Book Review: The Sioux: People of the Great Plains

The Sioux: People of the Great Plains: American Indian Nations by Anne M. Todd, Consultant Lydia Whirlwind Soldier, Bridgestone Books, imprint of Capstone Press, Mankato, Minnesota, 2003.

A good review of the Sioux, Oceti Sakowan people--the Lakota, Dakota and Nakota.  Buffalo hunting was central to their way of life.  Initially relations were good between the Sioux and the White settlers.  However when Oregon opened up the came in greater numbers, and then even greater with the gold rush.  The settlers were scaring the buffalo away and using all the grass.  The Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851 lead to many Indians living on reservations with the government promising supplies to the Indians.  The supplies were usually late, or of poor quality.  Im 1862 the Dakota broke out in war against the settlers and 700 settlers were killed.  The government executed 38 Dakota warriors in December of 1862 in Mankato, Minnesota.  

The Bozeman trail opened in 1866.  The Laramie treaty of 1868 promised the Lakota that South Dakota would remain Indian land.  However when George Armstrong Custer and others began exploring the area looking for gold, the Lakota were not happy.  Th government offered to buy the Black Hills.  The Sioux refused.  This lead to the Battle of Little Big Horn in 1871.  As a result of the defeat of Custer much pressure was put on the Sioux to all go to reservations.  Economic and war pressure lead to this result.  Crazy Horse was killed after he surrendered.  

The Ghost Dance lead to a Sioux revival of sorts.  The government outlawed the dance.  This leaded to the massacre of Wounded Knee and the death of Sitting Bull.  

Native American Biography: Princess Red Wing

Princess Red Wing aka Mary E. Glasko Congdon is Native American with Narragansett and Pokanoket background.  She is noted as a story teller, a newspaper editor and museum curator.  She studied American Indian history and cultures.  She cofounded the newspaper Narragansett Dawn.  She became "Squaw Sachem" allowing her to preside over ceremonies.  She also founded the Tomaquog Indian Memorial Museum.  This is the only museum in Rhode Island dedicated solely to the culture and history of Native Americans in Rhode Island.

Book Review: Standing Bear of the Ponca

 Standing Bear of the Ponca by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve, illustrated by Thomas Floyd, University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, Nebraska, 2013.

This book gives a very good brief history of Chief Standing Bear.  The treatment of the Ponca by the federal government was very bad, forcing them to move 600 miles south to Oklahoma and then not providing proper support.  Many died, including Chief Standing Bear's daughter and a son.  His son asked to buried on the Ponca homeland.  Standing Bear hoped to honor this request and left the reservation.  Upon arriving at the Omaha Reservation he was arrested by General George Crook.  Joseph LaFlesche (Iron Eyes) and Susette La Flesche (Bright Eyes) of the Omaha helped them all they could, and General Crook suggested Standing Bear take him to court.  The newspaper man, Thomas Henry Tibbles helped them with publicity and finding lawyers to represent Standing Bear.  And Standing Bear won after his famous "I am a man" speech with Bright eyes interpreted.  Still the Ponca had no place to live.  Bright Eyes, Chief Standing Bear and Tribble made a tour of the east to win public support.  This was successful to a degree.  At first the Ponca lived on an island, but eventually the Sioux gave part of their reservation (which had been the Ponca reservation) to the Ponca to live.  Tribble's wife passed away and he married Bright eyes.  The last chapter also deals with the legacy of Chief Standing Bear.  Pow wows and statues are made in his honor.  He is honored in the Nebraska State Capitol.  

Native American Biography: Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve, Author

 Lecture here. 

Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve is an author of children's books.  She has published over 25 books, mostly telling stories about her family and heritage of white and Native American.  One of the books is called The Christmas Coat: Memories of my Sioux Childhood.  She has also written a memoir, Special Places, Sacred Circles.  She was traised on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation and is a mem of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe (Sicangu Lakota).  She was an English teacher and school counselor.  

Book Review: How Chipmunk Got Tiny Feet

How Chipmunk Got Tiny Feet: Native American Animal Origin Stories collected and retold by Gerald Hausman, illustrated by Ashley Wolff, Harper Collins Publishers, New York, 1995.

This book tells seven Native American animal origin stories.  They are Navajo four, Koasati Creek two and Tsimsian one.  They tell stores like why Coyote has yellow eyes, and chipmunk has tiny feet.  It seems the animals make bad decisions and then are rescued by mother earth.  I like this book because I like to learn of Indian origin stories.

Book Review: Honor Flight: Celebrating America's Veterans

 Honor Flight: Celebrating America's Veterans by Jeff Gottesfeld, illustrated by Matt Tavares, Candlewick Press, Somerville, Massachusetts, 2026.

Thi is a b ook about something I had never heard of, Honor Flights.  These are flights where they take former service men and women to sites where they served.  This includes "Kilroy, Squid G.I. Joe, Airman, Jarhead, WAC or WAVE."  The flight took the veterans to many Washington D.C. memorial sights where they were honored.  This included the Iwo Jima Memorial, Viet Nam War Memorial, Military Women Memorial, WWII Memorial, Korean War Memorial.  But the most important honor was when they flew home and were greeted at the Airport, something that many of the veterans had missed due to conflict over the Viet Nam War.  At the end of the flight they were given letters from school children thanking them for their service.  I think this is an important book geared to children.

Ute Chief Ignacio

 

Ignacio was leader of the Southern Utah.  He was a member of the Wiminuche Ute Band.  They were a semi nomadic tribe, venturing into San Juan, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah.  During several treaties their area was reduced.  They first accepted a large reservation in western Colorado, which was later reduced.  Gold had been found in the area.  They finally accepted a smaller reservation in southwestern Colorado.  Ignacio's father was a medicine man.  He was killed by a man's family he had been treating when he died.  Ignacio took revenge on the family, killing all twelve members.  The southern Utes recognized Ignacio as their leader and not Ouray.  Ouray deferred to Ignacio in matters dealing with the southern Utes.  He traveled to Washington D.C. in 1880 with Ouray and Ouray's wife Chipeta.  When Ouray died Ignacio was recognized as the chief for the southern Utes by the government.  They were able to stay in Colorado.  The town Ignacio was named in his honor.