This book is not written in a particularly sprightly style and yet I found it a work fascinating in the extreme. It starts at the very beginning , and I am sorry it only goes up to 1966. The chapter on the Non-Partisan League (1915-1923) was the most interesting. And Bill Langer had a fascinating career, the account of which was made more attention-holding for me because I used to go to the Senate gallery when I was going to law school in Washington and listen to his orations. Unforgettable, since unique. This is a great and memorable book.

Dr. Schell has a supreme flare for writing that will capture the interests of the avid historian as well as the casual reader with interests surrounding the establishment of this great midwest territory.

This is a terrific book! Anyone who has ever lived in a SD small town should have this on their coffee table. From the stars over Capa, a sheep show in Howard, & children on a swing in Millboro, to a wedding in Henry, bagpipes in Scotland, and an outdoor theatre in Redfield, Latza does a marvelous job of capturing the essence and spirit of life in a small town.

"Honoring the Grandmothers" is a slim book, barely bigger than your average sized pamphlet. Edited by Sarah Penman, a video and radio commentator living in Minnesota, the book is a collection of musings by four Dakota/Lakota grandmothers about traditional Indian knowledge and customs and how they relate to today's fast paced world. Penman captured the stories on tape over a period of years, working hard to overcome many obstacles to get the stories to us, the reader. There is little commentary on the stories; Penman allows them to speak for themselves. Two of the grandmothers have since passed away, but their words do continue to speak about maintaining dignity and culture in a world that likes to forget about the Indians and their way of life.

Celane Not Help Him is the first speaker presented in the book. Celane did not have an easy life; she lived in poverty for most of her life, with little formal education. Her family lost their property when the United States Air Force confiscated it during WWII for use as an artillery range. Celane is the granddaughter of Iron Hail, a Lakota who survived the Battle of Little Big Horn and the Wounded Knee massacre of 1890. Celane provides an oral history of Wounded Knee that is both enlightening in historical terms and depressing in an emotional sense. It is hard to read Celane's account, as her speaking skills do not land easily on an English-speaking ear. It is best to read the account straight through, and then think about it for a time. When this is done, Celane comes across as clear as a star in the sky.

The next set of stories comes from Stella Pretty Sounding Flute, a Wahpekute-Hunkpati Dakota. The Dakota people, like most Indians, had difficulties dealing with the burgeoning white population of America in the 19th century. After years of declining fortunes, an 1862 uprising in Minnesota brought down every bit of force the American government could muster on the Dakotas. The Dakota did not disappear, but scattered throughout Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Minnesota. Stella does not concern herself with these events as much as she does with the traditions she learned from her own grandparents. Her grandmother passed on skills and knowledge that no school can teach. Stella discusses the loss of the Black Hills, the traditions of pipe carrying, and spiritual beliefs.

The third storyteller is Cecilia Hernandez Montgomery. Cecilia is part Mexican, part Oglala Sioux, and part firecracker. This is one tough dame. Cecilia spent time in a Catholic school (back when they REALLY used the ruler), studied music, and worked herself dizzy at a series of low paying jobs. Cecilia really came into her own when she started a career as an activist in South Dakota, working hard to improve the living conditions of poor people (all poor people, not just Indians). She sits on many boards, committees, and still pounds the pavement when problems arise. She did all of this into her seventies and beyond, not only exploding the myth of the lazy Indian but also causing irreparable harm to the conception that old people cannot do anything of value.

The last narrative comes from Iola Columbus, a Sisseton-Wahpeton Dakota. Like many other Indians, Columbus spent time in an Indian boarding school, where military discipline combined with strict adherence to corporeal punishment attempted to erase the "Indian" from the Indians. Columbus's story is different from the others because she went on to become the first woman elected to tribal chair in the state of Minnesota. She later founded a grandmother's society, where women elders can gather to share traditional knowledge with new generations.

"Honoring the Grandmothers" is really a book about the elderly and their marginalized role in American society. This is occurring not only in white society but in Indian society as well. A couple of the grandmothers lament the fact that their knowledge is not passed on, but disappearing as older members of Indian tribes pass away. In short, the same mentality (of the doddering old fool who is well past his/her prime) that leads whites to toss the elderly into nursing homes happens in Indian society as well. The elderly are rich sources of knowledge and culture in every society. We ignore them at our own peril.

Mr. Brady takes you into the west during a time when the Native Americans were making their last stand. His exhaustive journalistic studies have given us a timeless account of what it was like to both be a Native American and a Calvary fighter during the 1870's. Although Mr. Brady attempts to take an objective view of both sides, he is biased towards the Calvary and one cannot help but to ponder the Native Americans view point as they struggle for their freedom aganist unbeatable odds. I would recommend this book to anyone! I particulary enjoy reading historical accounts and this is one of the best I have ever read. 2/18/97 Tate Perazzelli 102212.2751@compuserve.co

Richard "Dutch" Hardorff is one of the most thorough and objective students of General Custer's "last stand". His love of the truth and respect for the Indian tribes and their homeland is inspiring. His writing is captivating and fresh, especially considering the extensive treatment of the subject. Mr. Hardorff provides a lively and thought-provoking perspective that one would never get from the 'history' books. Truly an exceptional book and consistent with his fine other writings.

While not a new book, this one is worthy of the readers time. Hasselstrom is a poet, an essayist and a working ranch woman, dividing her time between her ranch in South Dakota and a residence in Wyoming. This book is part poetry and part essay. It is all exceptional. If you want to read of death, life, love, the land and being a woman by one of the best writers in the business, this is the book for you. She has written a number of fine poetry books but I recommend this collection as a start. From here I suspect the reader will go on to her other works. She's that good.

Elaine Lindgren has done an excellent job researching a little known subject. She gives not only a very fine introduction to the subject of homesteading, she provides a wonderful written documentary of the phenomenon of single women who homesteaded in North Dakota. This book is not only wonderfully written (it is actually a page turner), it also leaves the reader enthralled with a whole area of American history which had previously gone undocumented. I truly enjoyed this book and have given copies to friends who tell me they found it just as interesting

This is the finest book I have read on the lifestyle of the Lakota (Sioux),people not only before European contact, but also how they dealt with their transformation into "civilized" members of the dominate society. It was originally written in 1933. Luther Standing Bear took his name after entering Carlisle Indian School. How sad that the newcomers to North America didn't take the time to learn the culture of the original inhabitants of this land. We would all be better off today if they had. This book gives much insight into why. Even at this late date, there is a lot that can be learned from "Native Wisdom." I highly suggest that anyone interested, read this book. It will touch your heart!

I purchased this book for my mother for Christmas. She grew up in North Dakota and went to a one room schoolhouse through the eighth grade. After the holidays she lent the book to a friend who enjoyed it so much that we needed another copy.