South Dakota Books

After reading the Five-Star reviews of Ruling Pine Ridge I immediately ordered a copy anticipating a scholarly historical treatment of the political climate and governmental history of Pine Ridge. And I wasn't disappointed; it is a well-written narrative carefully explaining the cultural, social and political history of Pine Ridge vis-à-vis American colonialism in the period between the 1934 Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) and the takeover and ransacking of Wounded Knee (WK II) in 1973. Although it is difficult not to indulge either side of the forces at play, Professor Reinhardt does an admirable job of finding the correct balance between both sides in the cultural struggle. He proves his point eloquently that the federal presence continued through not-so-subtle colonial authority.

There was only one area where Ruling Pine Ridge left a little doubt; by describing the "reign of terror" period between WK II, the murder of two FBI agents in 1975, and the subsequent conviction of Leonard Peltier where Professor Reinhardt sourced Ward Churchill and Peter Matthiessen. Although arguably inaccurate to use these two sources alone, in deference to Professor Reinhardt it was used only as an anecdotal reference to demonstrate there was ongoing tension after WK II.

Ruling Pine Ridge is a must-read and an important resource for anyone seeking an in-depth and intellectual understanding of the dynamics between federal authority and Indian affairs on the Reservations.

"Ruling Pine Ridge: Oglala Lakota Politics From The IRA To Wounded Knee" by "Akim D. Reinhardt (Associate Professor of History, Towson University, Maryland) draws upon oral histories, council records, and reservation newspapers to provide an historical survey and analysis of the Oglala Lakota reservation in South Dakota during the mid-twentieth century when it was evolving from being directly run by the federal government , to indirect colonialism under the Indian Reorganization Act (IRA), to the 1973 occupation and siege of Wounded Knee as the culmination of dissatisfaction with how reservation autonomy was being hampered by the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs. Professor Reinhardt amply supports his thesis that the siege was not simply a political stunt of the American Indian Movement, but a genuine grassroots protest that was developing over the previous forty years. A work of impeccable and detailed scholarly research (some of which had never been previously accessed by historians), that should be a part of every university library's Native American Studies reference collection, "Ruling Pine Ridge" is a seminal study that is an academically impressive, substantively informative, and thoughtfully insightful.

Quite a bit has been written about the Oglala Lakota and their history in the 1800s. How many more books about Crazy Horse do we need anyway?
After the Wounded Knee Tragedy of 1890, scholars and popular historians seem to lose interest in the Lakota.
They're still here, and the Pine Ridge Reservation, where the Oglala reside, has become infamous as one of the poorest places in the world's wealthiest nation.
Akim Reinhardt has written an in-depth look at the political history of the Oglala in the 20th Century.
As an outsidider looking in, one hates to judge the Oglala or dictate solutions to internal problems, but even the most casual observer can see that the current tribal government is dysfunctional and clearly in need of a new constitution.
Reinhardt provides valuable insight into how the reservation became what it is today. It's a valuable resource for anyone interested in reforming the current government.

Little Crow shares his own personal intrepetation of his Dakota/Lakota world view and how to apply the sacred truths of not only taking accountability for all of one's actions in daily living, but for learning to take responsibility for every thought we create within ourselves, which, in turn, affects everyone and everything else in the universe.

This is a well-written book and Little Crow is succinct and to the point. If you start applying what he writes about, be ready for some life-changing experiences. This book is not for the lazy person but rather for one who is ready to "get up off your spiritual ass and go out and live your life," as the author so eloquently puts it!

This spiritual human being "Little Crow" has been an instrument for my healing and growth since 1991. Since attending "The Gathering", held each Sunday in Garden Grove, California, I have had the blessing of many insights and spiritual people to join me on my path. The tenants of the American Indian Church simplify the altruistic beliefs of most indigenous peoples, hence "World Views". A wonderful gift for those that wish to seek their own individual sacredness.

This book is a roadmap for finding your way out of 21st century stress, violence and emptiness. It is clearly written, based upon the wisdom of the First Americans, and how that wisdom (oral tradition) can be put to use in bringing balance to comtemporary living. This book parallels the wisdom shared each Sunday morning at The Gathering in Garden Grove, California. What you hear at The Gathering is what you get in reading The Sacred Hill Within. If you're desperate in getting a handle on day-to-day insanities, get ahold of this book. It will do your spirit a world of good.

West River is a wonderful book filled with interesting stories and anectdotes from the early history of the American West. Its treatment of Native American and White Settler relations is refreshingly honest and extremely well documented.

Simpson's West River brings to light many exciting, thought-provoking, and poignant stories of the American West that have not made it into our traditional history text books. The more I read about them in this book, the more I wished that I had been able to learn this side of history earlier. They are great stories and an important part of our country's heritage.

Simpson's unique style of writing also makes you feel as if you are hearing the stories being told by the people who lived during the time. And his careful documentation is equally impressive.

I would recommend this book to anyone - especially those who are interested in the forgotten stories of our western history in the great plains.

Tired of the same old stories? Fed up with people always recommending Grisham, Patterson, and Clancy novels to you? Break the mold with West River.

This collection of capitaviting stories from the American West retraces history in an honest and accurate fashion. The beatuy of this book is the wide spectrum of perceptions expressed within its pages. Reading stories about the interactions of settelers and Native Americans from different perspectives enlightens the reader in a way that few other books do.

However, I am even more impressed with the level of documentation in this book than I am with the stories told in it. I feel as though I have been given a special looking glass that provides me with an honest, impartial view of the past--truly a great gift.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone seeking truth and beauty within American History.

West River is a wonderful book filled with interesting stories and anectdotes from the early history of the American West. Its treatment of Native American and White Settler relations is refreshingly honest and extremely well documented.

Simpson's West River brings to light many exciting, thought-provoking, and poignant stories of the American West that have not made it into our traditional history text books. The more I read about them in this book, the more I wished that I had been able to learn this side of history earlier. They are great stories and an important part of our country's heritage.

Simpson's unique style of writing also makes you feel as if you are hearing the stories being told by the people who lived during the time. And his careful documentation is equally impressive.

I would recommend this book to anyone - especially those who are interested in the forgotten stories of our western history in the great plains.

This is the first book I ever bought about Native Americans. It was really great. Funny, sad, shows great love. More, more!

Louis is angry and irreverent, but yet not offensive. It'a a very quick, enjoyable read. The short stories in this work touch on every issue you can imagine, mixing humans and anthropomorphic creatures against a graphic backdrop of contemporary reservation life. If you like Sherman ALexie, you'll love Louis!

This collection of 23 short stories is set almost entirely on the Pine Ridge Reservation in southwest South Dakota and the border towns in the Nebraska panhandle. It is the harsh land of the high plains where the seasons are extreme and the lives of Indians balance conditions of poverty and racism against the love of family and home - plus a heavy dose of dark humor.

Humor in some of these stories borrows from Native American oral tradition, with shape-shifting characters who are both animal and human - Coyote, Raven, and Bear. Other stories lean more toward social realism, following lives plagued at every turn by misfortune, alcoholism, ill health, domestic violence and ignorance. Though truly horrible things sometimes happen, each story stops somewhere short of bleakness and despair. Demon alcohol, for all the damage it does, and libido-driven adventures still bring periods of relief. And there is affection and caring that present themselves like Old Bear in the last story to speak sweet reason to despair.

I recommend this book to readers interested in the modern-day lives of Indians on America's reservations. Adrian Louis, in both his poetry and fiction, offers a bracing corrective to all the sentimental and racist stereotypes held by others. His is a grimly unblinking vision of hard lives that still preserves their humanity.

James G. Abourezk, a former United States Senator from South Dakota (1973-1979), has enlightened us with his autobiographical account of the motivating experiences in his life. A prominent dissenter in the political mainstream, Abourezk recounts his early years growing up in South Dakota, the son of Lebanese immigrants. From early on, he championed the causes of the underprivileged, having been raised near a Sioux reservation.
Abourezk reflects his encounters and adventures which made him an ardent supporter of issues which would make him be branded as a "troublemaker" years later in the United Staes Senate. He supported American Indian causes, labor rights, civil rights, Palestinian national rights, and environmental concerns, causes which sometimes were at odds with his liberal supporters.

I recommend this book because it is an inspirational account of living the "American dream." Abourezk's determination and enthusiasm of making a difference is well presented in this captivating autobiography.

James G. Abourezk, a former United States Senator from South Dakota (1973-1979), has enlightened us with his autobiographical account of the motivating experiences in his life. A prominent dissenter in the political mainstream, Abourezk recounts his early years growing up in South Dakota, the son of Lebanese immigrants. From early on, he championed the causes of the underprivileged, having been raised near a Sioux reservation.

Abourezk reflects his encounters and adventures which made him an ardent supporter of issues which would make him be branded as a "troublemaker" years later in the United Staes Senate. He supported American Indian causes, labor rights, civil rights, Palestinian national rights, and environmental concerns, causes which sometimes were at odds with his liberal supporters.

I recommend this book because it is an inspirational account of living the "American dream." Abourezk's determination and enthusiasm of making a difference is well presented in this captivating autobiography.

I came across this book purely by accident in the library, and since the title sounded interesting, I decided to check it out just to see what the letters were like. I was expecting dry letters written by a hardened woman. Boy, was I wrong -- I love Bess! She's so funny, and her letters back home are wonderfully descriptive. At 21, she left Iowa to stake a claim in South Dakota. I'm only about a third of the way through the book right now, and she's living alone in a tiny 2-room house on her claim, getting up at 5 to walk two miles through the snow to the schoolhouse where she teaches. At night, she writes these letters home, describing her day in great detail. This book is a treasure. I'm ordering a copy for my home library right now. :-)

What a courageous woman Bess Corey was to go into the unkown territory of mostly crude men and make a home for herself. She didn't let anyone take advantage of her, yet she was sweet. She was an honest, humorous, hardworking woman. This book kept my interest from beginning to end. The only disappointment was that she didn't write more letters! This would be a great book for anyone who wants to really understand how America was built.

One grandfather was a meatpacker, the other a Harvard doctor. Both parents from Ireland. I'm an attorney. This book explains how. Best book I ever read, and I've read a lot.

Brings the old and new world of political intrigue and Irish lore together in a grand way. The story is alive with rich image and bold imagination. Scenes of Irish daring and courage abound.

I'd heard about this book and balked a little at the extra charge to get it, but it turned out to be very addictive. I was going to get started with a couple pages one morning before work last week, and by the time the day was done I was still at home, reading. Brian Williams is an easy character to relate to, and I've had similar experiences to those he's had. it's kind of disturbing what our children are doing to themselves these days. I also read a lot of mystery books, but the ending still came as a surprise to me.

This guy is fantastic. His descriptions, his dialogue and his ability to tell a story are marvelous and covertly sophisticated. The copy I read has been passed around and passed around and everyone who reads it has been really bowled over by it. Pay the additional cost, you won't regret it. I just wish he would write another book. I may go Kathy Bates and lock him up in a remote location until he finishes another novel. Thanks for writing this Ryan!

These four very different and very wonderful short stories are about lives that, by today's standards, are simpler yet certainly more difficult. The rich detail will be nostalgic to some and fascinating to others. In whatever way you relate to these stories, you will be drawn in by the author's captivating narratives. These are not "the good old days" kinds of stories. I don't want to reveal too much, but none of them are at all what I expected. Bill's imagination and his insight will leave you breathless and thoughtful.

The promise of Dakota Incarnate lies in its beautiful cover. The four fast-moving, fascinating stories present a kaleidoscope of life in the early days of Dakota. Rosebud Requiem tells of a lonely homesteader seeking a mail-order bride; David's Drummer acquaints us with a young Hutterite wife living in the Gadsden Colony who awaits word of her critically ill soldier husband; The Essay Contest introduces us to eleven year old Jackie and tells of his observa- tions of life in small town Nunda as he strives to write a winning essay; Dakota Reincarnation startles us when a thirty-eight year old grandfather meets his sixty-nine year old grandson in an airport in Washington, D.C. My expectations of this book were more than fulfilled. Sometimes, you CAN tell a book by its cover!

I saw SUE in Chicago last week. In this book I learned that SUE was named after Susan who found the fossils. Susan had a dog named Gypsy. They kept on digging up duck-billed dinosaurs. Sue's boned weighed 4 tons!! The Field Museum bought it for over eight million dollars! SUE is a T.rex. I think that SUE did fight with other dinosaurs. SUE is 67 million years old! I was happy to see SUE in Chicago and to read this book!

Dinosaurs are a hot topic right now...and A Dinosaur Named Sue: The Find of the Century really teaches young kids about the job of a paleontologist--in a positive light. SUE, the most complete T. rex fossil ever found, is an amazing discovery, both educationally AND on basis of interest, and children should definitely read all they can about this dinosaur. This book approaches SUE on the level of a 3rd grader, yet the language and subject matter are intelligient enough for a parent to find interesting--maybe even to learn from! I definitely did!