one single case in history when such a practise has been positively witnessed, that is neurotic missionaries - themselves living under a constant threat of getting slain - made up these stories of "Gog and Magog" in order to illustrate their braveness among the barbarians, to put it short.

Despite these flaws Canada's First Nations is a solid piece of work well worth the time it takes to read it.

This is an excellent book, which can be used as an encyclopedia for the history, traditional names, and geographical location of the Canadian Native peoples. The author has used numerous primary sources and maps and her style is very readable. Dickason gave also the aboriginal perspective of many events but in a very balanced account. The book can grasp the attention not only to professional historians dealing with Native history but also to all readers who have some general interest in the past of Canada's Amerindians.

Oliva Dickason, the Canadian doyenne of academic Amerindian history, delivers an excellent university introduction textbook to the history of the First Nations of North America, concentrating on those of Canada.

She deals with four periods: the pre-colonial era, the colonial, the 19th & mid-20th century, and the end of 20th century.

Her pre-colonial history is often speculative, since there are no written records, but much can be determined from oral tradition and archeological finds. For instance, the Iroquois confederacy was established shortly before the French landed in the mid-16th century; North America housed a diversity of distinct nations; many Amerindians cultures lived in permanent settlements; west coast nations had developed explicit property rights and had a system of land entitlement.

The colonial era was one of co-operation and alliances between the Ameridians and the Europeans settlers and soldiers. The Europeans brought their wars and diseases with them, while the First Nations brought their wars too. The partnership was equal and the First Nations on the winning side benefitted, at least until the 19th century.

From the 19th century onwards however, White rule has much to answer for. The diseases of the colonial era were brought inadvertently, but not so the 19th century land grab, or the disastrous assimilation attempts of the 20th century.

The end of the 20th century has seen a revival of Amerindian self-government. The First Nations have begun using Western institutions to their advantage. In the 1980's Elijah Harper, then member of Manitoba's provincial parliament, single-handedly, and rather heroically, derailed a Canadian constitutional accord (Lake Meech) which failed to address First Nations concerns. Earlier in the 1970s, the First Nations successfully negotiated with Hydro Quebec and created the precedent that their agreement was needed for development on their lands.

Overall, an excellent reference.

This book is a wonderful synthesis of Canadian aboriginal history. I was impressed by the author's detailed and well-balanced approach. It is neither a moral fable nor a panegyric of conquerors' exploits, but rather history as it should be told. The only downside is the book's episodic style but that is necessitated by its ambitious goal. Olive Dickason did an especially good job highlighting the different histories of Canada's natives both pre- and post-contact.

For an ending book, I'm just not completely sure there was enough excitement, or feeling of fulfillment. Sure, there was a part most people would consider to be "exciting", but it was obvious how things would turn out in the end. I think the Kaya books focused more on Kaya's life then excitment, but that's okay, because even though, looking back, I kind of wish there would have been more going on, I still enjoyed learning about Kaya's world. Once again, I don't exactly care for the "spirit" or "unknown person" used in this book, because I don't believe in anything like that, but it was only a part close to the end that had something like that, so I can't complain too much. I do think this book had one happy little surprise, which I won't give away. The history pages in the back of this book were interesting, and helped me to understand and respect the Nez Perce a little more. The pictures in the story part of the book were beautiful, and I think whoever painted/drew them should continue to make art for American Girl.

Overall, I would say Kaya was a very good series that I am happy to have read. I recommend it to any girl who loves to read.

In "Changes for Kaya"(Book 6 in the series), readers see how Kaya has changed since the first book, "Meet Kaya". She is a courageous girl who has also learned to trust the wisdom of her elders and not rush impulsively into doing things for herself. She is learning to be patient and understand when it is time to get adult or tribal help. Her developing wisdom is rewarded when she has the opportunity to be reunited with her beloved lost horse and a new surprise-her foal! Earlier losses become gifts that bring her to a stronger sense of herself and her place in the tribe. She comes to the awareness that she is growing up and will soon be ready for her vision quest. With the lessons she has learned, she knows that she can face it with the patience and confidence of a leader.

"Changes for Kaya" is the sixth and last book about Kaya. In it, we see how she has changed. When the scouts deliver news that there is a rogue herd of Nimipuu horses in the mountains, Kaya and her father and Raven go investigate one day when they aren't involved in the hunt for elk. Kaya gets her beloved horse, but there's a forest fire in the mountains. Can she save herself--and her horse--in time before they get hurt by the fire? This is the only book I felt deserved 5 stars in the Kaya series. The rest have been lacking a little. This one is the best of the lot.

This is another in the American Girls series about Kaya'aton'my', a nine-year-old Native-American girl growing up among the Nez Perce people in 1764. After her many adventures, Kaya's life is settling back down, and she is even ending her period of morning for her mentor, Swan Circling. The only thing truly missing from her life is her horse, Steps High. When scouts return with the information that there is a herd of apparently escaped Nez Perce horses in the hill, her hope begins to burn bright. However, when Kaya finds is not what she expects, and great courage is needed.

This is the final, full-length Kaya book, and it is every bit as excellent as the others! My eleven-year-old daughter is now the proud owner of a Kaya doll, which she loves, like she loves this book! We both highly recommend this book to you!

I have had this book and gave it to a friend and now I have to replace it. I depended on the daily mediations to give me a positive or clear thought to start my day. It parallels the daily mediations of christianity so closely it makes you realize there truely is only one "Great Spirit". This book has enhanced my life. Until I found this book I only had my christian beliefs of mediations. Now I have something that I can relate to through heritage. I have shared the passages in this book with many friends and it has touched their hearts as deeply as mine. Thank you Joyce Sequichie Hifler.

Inspirational books always failed to inspire me until "A Cherokee Feast of Days." Joyce Sequitchie Hifler delves into my soul and finds the very best, strongest parts of ME. By including the wisdom of native elders, she gives us a perspective of "time," of each day, as a healer and as an opportunity to, simply put, "do good." Hifler is like the sunflower: her roots run deep in the red clay earth and her face smiles up to God reflecting the blessings which he has bestowed upon her and upon all of us. I have given this book to many of my friends. Prepare to have your outlook on life uplifted forever! Hifler makes me even more proud to be blessed with my grandmother's Tsalagi blood.

Certainly one of the most elegant daily devotional books available today. Hifler is both poet and spiritual guide. This book is a real treat!

A friend gave me this book as a gift in 1993. I have read a meditation almost every day since. I find it to be uplifting and thought provoking and at the same time centering on things that really matter. The meditations remind me that family and earth matter so much more than materialistics. My daughter also reads daily and has been searching for one as a gift.