There is no doubt that the author's veneration of the old time Plains Indians borders on hero-worship; and if enthusiasm alone could guarantee accuracy, this would be a great book. Unfortunately, that is not the case here. I have studied Plains Indian culture for more than 30 years, and must agree with the previous reviewer from Montana that this book is riddled with errors from beginning to end. For example, Mails tells us that the Indians made bow cases from the tails of mountain lions. I am currently making a mountain lion quiver and bowcase myself, and I can tell you flatly that the mountain lion never lived whose tail was big enough for this purpose. Instead, the tail was always left as a pendant hanging from the mouth of the quiver. Since Mails' book includes a full page color painting, done by him, of a quiver with the tail hanging down in just that fashion, you wonder how he could make this error - but he did, and many others like it. Most of them could have been avoided if Mails had carefully read the primary sources listed in his own bibliography. This is a big, impressive looking coffee-table type book, and so our natural inclination is to believe whatever it says - an inclination strengthened by the fact that Mails makes every statement with an air of absolute authority. The reviewer from Pipestone, MN says that this book has all the answers, and it does. The problem is that those answers are so often completely wrong.

I teach Native American cultures to children and adults alike at the Little Feather Indian center in Pipestone, Minnesota. Ever since I first saw this book back in '95 I have had it by my side when giving a talk. If I don't know the answer to a question, I look it up in this book. I call it my Bible. It is the best source I know for information on the Plains Tribes. The pictures are works of art, and Mails has so much knowledge that he imparts to the reader. If you want to know more about the Plains Tribes do get this book, it is a little bit expensive but worth every cent. I promise.

Thomas Mails brings us this unforgettable book of the Plains Indians! Mails has really given us a classic here that must be read over and over again! This book is so informative. I personally think that it could be used in colleges as a textbook! It tells us all about their dress, weapons, hairstyles, and religion. I think that every person should run out and buy this book

I gave this book to my sister, who is a doctor, and read it myself when I visited her recently. Mary Canaga Rowland immediately hooked me in the first chapter. I enjoyed her details of early medicine and living on the plains and in the west. Not only was she a pioneer in the field of medicine (as one of the first women doctors), but also she was a single mother after her husband was tragically killed only 2 days after their baby was born. Reading this book made me want to read more memoirs of women in this era.

This book was given to me by a co-worker who mentioned that Dr. Mary Rowland was his great-grandmother. It is a wonderful memoir of a dynamic woman on the frontier of career-oriented women. I was facinated by her first-person accounts of case studies, medical treatments of the day, and especially her insistance of cleanliness, at a time when most in the medical profession knew little to nothing about sterilization. This book is a must read for any one with a layperson's devotion to medical history.

14 year old Thad wants to be a scout. He starts to look for dinosaur bones on Indian land. The Indians find him, they mean no harm. He becomes friends with them and learns about life. Thad meets Buffalo Bill and he recommends Thad for a fossil hunting expedition. Thad gets the job and starts digging with them. This book starts kind of slow but then picks up the pace. The characters are great and the plot is awesome.

Wow! what a book to read! Hey, it is a book everybody should read at least once.

I have read all the Spanish Bit series. In several of the books there was talk of the lost band. A place was left for it when all the other bands got together. I am glad to finally get a story about what happened to it. Don Coldsmith writes good books about "The People". A fictional account but is based losely on events of long ago. The lost band was nearly wiped out by Shaved-heads. This is the story of the few that were left and how they taught the customs, language and other aspects of "The People" to their children and on down for several generations. Many thought they would be the one to get back and find the original group but it was not to be until a special child was born to lead a small band back to their special place. A good quick read that is enjoyable if you like stories of people of long ago and how they lived and died. It will hold you attention and you will hope someone finally leads the lost band back.

The Lost Band is the newest addition to Coldsmith's Trail of the Spanish bit series; but to read this story, it is not necessary to have read the prior books. The entire series is easy to read and enjoyable saga of the changes to a Plains Indian tribe throughout the history of the frontier. Several of the earlier books have mentioned a vacant place at the annual gathering of the tribe; the vacant place is held for a band of the tribe that disappeared generations ago. The Lost Band traces the history of the missing band, from the time the few survivors of a violent raid were captured by another tribe until their reunion with their people many generations later. The novel is actually several inter-related stories following descendents of one woman who in secret kept alive the language, stories and traditions of her people while she was a captive. Very readable (even for those of us who don't read many Westerns!)

We have such extremes of climate in the Midwest that it can be frustrating knowing what to grow. This book not only recommends varieties but also covers pests and diseases we face in our areas.

I just completed a 24 state tour of the Central, Northwest, West Coast, and Southwest. I visited several National Parks, Indian Reservations, National Forests, and state capitols. I purchased Ms Strutin's book, "A Guide to Contemporary Plains Indians" at one of the Parks.
I found that this book tells rather candidly and concisely what happened to the American Indians of the Great Plains. How we took their land through false promises, deception and sheer force. I've been delivering this message to all who would listen for many years. In this book are many details of the atrocities committed during the settling of the Plains by the white man. I was so impressed by this book, that I've searched the web for an address for Ms Strutin, in order to abtain pernission to excerpt her accounts on my website and in my online journal. I've not been successful in my search, but I will continue. The message contained in this book should be spread. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in American Indian history.
Greywolf0518

Absolutely a gem. It was written by Ron Fisher, who has worked with the National Geographic Society for over 30 years. This is a book about the beauty of America's plains and prairies. Every page is glossy, and it is FULL of Wonderful Color pics! It conducts interviews with the real people of America. Goes into the culture and preparing of farming, talks about the training of the work, the animals required, and the history of America's farmlands. A must have for anyone who wants to learn what America used to be about!

The Hoop of Peace records the timeless tradition of the hoop dance, a gift of the Lakota people to the rest of humanity. Author Jan Havnen-Finley and artist Ken "Rainbow Cougar" Edwards effectively combine text, black-and-white sketches, and photographs of hoop dancer, Kevin Locke, to convey the great vision of the Sioux holy man, Black Elk. This vision is a time when there is peace among the tribes and all nations---a valuable vision for all (grades 2 - 5). Iowa Reading Journal October, 1995

Walker knew the Lakota and was careful to try to be accurate, but he also was pressured by the Bureau of Ethnology to fit Lakota Society into the framework of Anthropology's view of the world. This is the biggest weakness, because the Lakota view of the world is not consistent with the concepts of Anthropology. But I believe he tried very hard to be accurate within those expectations. Much of this information would be lost if Walker hadn't recorded it. A must for a serious student of the Lakota.

Mobil guides in general have some of the info you need for your stay but I prefer location specific guides more. They only list a few of each (hotels, restaurants, attractions etc.) Overall it was helpful but I wouldn't use it by itself. There isn't enough info about each area.