This can be fiction or non, children's or adults', by or about an Indian nation or individual. Any book you enjoyed!
One of my favorite young adult books: Naya Nuki: Shoshoni Girl Who Ran by Kenneth Thomasma. It's about the childhood friend of Sacajawea. Very well researched.
How Jackrabbit Got His Very Long Ears
by Heather Irbinskas, Kenneth J. Spengler (Illustrator)
A great kids' book. The Great Spirit assigns the Jackrabbit to help all the desert creatures find their niche but Jackrabbit didn't listen very well and causes unhappiness with his advice, so the Great Spirit gives him enormous ears so he can listen better.
The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver
Feisty Marietta Greer changes her name to "Taylor" when her car runs out of gas in Taylorville, Ill. By the time she reaches Oklahoma, this strong-willed young Kentucky native with a quick tongue and an open mind is catapulted into a surprising new life. Taylor leaves home in a beat-up '55 Volkswagen bug, on her way to nowhere in particular, savoring her freedom. But when a forlorn Cherokee woman drops a baby in Taylor's passenger seat and asks her to take it, she does. A first novel, The Bean Trees is an overwhelming delight, as random and unexpected as real life. The unmistakable voice of its irresistible heroine is whimsical, yet deeply insightful. Taylor playfully names her little foundling "Turtle," because she clings with an unrelenting, reptilian grip; at the same time, Taylor aches at the thought of the silent, staring child's past suffering. With Turtle in tow, Taylor lands in Tucson, Ariz., with two flat tires and decides to stay. The desert climate, landscape and vegetation are completely foreign to Taylor, and in learning to love Arizona, she also comes face to face with its rattlesnakes and tarantulas. Similarly, Taylor finds that motherhood, responsibility and independence are thorny, if welcome, gifts. This funny, inspiring book is a marvelous affirmation of risk-taking, commitment and everyday miracles.
Love Medicine by Louise Erdich
Multigenerational saga of two extended families who live on and around a Chippewa reservation in North Dakota. Each chapter is narrated in a memorable voice like the one of Lipsha Morrissey, a young man who is believed to have "the touch," with which he attempts to bring his wandering grandfather back to his long-suffering grandmother with a love medicine made from goose hearts. By placing us right inside the heads of her remarkable characters, Erdrich allows us to feel the despair that insensitive government policies, poverty, and alcoholism have brought them. For those who have yet to discover this magical novel and for those who will have the pleasure of reexperiencing its heartbreak and its hope, this new version is highly recommended.
As for children's books, I do have some I like. I do not know if the first two is by a native person but obviously the content is compatible to our views on Mother Earth. The third book I listed is not by a native person but it is a native story.
The Family of Earth by Schim Schimmel
Lions live in a world of grassy plains. To dolphins, the world is water. Lush green trees make up gorillas' world. And yet, all these animals share the same world. This is the point artist Schim Schimmel makes over and over and over in The Family of Earth: "The earth may look different to each of us, but we share only one earth." Through his surrealistic acrylic paintings of leopards, penguins, hippos, and gorillas, each in their appropriate landscape (or floating in space with the moon and stars and planet Earth hovering nearby), the author-illustrator expresses his beliefs about planetary interdependence.
Children of the Earth Remember by Schim Schimmel
Here is a tender lesson of sharing and protecting the Earth, enhanced with stunning artwork.
The Legend of Ohio by Dandi Daley Mackall
Young Dikewamis and her family are forced to keep moving as the "moving stone mountains" creep closer and closer to their village, driving away the bison and deer, turning the waters to ice, and hardening the earth, making it impossible to grow food. Their Chief, Tarachiawagon, has had a vision in which he sees fingers of water in a bountiful land. Thus he calls his people to embark upon a journey. The long, arduous trip will test the faith of many, including Dikewamis, but ultimately, it will lead their people to a new land. They will call this land Ohio, named for the many rivers that cross it - the fingers of water Tarachiawagon saw in his dreams.
Tasha
Linda S.2:32 PM
"Waterlily" by ella cara deloria
"Ella
Deloria, born near the end of the 19th century Yankton Dakota, was the
aunt of well-known contemporary Dakota scholar Vine Deloria. ..... Waterlily
is a novel, a lifestory of the Dakota people -- those who had moved
somewhat west to the prairie, out of the Dakota woodlands of Minnesota
-- as their lives were beginning to be disrupted by waschichu. Told
from the woman's viewpoint, it emphasizes the network of obligations and relationships that formed cultural unity.
by
Wilma Mankiller, Vine, Jr. Deloria (Foreword), Gloria Steinem (Introduction)
Author and activist Mankiller has garnered the thoughts of 19 Native
women on questions such as the meaning of spirituality, the importance
of sovereignty, and what it means to be an indigenous woman today.
Mankiller chose her participants well, for these women--a physician, an
attorney, ranchers, professors of American Indian studies, an urban
planner, a cultural anthropologist, artists, poets, musicians, and an
Onondaga Clan Mother--really do have something to say. Spirituality,
which connects all indigenous peoples, means respect for the earth and
all living things. Land is crucial to all tribes, as shown by the Dann
sisters, Shoshone ranchers struggling to defend the sacred ceremonial
grounds of their ancestors, and Sarah James, who fights for her
Gwich'in tribal rights to protect caribou birthing grounds from oil and
gas exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Profound yet
simple words from strong women working hard to perpetuate their
culture, and who have a lot to share, and who need to be heard.
and
Mankiller : A Chief and Her People (Paperback)
by
Wilma Mankiller
Since 1985 Wilma Mankiller has been Principal Chief of the Cherokee
Nation, the first woman to hold this post in a major tribe. Her work in
rural development, especially the Bell Project in Oklahoma, has
received national acclaim. With Wallis ( Route 66 ), Mankiller recounts
the tragic history of the Cherokees and her own personal struggles. In
the 1950s, her family moved from rural Oklahoma to San Francisco in a
government relocation project. It was a traumatic change for the
11-year-old and her 10 brothers and sisters and brought her
face-to-face with racism and poverty. The 1969 Indian occupation of
Alcatraz, which she supported strongly and participated in to a slight
degree, proved a turning point in Mankiller's life. She became an
activist in Indian affairs, eventually leaving her husband and
returning with her two daughters to her old home. Surviving a
debilitating automobile accident and a kidney transplant, she continues
to lead her people. In this inspiring story, Mankiller offers herself
as a valuable role model--for women as well as Native Americans.
by Paula Gunn Allen
This pioneering work, first published in 1986, documents the continuing vitality of American Indian traditions and the crucial role of women in those traditions.
They have a small list of interesting native stories for children. Specifically designed for our Native American children the stories weave traditional tales into the present day storylines to give children from all backgrounds a glimpse into American Indian life.
I thought they looked good!
Tasha
Edited by Barbara Alice Mann
- "Now the Friar is Dead": Sixteenth century Spanish Florida and The Gaule Revolt
- "Are You Delusional?": Kandiaronk on Christianity
- "By Observing the Methods Our Wise Forefathers Have Taken, You Will Acquire Fresh Strength and Power:" Closing Speech of Canassatego, July 4. 1744, Lancaster Treaty
- "Then I Thought I Must Kill Too": Logan's Lament: A Mingo Perspective
- "Woman Is the Mother of All": Nanye'hi and Kitteuha: War Women of the Cherokees
- "I Hope You Will Not Destroy What I Have Saved": Hopocan before the British Tribunal in Detroit, 1781
- "You Are a Cunning People without Sincerity": Sagoyawetha and the Trials of Community Representation
- "I am Here and Stand before You Today, My Fathers, as a Man of Misery:" Chitto Harjoa and the Senate Select Committee on Oklahoma Statehood
- "The Land Was To Remain Ours": The St. Anne Island Treaty of 1796 and Aboriginal Title and Rights in the 21st Century
- Bibliography
- Index
Here at this site is a listing of a few NA books for children and young adults, including:
RAIN IS NOT MY INDIAN NAME by Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muscogee Creek)(HarperCollins, 2001). Cassidy Rain Berghoff didn't know that the very night she decided to get a life would be the night that Galen would lose his. It's been six months since her best friend died, and up until now, Rain has succeeded in shutting herself off from the world. But when controversy arises around her aunt Georgia's Indian Camp in their mostly white Kansas community, Rain decides to face the world again—at least through the lens of a camera. Ages 10-up.
and
DAUGHTER OF SUQUA by Diane Johnston Hamm (Whitman, 1997). Ida, a young Suqhamish girl, and her people are faced with allotment, boarding schools, and more harsh changes. But through it all, the relationships between this young girl and the people of her community, especially her grandmother, are truly inspiring. Ages 8-up.
and
EAGLE SONG by Joseph Bruchac (Abenaki) with pictures by Dan Andreasen (Dial, 1997). Danny Bigtree encounters racism when he moves from the Mohawk reservation to the city. However, Danny is inspired by the Iroquois hero Aionwahta and by his own father to choose peace. Ages 7-up.
Tasha
http://voices.cla.umn.edu/newsite/authors/REDSHIRTdelphine.htm Provides biographical information, criticism, and a bibliography of related sources.
I found this at:
http://utopia.utexas.edu/explore/books/book_reviews/book_reviews.php?book_id=6
Also found at:
Books R4 Teens (the site in the above entry)
Enjoy reading this stuff.would like more of 
same
Amazon link:http://www.amazon.com/Wisdoms-Daughters-Conversations-Elders-America/dp/0060925612
Tasha
Tasha
http://www.yorku.ca/arm/untilourhearts.html
"Until Our Hearts Are On The Ground" Aboriginal Mothering, Oppression, Resistance and Rebirth
edited by Dawn Memee Lavell-Harvard and Jeanette Corbierre Lavell
Tasha
GIVING THANKS:
A NATIVE AMERICAN GOOD MORNING MESSAGE
by Chief Jake Swamp
illustrated by Erwin Printup, Jr.
This concise discussion is a continuum to Churchill's longer 1997 work, A Little Matter of Genocide: Holocaust and Denial in the Americas. The author first analyzes the term genocide
(coined by Raphael Lemkin in 1944), stressing that the phrase covers not only physical extermination of a people but also biological genocide (policies to prevent births within a group) and cultural genocide. The Indian residential schools in both the U.S and Canada fall squarely into this latter category, which includes the forced exile of children and the prohibition of the use of a national language or religion. Churchill next turns his attention to the schools themselves, uncovering a host of grim details. In Canada, half of the children sent to residential schools did not survive because of rampant disease, near-starvation diets, and brutal labor. In fact, Churchill observes that survivors display a level of dysfunction similar to that exhibited by concentration camp survivors. Churchill presents a bleak yet utterly necessary history of a brutal system that was in effect until 1990.
Rebecca Maksel
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
Found at Amazon, y'all.
Gee, I was going to add this book to our list, but I see it's already on here... lol lol
'Every Day Is A Good Day' by Wilma Mankiller
I just finished reading this book and loved it. There are lots of good, strong messages in this book for all peoples.
Also a comment about another book on the list.... I really enjoyed Delphine Redshirt's "Bead On An Anthill". She also has another book that I have read recently that I liked called "Turtle Lung Woman's Granddaughter".
This post was modified from its original form on 16 Jul, 9:21
George, he has several books. I've read the Grandfather book and also the book he wrote on Crazy Horse.
A friend of mine wrote a childrens book (based on a legend)..called...RAINBOW CROW....I didn't get credit for telling the Legend because I was home sick and the guy I used to work with a lot ( Chief Bill Thompson , Turkey Clan, Lenape tribe...got the credit)...Nancy was going to change the intro to include me , after she heard my version.....but it was just to late.....Anyway I ended up with a great friend out of it....Anyone with children will love it....it's by Nancy Van Laam....check it out.....also have another friend named Robin Moore that writes childrens books...Good stuff there also.
F.Y.I......I actually have the "Legend of Crow" posted over on Native Storytelling at the Movies....( it's in 2 parts...sorry about that but it was so long)......It's the Legend the way I was taught to tell it......Check it out and enjoy....Onedia
The Heart of a Chief
Joseph Bruchac
"We didn't
go away," Chris Nicola tells his sixth-grade class. "They tried to
drive us off the land.... But we're still here." Chris, a Penacook
Indian, craves the comfort of anonymity among the non-Indian majority
at his new school. But even more, he wants people to know that Indians
exist beyond stereotypes and history books. Chris's intelligence,
passion, and likability make him a natural leader, and he even comes to
enjoy his new role at school. Still, he loves his life at home on the
reservation, despite its poverty and shattered dreams. He especially
loves the island that is the heart of his people, now threatened by a
planned casino. Suddenly Chris finds himself at the center of two
controversies. At school he sparks a debate on the use of an Indian
name for school sports teams, while at home he commits an impulsive act
of protest that polarizes the reservation on the casino issue. Can one
kid make a difference? To Chris's surprise, the answer is yes. And with
a Penacook name that means "bridge," he is the perfect person to bring
two cultures together. This latest novel from Joseph Bruchac is a warm,
realistic portrayal of a boy who values his people's past while working
for a better future. Written with knowledge, insight, and lyricism,
it's sure to be an award winner. 1998, Dial, Ages 9 up, $15.99.
Reviewer: Catherine Petrini
ISBN: 0-8037-2276-1
Turtle's Race with Beaver. 2003, color illustrations by Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey; Seneca.
Turtle's Race with Beaver, a Seneca story,
has big-time redevelopment taking over the neighborhood, as Beaver
overruns and
enlarges Turtle's
comfy little pond while Turtle hibernates. Turtle, generous creature
that she is, offers to share her territory, but Beaver wants it
all. Turtle accepts Beaver's challenge to race, the animals gather
on
the shore and choose sides, and—of course, Turtle wins,
but not because she's a faster swimmer. Thoroughly humiliated,
Beaver
goes
off to another pond, where he accepts another Turtle's generosity.
Children will especially like the animals switching sides as the
winner becomes apparent. As with How Chipmunk Got His Stripes,
youngest listeners will ask to hear this one over an over.
hc 16.00, pb 6.00
Wait for Me! 1996, b/w illustrations.
This is an excellent
middle reader about a kid who's called “Turtle” because
he's always stopping to look at something interesting, instead
of
keeping up with his brother and sister.
pb 7.50
A recognized Native American scholar and co-founder of INCITE! Women of Color Against Violence, the largest grassroots, multiracial feminist organization in the country, Andrea Smith (Cherokee) is an emerging leader in progressive political circles. In Conquest, Smith places Native American women at the center of her analysis of sexual violence, challenging both conventional definitions of the term and conventional responses to the problem.
Beginning with the impact of the abuses inflicted on Native American children at state-sanctioned boarding schools from the 1880s to the 1980s, Smith adroitly expands our conception of violence to include environmental racism, population control and the widespread appropriation of Indian cultural practices by whites and other non-natives. Smith deftly connects these and other examples of historical and contemporary colonialism to the high rates of violence against Native American women-the most likely women in the United States to die of poverty-related illnesses, be victims of rape and suffer partner abuse.
Essential reading for scholars and activists, Conquest is the powerful synthesis of Andrea Smith's intellectual and political work to date. By focusing on the impact of sexual violence on Native American women, Smith articulates an agenda that is compelling to feminists, Native Americans, other people of color and all who are committed to creating viable alternatives to state-based "solutions."
I like to think I'm pretty aware of a lot of the issues, but reading these books have opened my eyes even more on a few things. The books are about environmental issues that heavily effect American Indian Nations and also effect us.
I also learned a little bit about some Nations that I wasn't aware of. For example the group that is known as the traditional Seminole that live in the FL Everglades. I knew there were Seminoles in FL, but this is a group that splintered off from them when the FL Seminoles were offered settlement monies and Federal recognition. The Traditional Seminole refused the money and they have refused Federal recognition.
Hopefully the pics will show up.....
The first book is, 'All Our Relations: Native Struggles for Land and Life'.
The second book is, ' Recovering the Sacred: The Power of Naming and Claiming'.
yup, both great books!
Tasha
This book list is going to get me into big trouble, hehe there's loads in this list I'd like to read. I had noticed 'Black Elk Speaks' on ebay before, I'll keep a lookout for that again.
Has anyone read 'With My Own Eyes'? Written by a Lakota woman, it looks interesting, I'm watching it on ebay, there's no write up on Amazon I like to check the reviews on there if I like the look of something.
Right I'm off to look for Black Elk's book on ebay...
I've read 'With Mine Own Eyes'. I'll have to look at the book when I get home in order to respond to your question. I'll try to post something about that book later. I'm thinking that it's a book where a woman is telling a Lakota woman's story, but not sure.
This post was modified from its original form on 25 Mar, 8:05
Thanks Rhonda
Opps. Fran, I forgot to look at that book last night so to the best of my memory..... I would have to say... If you are wanting to read about the Lakota from the woman's view, I would recommend the following over that one:
Waterlily
Bead On An Anthill
Turtle Lung Woman's Granddaughter
All three of those books are on our lists here. I would also like to point out that, reading those books will give you a look at the Lakota, but not other nations. If you have a particular nation/tribe that you are wanting to read about, you may want to focus in a different direction. I'm sure that some of us could point you in that direction too. You may also want to decided on history 'vs' today or more current topics. Most of the reading I have done that was tribal/nation based has been focused on the Cherokee, Choctaw, and Lakota because I have connections to those.
Hi Rhonda
thanks for the reply, I've written those books down, I'll have a look on ebay/Amazon at them. I haven't read anything much on specific tribes yet, more general history so it will be a good start. It will be interesting to read more modern books too
Fran
Here's a pretty good link with info about the book 'With My Own Eyes' so you can find out more about that book.
http://books.google.com/books?id=lXsEpXe7PqsC
Hi Rhonda
thanks for the reccomendations, just ordered Bead On An Anthill. When I was on Amazon also came across a book on 'Tecumseh' which had good reviews, so of course had to order that one too hehe.
There were some othere good books on there too, books on Chief Joseph, Quanah Parker, Lame Deer-seeker Of Visions, etc they're all on my wish list now
Fran
I enjoyed the book 'Standing In The Light' by Severt Young Bear. This is probably a book that is overlooked. Severt died just a few months before this book was released. The book is an easy read and is about his life mostly as a drum keeper and his view of life. What I enjoyed so much about this book is that to me it felt like he was sitting or standing there with me telling me his story.
http://www.care2.com/c2c/groups/disc_post_reply.html?gpp=4652&pst=260208
Young Bear, a Lakota elder who died as this book went to press, was a prominent teacher and traditional singer; educator Theisz, his white adoptive brother, was a member of Young Bear's Porcupine Singers. They collaborated in an unusual way. To be in keeping with his people's oral traditions, Young Bear, though highly literate, chose to record his ideas on tape; Theisz then organized the comments and edited the transcripts into conversational prose. Young Bear related the myths and history of his people and reflected on the spiritual meanings inherent to their traditions. He also vividly described events in which he had participated--notably, the 1972 occupation of Wounded Knee. He especially hoped that his words would reach those who stood in the farthest circle at powwows, beyond the reach of the light surrounding the inner circle of drummers and singers, for they, connected but distant from their heritage, were most in need of the information he remembered and recorded. Still, non-Native American readers will find much to inspire and delight them here, too. Pat Monaghan --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
My books have arrived, hurrah! I've got a couple of chapters to go on the book I'm reading at the moment then I'll start 'Bead On An Anthill', will let you know how it goes.I also added that new book to my Amazon wishlist
Fran
I just added this book to my collection. I just laughed and laughed at this verious of the Tortoise and the Hare story.
Product Description
Maybe you think you know the story of the big race between Rabbit and Turtle. Think again! In this story from the Choctaw People, Tim Tingle shows that it was not being slow and steady that won Turtle the big race, it was those feathers!!!
Hopefully the picture will stay this time. It didn't the first time.
This post was modified from its original form on 09 Apr, 7:55
I finished reading 'Bead On An Anthill' this weekend, as recommended by Rhonda, I really enjoyed it, very easy to get into, will definitely get the other book by the same author.
Kudos to our newest member Joy who showed us to this great link:
http://www.kstrom.net/isk/books/children/ch51.html
There you can investigate the books:
CAUCASIAN AMERICANS; BASIC SKILLS WORKBOOK by Beverly Slapin and illustrated by Annie Esposito
and
10 LITTLE WHITE PEOPLE by Beverly Slapin and illustrated by Annie Esposito
ah...think nothing of it. of course, it HAS prompted a sudden cleaning urge (I KNOW I have a copy of Ten Little White People in a box somewhere...).
btw - congrats on a great list!! I have almost 3/4 of the books mentioned above. although i find it very strange that Sherman Alexie isnt mentioned yet. I highly recommend ANYTHING by Sherman Alexie (poet/novelist/screenwriter) - anyone remember the movie Smoke Signals?...
A few more to add to the list:
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown
anything by Vine Deloria
The Earth Shall Weep: A History of Native America by James Wilson
The Hiawatha by David Trever (novel of modern ndns)
Give Me My Father's Body: The Life of Minik, the New York Eskimo by Kenn Harper
I would also like to add a word of caution while reading Black Elk Speaks and Standing in the Light. My ex is Oglala Lakota and the former Southeast coordinator for Autonous AIM, so this is where I am getting my information - both books have a tendency to incorporate the greatest of ndn traditions - story telling! (we do like a good story, eh?) so if a certain passage seems a bit far out, it probably is. If it matters, my ex refused to read Black Elk Speaks, and he really enjoyed Standing in the Light - he had met Severt a few times and while reading would laugh, shake his head, and say "man - Severt hasn't changed at all..."
regarding Bead on an Anthill - the author is the cousin to a family friend. The Redshirts are a well respected family.
I read Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee recently, I couldn't put it down, it was a bit of a 'crash course' in NDN history for me I didn't know about a lot of the things that went on, it was very shocking and disturbing, I wondered why we didn't learn about any of this when we were in school? It should be compulsory school reading in my opinion.
Thanks for the tip on 'Black Elk Speaks' Joy.I was looking out for that one, I think I'll look for 'Standing In The Light' instead now, also the other ones you mentioned, I haven't heard of them. This book thread is going to bankrupt me...
Well, I haven't mentioned Sherman Alexie because I kept expecting someone ELSE to. I figured not everyone knew some of the other authors here but everyone has heard of Alexie.
I, personally, think Alexie's a talented author but I always got the anti-urban indian vibe from his books that just irks me to no end. I do encourage everyone to read his stuff though!
Tasha
I just finished reading this HUGE book and it took me months with my limited reading time....
Well, shoot. I tried to get a pic copied in but couldn't. Anyway....
the book is
'Joseph Brant, 1743-1807, Man of Two Worlds (An Iroquois Book)' by Isabel Kelsay
http://www.amazon.com/Joseph-Brant-1743-1807-Worlds-Iroquois/dp/0815602081
The book is a biography of Joseph Brant and the period of time covers the American Revolution mostly from the Six Nations view, in particular the Mohawk view through Joseph Brant. I was drawn to this book because Brant is one of my family names. Nope, not saying I'm related to Joseph Brant, but my Brants were from the PA/NY area too. My family history is that my Brants were German. Anyway the book is close to 800 pages so be prepared to be reading on it for a while.
___________________________________________________
I'm now reading 'Make a Beautiful Way; The Wisdom Of Native American Women' Edited by Barbara Alice Mann. The book was originally published in 2006 as 'Daughters of Mother Earth; The Wisdom Of Native American Women'. This is a small but powerful book with only 4 chapters. Each chapter is written by a different American Indian woman. The authors are: Paula Gunn Allen, Lee Maracle, Kay Givens McGowan, and Barbara Alice Mann and Winona LaDuke wrote the foreword of the book.
I think this should be a must read for anyone interested in the woman's point of view of the issues facing the women today and some of the problems of the Nations/Tribes.
http://www.amazon.com/Make-Beautiful-Way-Wisdom-American/dp/0803260423
I'm not going to attempt to get a pic copied in for this book either. I think the problem I have with the pics is because I'm at work and using my work pc. If I was on my home pc, I could probably get pics posted.
This post was modified from its original form on 04 Aug, 5:35
Another book that I've recently read is the controversial ' American Indian Mafia' by Joseph Trimbach. The book is an FBI agent's view AIM, Wounded Knee, the death of the FBI agents, the death of Anna Mae Pictou, etc. The book starts out with current events (the Anna Mae murder trials) and moves into past events.
Here is a link to the web site about this book:
http://www.americanindianmafia.com/
I hope I'm not blacklisted for posting about this book here. I found this book interesting and it pointed out things that I hadn't thought about before with some of the events that transpired during the 60's - 70's.
I know the authors and can tell you this book speaks the truth, and is supported with many footnotes. The title derives from what a congressional committee concluded, that the AIM leadership of the 1970s often eliminated their opponents "in the manner of the Mafia." Even today, people on the Pine Ridge Reservation fear retalitaion from the old guard and their followers. This book shows the ugly side of AIM which every Indian should know about. You might think the authors had nothing but bad things to say about AIM. Not true. They have nothing against law-abiding AIM members. Their beef is with the AIM leadership who, as they document, literally got away with murder.
In The Spirit Of Crazy Horse-Peter Matthiessen
Really enjoyed this book, learnt a lot about the Leonard Peltier case, AIM and other IDN issues, a lot to think about and some of the people mentioned in the book I will be interested to read more about.
Wow, Frances! You win- I forget this thread exists for weeks at a time! (obviously)
My aunt just sent me 4 or 5 Choctaw books from her collection which she consideres essential reading and which I will never get around to... including one Rhonda told me to read! Now where did I leave all that spare time I used to have? 
What were the other Choctaw books? They may be something I need to pick up if I don't already have them.
Okay, let's see here. We have:
*Choctaws in a Revolutionary Age 1750-1830 by Greg O'Brien
*Choctaw Language & Culture- Chahta Anumpa by Marcia Haag & Henry Willis
*Looting Spiro Mounds- An American King Tut's Tomb by David La Vere
and of course
*How Choctaws Invented Civilization & Why Choctaws Will Conquer the World by D.L. Birchfield.
I haven't had time to even open the books and read the notes my aunt put in, much less actually read them! 
I ended up enjoying the Birchfield book. I'm on the last chapter which includes sources he used and talks about other books.
This post was modified from its original form on 22 Jan, 5:06
He sounds like a bit of loon, frankly, but I generally enjoy books by loons, so when I do have time, it's the one I'll probably start with.
I just finished reading the Dennis Banks biography Ojibwa Warrior', I think it was more about AIM and the Wounded Knee seige rather than a proper biography, some personal things he didn't really go into detail, but having said that I couldn't put it down, it was really easy to get into and if (like me) you didn't know much about the seige and why it started it would be a good book to start with.
I'm halfway through 'Custer Died For Your Sins' enjoying that one too.
Anyone read any Thomas Perry novels?
Wow!! Great recommendations. I have already read a few of the ones mentioned above.
I share George's sentiments about Joseph Marshall III as an author. I have read almost all of his non-fiction stuff to date and haven't been disappointed with any of it. He has such an easy style and I find it hard to put down any of his books once I get started.
Another author that is similar to Marshall and I would recommend is Ed McGaa. He has several books but is best known for "Mother Earth Spirituality"
I also really enjoyed Gift of power : the life and teachings of a Lakota medicine man by Archie Fire Lame Deer
This post was modified from its original form on 29 Jan, 17:29
This post was modified from its original form on 29 Jan, 17:30
Finished 'Custer Died For Your Sins', enjoyed it very much, thanks Tasha. Would like to read more books by Vine Deloria Jr.
I enjoyed this book, it's written in more of a storyteller way than a usual biography
I have that one, but I haven't read it yet.
Just finished 'Lakota Woman' by Mary Crow Dog, excellent.
Dang, I have 3 books going at the moment, but I've put two on the back burner, because I am finding them boring because the arthur's writting is not what I was expecting. The books are by Tom Mould. In these books, he is writting about Choctaw stories and prophecies, but has mostly written about how to classify different stories and the forms they take. I thought these would be books that focused more on the actual telling of the stories. There are stories in there, but I've become bored with the books. I don't say that about to many books. The books are "Choctaw Tales" and "Choctaw Prophecy: A Legacy for the Future".
Anyway, I've put those to the backburner to read a new book I just got in called "Lost Bird Of Wounded Knee: Spirit of the Lakota" by Renee Sansom Flood. I am finding this book to be excellent and it was recommended to me by a woman that lives on the Cheyenne River Rez that I met in June.
At some point, I'll get back to the two Choctaw books and will finish them. There is info in them that I want to know, but it will be a matter of wading through the over analyzing that the arthur did on form.
Oh Frances, there is a second book that goes with Lakota Woman that came out several years later. They also made a movie out of Lakota Woman, but I haven't seen it. Her husband (Leonard Crow Dog) had a book published also and I can't remember the name of it off the top of my head at the moment.
Hi Rhonda,
Thanks for the reply.I have the Leonard Crow Dog one 'Crow Dog Four Generations Of Sioux Medicine Men' but I haven't read it yet. I noticed the second book on Amazon, I will definitely read it. I didn't know about the film, I'll look out for that, has anyone else seen it?
I noticed that 'Lost Bird Of Wounded Knee' before thought it looked good, I might order that one for christmas.
