Con Jenkins, a horse-thieving murderer helps an old Indian and his granddaughter carry out the last wishes of Crazy Horse, by taking the Besr Paw horses to their destination. I found this story difficult to follow. However, don't decide to read or not to read on my opinion.

I was surprised to find this book was still being printed. It is one of the books on my "I will never sell this" shelf. Will Henry is an authentic western author that writes period stories with thorough research and extensive understanding of the times. His stories also flow beautifully. The Bear Paw Horses story has basis in historical fact, is well researched and Will Henry pulls it together into a very readable story. As an author he is right up there with Louis L'Amour and Luke Short.

Mary E. Cochran presents the story of Harold S. Jones, who in 1921 became the first American Indian bishop of the Episcopal Church. While much of Jones's narrative is in the third person, whenever possible editor Cochran allowed Jones to present his story "in his own words." Raymond A. Bucko and Martin Brokenleg's introduction does a good job of contextualizing Jones's story. The volume sheds considerable light on missionary activities among American Indians in the 20th century and offers welcome documentation of the complex interactions between Christian missionaries and Native peoples of the Plains. Choice, vol 28, no. 7 (March 2001).

What a find this book is!!! Having spent time this summer working on the Pine Ridge Reservation among the Lakota, I was thrilled to read a book containing not only historical facts, but "real life" detail. The joy, humor, sorrow, endurance, and faithfulness of this man of God (and those whose lives entwined with his) truly touched me. This book may be sucessfully used for historical, theological, sociological, or devotional purposes. Make sure to read and reread Fr. Deloria's (Tipi Sapa) testimony concerning Jesus, several times. It is the most compelling witness I have ever heard. It is no wonder that the little one, who listened to this wise man speak, grew up to be a Bishop.

This book is full of excitement! It took most of a day for me to read-but hey-that's just fine. My best friend read it after me and said that this book is one of the best there is. I so happen to agree. I think that the story line makes it interesting. Black Otter-Dakota's "brother" is the perfect evil character. I think that Dakota had some unique ways of"communicating". But I think it was a very good book. Buy It.
Bella

I really enjoyed reading this book. I fell in love with all the characters in this book. I hope Ms. O'Banyon writes a book in the future about Dakota's cousin John. I would love to find out what happened to him.

this is a good dictionary but lacks some words (like full list of names for uncles) and doesn't give a full transcription regarding stops series

After searching libraries, the net, and schools for an accurate, good Dakota dictionary, I finally found this book. I was, to be blunt, amazed! Not only does it have a great listing of words (that you can actually use), but it also includes a short introduction of grammar and usage.

I got to test my new skills at a recent Powwow in Minnesota, where I had an entire conversation (although slow!) with a Dakota man. Although he needed to correct me on a few words and some grammar, he was impressed. He was shocked when I told him I had only begun learning within the last six months! I could not have done it without the aid of this book! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Good hiking reference if you're new to the BH and hiking in general. I've found the ratings to be more for beginners or folks without a lot of hiking skill (ie. a moderate trail listed as strenuous). Good to get you oriented to the area.

I live in the Black Hills and use this guide extensively. Itis well written and trails are accurately described. If you purchaseone hiking book for SD....make sure it is this one!...

I really enjoyed reading Jakarta Missing. The story focuses on the life of a girl named Dakar who grew up in East Africa and who has been transplanted to North Dakota. Her recollections of her life in Africa provide insights into what it is like for a kid to live in and be a part of several cultures at once. Third Culture Kids (those growing up in a culture different from their parents' "home" culture) will definitely identify with Dakar.

The book also reflects a lot on several significant issues. Dakar and her family struggle with finding the balance between safety and living joyfully unrestrained by fear. In other words, how much of the joy of life are you willing to give up in order to feel safe? Different members of the family strike this balance in different ways and with different results. Those who struggle with taking risks will find an empathic friend in Dakar.

Dakar's family also struggles with balancing concern and responsibility for the well-being of all of humanity with concern for the more mundane but also important issues of "being there" for those you love. Is it more important to save the world or to be there to watch your kid's basketball game? A related issue is how women and girls balance taking care of others vs taking care of themselves. This issue is played out in various family members and female friends in the book, and the various characters resolved the issue differently.

There is a lot to think about in this book, but it's so engaging and fun to read that I wasn't left feeling heavy or weighed down by it. Dakar's stories about growing up in Africa are fun to read and different from your average book about a teenager in America. As a newcomer she struggles to fit in but still be herself. Anyone who has ever been in that position will be able to relate to Dakar's feelings.

Overall a great book. It kept me turning the pages long after I should have put it down and gone off to do other chores.

Jakarta Missing is an absorbing book, with a wonderful girl, Dakar, at the center of the story. Dakar is creative and smart, but also shy and scared by all of the changes in her life. All of Dakar's family and friends, including her sister Jakarta, also seemed like very real people with interesting stories to tell. Dakar's story includes fascinating descriptions of her life in different parts of Africa. And Dakar showed me how what I think of as ordinary life in the U.S. can seem very strange and new to a girl who has grown up elsewhere. Anyone who has had to deal with the difficult times of moving and changes in a family will identify with the problems Dakar faces in this book. This is a great read that I didn't want to put down!

If you are a "Little House on the Prairie" fan, this book, based on a true story, is for you. The story follows a Native American woman's life as she survives tragedy and ultimately triumphs. I'm not usually much of a reader, (in fact this was an assignment) but I just couldn't put it down! The author did an excellent job capturing the reality of the Native American way, and depicting the main character's struggle with TB; the isolation, loss of friends and her own illness. This book really makes you appreciate your health and everything you have.

Being a fanatic of Native American writings and lore I find again Mark St. Pierre, top of the list. I understand he has lived in the Lokata nation for the last thirty years and writes from the heart. Follow this writer because he is destined for fame. No writer has captured this beautiful culture with more passion than he has. I look foward to his next work.

This book was excellent. Written through the eyes of a young girl growing up in Deadwood, it makes you feel as though you are there. I live in Deadwood now and it is interesting to actually see the streets and parts of town that were written about in this book.

Wonderful glimpse into history from a very bright young girl. Names of those long gone are brought back to life in this narrative. Highly recommend!
T. Addison

This book is on our gift list for children whose parents have moved from the upper midwestern scenery. The South Dakota photography accompanied by the short prose is a reminder of the reasons we choose to remain here. We are sorry we have nothing for an X, but the harvest photograph almost smells like August on the farm.

Latza's "An Alphabetical Scrapbook" is a beautiful piece of work! A great addition for any parent (or child!) from South Dakota. Terrific photographs, educational themes, great layout, and affordable!

This book has some wonderful narratives from the very people who were caught up in the middle of the uprising in Minnesota in 1862. The author does a good job of explaining how the book is laid out. You definitely need to read the intro to understand this. While I was reading the book, I felt as though I was there in the middle of it with all those involved. I don't excuse what was done, but I have a better understanding of what horrors the indians went through that drove them to this place. I would definitely recommend this book.

Historians discovered many years ago that oral history is a vibrant cornucopia of information. Even better, integrating oral history into traditional modes of inquiry opened up more chances for earning a Ph.D., or getting that career making book contract. In the case of "Through Dakota Eyes: Narrative Accounts of the Minnesota Indian War of 1862," oral history is the only game in town. Every selection in the book is an oral story from Indians or mixed-blood Indians about the disastrous uprising that killed hundreds of soldiers, settlers, and Indians. One of the editors of "Through Dakota Eyes" is none other than Gary Clayton Anderson, the premier scholar on Dakota history. As usual, Anderson goes above and beyond the call of duty in researching the narratives, providing background color on the people involved (and also providing information about what happened to these people after the uprising, something I greatly appreciated).

For nearly a century after the uprising, articles and books concerning the 1862 war only used white narratives as sources of information. There is definitely nothing wrong with relying on these narratives; they are invaluable sources of information on the uprising. The white narratives also reveal the tragic dimensions of the conflict, showing how innocent men, women, and children died (or persevered) in especially brutal ways. With the addition of these Indian narratives, however, historians can now go inside the camps and meeting places of the Dakotas intimately involved in the conflict.

The narratives are lumped into distinct categories dealing with different stages of the uprising. Each category then provides a succinct description of that particular phase of the war. With each narrative, the editors provide a small capsule of information on the person telling the story, allowing the reader to understand that person's place in the overall scheme of things. It is recommended to read the endnotes for each narrative, as they provide excellent information on each narrative. Excellent maps and pictures of many of the people involved also help the reader to understand the accounts.

Some of the narratives are more helpful than others. A few are difficult to understand due to poor grammar or contradictory information. Several of the narratives appeared in newspaper articles or as testimony in a case against the government in 1901, and there is a possibility that someone altered or changed them as they saw fit. That does not mean there are not any "WOW!" moments found here. In Cecelia Campbell Stay's account of the attack on the Redwood Agency (also known as the Lower Agency, where the killing began in earnest on August 18th), Cecelia describes seeing the sunlight flashing on the bayonets of Captain Marsh's patrol as they headed to their doom at the ferry crossing. Another narrative, now widely used in accounts of the uprising, comes from Wowinape, the son of Little Crow (the leader of the warring Dakota). Battle narratives allow the reader to feel as though they are at Fort Ridgely, New Ulm, or Birch Coulee as the cannons roar and the bullets fly.

As the editors point out, many of the mixed-blood Indian narratives identify a central tension of the conflict, namely the division between Indians who adopted white modes of civilization (the farmer Indians) and those who stayed true to traditional Indian values (the blanket Indians). Many of the mixed-blood Indians worked closely with whites; they feared the war parties of the traditionals just as much as whites did. As the war began to wind down, it was the mixed-bloods along with some full-blooded Indians who confronted the warring Indians, forcing these hostile forces to turn over their white captives in an effort to make peace with the military forces sweeping into the area.

This is an absolutely essential book for anyone interested in the Minnesota 1862 uprising. Actually, anyone writing a paper on this conflict without using this book as a source could find themselves in hot water. Since the editors graciously organized the narratives in chronological order, there is no reason someone unfamiliar with the conflict and its principal figures would have any difficulty understanding the book. Gary Anderson and Alan Woolworth have made an important contribution to Indian scholarship with this impressive tome.