Here are short reviews of several recent books, videos, and an
audiocassette on Native Americans:
TETON SIOUX MUSIC AND CULTURE by Frances Densmore. University of
Nebraska Press, 901 N. 17th St., Lincoln, NE 68588-0520. The
University of Nebraska Press online catalog is available on the
Internet by telneting to CRCVMS.UNL.EDU, username INFO, choosing
UNIVERSITY PRESS, and ONLINE CATALOG. Illustrated, bibliography,
index, list of songs. 561 pp., $19.95 paper. 0-8032-6593-X
REVIEW
Densmore investigates the role of music in the cultural life
of the Teton Sioux in this reissue of the original 1918 edition.
The book contains an analysis of 600 songs of both the Chippewa and
the Teton Sioux, as well as a comparison of the two styles.
Densmore concludes that the press of civilization has had an effect
on the structure of the melodies. I would like to see this
original research updated to the present, but this is still a
valuable document. Included are 75 black-and-white and 7 color
photographs and drawings.
WOVEN STONE by Simon J. Ortiz. University of Arizona Press, 1230
N. Park, #102, Tucson, AZ 85719. 365 pp., $45.00 cloth, $18.95
paper. 0-8165-1330-9
REVIEW
Three previously published works by Ortiz ("Going for the
Rain," "A Good Journey," and "Fight Back: For the Sake of the
People, For the Sake of the Land"), a leading Native American poet,
are combined in one volume. Ortiz, who lives at the Acoma Pueblo,
says that as a writer, teacher, and storyteller, his task is to
demystify language. His poems, especially those in "Fight Back,"
not only inspire, they create a new comprehension. This is Volume
21 in the Sun Tracks series.
THE LIGHTNING WITHIN: AN ANTHOLOGY OF CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN INDIAN
FICTION, edited by Alan R. Velie. University of Nebraska Press,
901 N. 17th St., Lincoln, NE 68588-0520. The University of
Nebraska Press online catalog is available on the Internet by
telneting to CRCVMS.UNL.EDU, username INFO, choosing UNIVERSITY
PRESS, and ONLINE CATALOG. 161 pp., $19.95 cloth. 0-8032-4659-5
REVIEW
This book packs a wallop, showcasing the earlier writings of
such celebrated figures of Native American fiction as N. Scott
Momaday, James Welch, Lastly Marmon Silko, Simon Ortiz, and the
couple who will never divulge which one really wrote what - Louise
Erdrich and Michael Dorris. These nine excerpts create the craving
for much more, sending the reader back to the bookstore for the
original work. A splendid anthology.
INDIAN ROCK ART OF THE COLUMBIAN PLATEAU by James D. Keyser.
University of Washington Press, P.O. Box 50096, Seattle, Washington
98145-5096. Illustrated, index, bibliography, glossary, maps. 138
pp., $17.50 paper. 0-295-97160-6
REVIEW
The Columbia Plateau consists of western Montana, Idaho,
Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. The area is rich in rock
art, and Keyser details 15 study projects for the general reader.
His aim is to arrest acts of vandalism by creating an understanding
"the age, meaning, and function of this art," which is
irreplaceable. The book is filled with information on classifica-
tion and dating, and can be used as either a reference or guide-
book.
HIDATSA SOCIAL AND CEREMONIAL ORGANIZATION by Alfred W. Bowers.
University of Nebraska Press, 901 N. 17th St., Lincoln, NE 68588-
0520. The University of Nebraska Press online catalog is available
on the Internet by telneting to CRCVMS.UNL.EDU, username INFO,
choosing UNIVERSITY PRESS, and ONLINE CATALOG. Illustrated, index,
bibliography, maps. 528 pp., $15.95 paper. 0-8032-6098-9
REVIEW
This book is a reissue of the 1963 original edition, with a
new introduction by Douglas R. Parks. The Hidatsa's lived in the
nineteenth century along the Upper Missouri River. Bowers, who
died in 1990, studied the last generation of the tribe in the
1930s, in a village called "Like-a-Fishhook." This synthesis of
his work is regarded as one of the definitive works of ethnography.
Bowers attempts to convey his information from the Hidatsa
perspective in two parts. The first details the social organiza-
tion (kinship system, life-cycle, age grade societies, warfare);
the second tells of the tribes ceremonial life (supernatural power
and the relationship of individuals to it, and descriptions each of
the ceremonies).
KEEPERS OF THE ANIMALS: Native American Animal Stories, told by
Joseph Bruchac, from the book KEEPERS OF THE ANIMALS: Native
American Stories and Wildlife Activities for Children, by Michael
J. Caduto and Joseph Bruchac. Fulcrum Publishing, 350 Indiana
Street, Suite 350, Golden, CO 80401. Two audiocassettes. $16.95.
1-55591-128-5
REVIEW
This audiocassette combines knowledge and a reverence for the
natural world. It is through the examination of animal relations
that most Native Americans have learned human ones, and these are
communicated through a Native American story. The tapes contain
the complete set of seventeen stories from the book. It's a good
idea to have both the tapes and the book, as one can listen to the
story in the car, on the way to perform the related activity.
CRAZY HORSE: THE STRANGE MAN OF THE OGLALAS by Mari Sandoz.
University of Nebraska Press, 901 N. 17th St., Lincoln, NE 68588-
0520. The University of Nebraska Press online catalog is available
on the Internet by telneting to CRCVMS.UNL.EDU, username INFO,
choosing UNIVERSITY PRESS, and ONLINE CATALOG. Bibliography. 428
pp., $9.95 paper. 0-8032-9211-2
REVIEW
This is a 50th anniversary reissue of the original 1942
edition, with a new introduction by Stephen B. Oates. The book is
still widely regarded as the best work on Crazy Horse. Sandoz'
story is as important today as it was 50 years ago; the history of
a Lakota warrior who fought for his land and people to the very
end. Beautifully and compassionately written, Crazy Horse emerges
from these pages as a tragic, but noble figure. Sandoz relied on
interviews with Crazy Horse's surviving relatives and fellow
warriors, and scrupulous research. It shows.
GUIDE TO THE ARTS OF THE AMERICAS: PRE-COLUMBIAN AND AMERICAN
INDIAN by Harmer Johnson. Rizzoli Publishers, 300 Park Avenue
South, N.Y., NY 10010. Illustrated, index, glossary, bibliogra-
phy, list of galleries, museums, and dealers. 240 pp., $60.00
cloth. 0-8478-1597-8
REVIEW
Earlier this year, I attended one of the Hopi Katchina Dances.
On Second Mesa, I stopped to help a Hopi family jump-start their
car. As I was putting the cables away, I was approached by a young
Hopi and asked if I was interested in purchasing a just-finished
Katchina. We haggled for a few minutes, and came to an agreement.
Both of us left happy. All the way back to Colorado, the inside of
my truck was permeated with the smell of fresh preservative.
This book is principally for collectors of Pre-Columbian and
American Indian art - from Katchinas to stone sculptures to masks
to pottery to clothing. The book begins with general essays on
sources for collectors, how to spot fakes and forgeries, repairs
and restoration, and the display and preservation of specimens.
Separate sections on Pre-Columbian and American Indian artifacts
detail the history of their collection, the kinds of collections
that exist, how to spot fakes and forgeries, how to preserve them,
and a short description of market trends in investment.
The bulk of the book consists of pictorial examples of
collectible artifacts (600 illustrations, 100 in color), arranged
geographically and by type.
In the preface, Johnson diplomatically relates the controversy
over collecting: the claims of scientists (collecting encourages
nonscientific excavations), governments of countries where
artifacts are found (taking them out of the country is theft), and
cultures whose ancestors made the artifact (many of the objects are
sacred) and concludes that collecting is legitimate, as long as
there is no law with respect to the transfer of the property, and
the property is the private possession of the seller.
The book is essential as a reference, guide, or gift for the
aspiring collector, student of the culture, curator, historian,
archaeologist, or ethnographer. A striking work.
THE GREAT SIOUX WAR 1876-77: THE BEST OF MONTANA THE MAGAZINE OF
WESTERN HISTORY, edited by Paul L. Hedren. Montana Historical
Society Press, 225 N. Roberts Street, Helena, MT 59620. Illus-
trated, index, notes, maps. 293 pp., 11.95 paper.
0-917298-24-1
REVIEW
These 15 essays trace the White incursions into Sioux
territory and the resulting backlash, from the discovery of gold in
Montana in 1862-3 and the blazing of the Bozeman Trail, to the
legendary battle of Little Big Horn in 1876, to the "Agreement of
1876," in which the tribe lost the Black Hills, to the assassina-
tion of Crazy Horse at Fort Robinson in 1877. There are several
perspectives on the many individual battles, and they squelch many
myths. One of the better histories of the Sioux Wars.
D'ARCY MCNICKLE: THE HAWK IS HUNGRY AND OTHER STORIES, edited by
Birgit Hans. University of Arizona Press, 1230 N. Park, #102,
Tucson, AZ 85719. Notes. 179 pp., $18.95 paper. 0-8165-1331-7
REVIEW
McNickle (1904-1977), a member of the Salish Kootenai
Federated Tribes, has been long admired for his fiction about
Native American struggles, notably "The Surrounded" (1936), "Runner
in the Sun" (1954), and "Wind From an Enemy Sky" (1977). These
sixteen stories, most never before published, continue the
tradition, with an emphasis on the importance of place (the book is
arranged in three parts: The Reservation, Montana, and The City).
Illustrative of McNickle's ability is "Hard Riding," in which
tribal representatives resist an Indian agent by complying with his
wishes to the letter. Volume 22 in the University of Arizona's
"Sun Tracks" series.
GAMES OF THE AMERICAN INDIANS by Stewart Culin. In two volumes:
Games of Chance, Games of Skill. University of Nebraska Press, 901
N. 17th St., Lincoln, NE 68588-0520. The University of Nebraska
Press online catalog is available on the Internet by telneting to
CRCVMS.UNL.EDU, username INFO, choosing UNIVERSITY PRESS, and
ONLINE CATALOG. Illustrated, index. Vol. I: 416 pp., $13.95
paper. 0-8032-6355-4 Vol. II: 512 pp., $13.95 paper.
0-8032-6356-2
REVIEW
Most histories portray Native Americans as grim fighters or
storytellers. Seldom is there a mention of recreation or amuse-
ment. That's probably because Culin has singlehandedly written the
definitive history, and that no-one has seen the need to improve
upon it. And that's probably why the University of Nebraska Press
has reissued the original 1907 edition verbatim, with the only
change being a new introduction by Denis Tedlock, who agrees that
"there is no source as broad and rich as this one." The first
volume discusses the wide use of dice made of many materials and
guessing games (such as the Hidden Ball Game and the Hand Game).
Volume Two describes archery, javelin throwing, games involving
balls (hand-and-foot ball) and sticks (racket - a form of la-
crosse), and several versions of cat's-cradle. Culin also relates
how several games figure in religious practices. Both volumes are
richly illustrated.
LAKOTA BELIEF AND RITUAL by James R. Walker, edited by Raymond J.
DeMallie and Elaine A. Jahner. University of Nebraska Press, 901
N. 17th St., Lincoln, NE 68588-0520. The University of Nebraska
Press online catalog is available on the Internet by telneting to
CRCVMS.UNL.EDU, username INFO, choosing UNIVERSITY PRESS, and
ONLINE CATALOG. Illustrated, index, bibliography, notes. 329 pp.,
$15.95 paper. 0-8032-9731-9
LAKOTA SOCIETY by James R. Walker. Edited by Raymond J. DeMallie.
University of Nebraska Press, 901 N. 17th St., Lincoln, NE 68588-
0520. The University of Nebraska Press online catalog is available
on the Internet by telneting to CRCVMS.UNL.EDU, username INFO,
choosing UNIVERSITY PRESS, and ONLINE CATALOG. Illustrated, index,
bibliography, notes. 207 pp., $10.95 paper. 0-8032-9737-8
REVIEW
These two books should have been published as volumes one and
two of Walker's four-volume Lakota studies, much as Culin's "Games
of the American Indians" series, above. "Lakota Belief" is a
reissue of the 1980 original edition with a new preface and "Lakota
Society" is a reissue of the 1982 original edition. Volume three
is titled "Lakota Myth," and the 1983 paperback edition is still in
print. There are no plans for this volume to be reissued. The
final volume, written by George Sword in Lakota for Walker, is
still being edited. There is, at this time, no set date of
publication.
In "Lakota Belief," Walker, Pine Ridge Agency physician from
1896 to 1914, studies Lakota tribal wisdom, as told to him by the
Holy Men who took him through the traditional instructional
process. The book is broken into five sections: a biography of
Walker, and his documents (totalling 92) on belief, the narratives
of Thomas Tyon, ritual, and warfare.
In "Lakota Society," there are 31 documents total, detailing
the structure of Lakota society, as well as a section on hunting,
war, ceremony, and art, and a section on the Lakota concept of time
and history.
These books are the place to start for any student contemplat-
ing the study of Native American ethnohistory.
FROM THE HEART OF CROW COUNTRY: THE CROW INDIANS' OWN STORIES by
Joseph Medicine Bow. Orion Books, 201 E. 50th St., N.Y., NY
10022. A volume in the "Library of the American Indian" series.
Illustrated, index. 138 pp., $17.00 cloth. 0-517-58839-0
REVIEW
Medicine Bow, a Crow elder and grandson of the famous Medicine
Crow, has assembled tales from before the Crows were placed on a
reservation in southeast Montana. Here is a history of the tribe,
a story of the Crow migration (a polite reference to a tragic
period for the tribe), a description of how the tribe hunted in the
early days (forcing buffalo off a cliff), descriptions of ancient
chiefs and their battles, and a classic tale of a grandfather and
his educated (and supposedly smarter) grandson. From the
disastrous to the comical, Medicine Bow leaves the reader entranced
- caught between two worlds.
CHOTEAU CREEK: A SIOUX REMINISCENCE by Joseph Iron Eye Dudley.
University of Nebraska Press, 901 N. 17th St., Lincoln, NE 68588-
0520. The University of Nebraska Press online catalog is available
on the Internet by telneting to CRCVMS.UNL.EDU, username INFO,
choosing UNIVERSITY PRESS, and ONLINE CATALOG. 179 pp., $19.95
cloth. 0-8032-1690-4
REVIEW
Choteau Creek is part of the Yankton Sioux Reservation located
in southeastern South Dakota, a state that has seen more than its
share of Native American activism. Dudley was raised on the
reservation by his grandparents and eventually became a United
Methodist minister. He strains to see the good side of living in
poverty, saying that the faith his grandparents gave him got him
through times when his inner strength was severely tested. An
inspiring memoir, told with great love, that encourages the reader
to invest in the land and the family.