In the many books written about Native Americans Sioux that lived during the Great Sioux War as a hostile this is one of the best. A bit of a braggart, White Bull also is very revealing as far as what he was thinking at the time. E.i. There was an incident when his uncle, Sitting Bull, who decided to show the young braves how brave he was and asked who would like to walk out into the middle of a battlefield and sit down and have a smoke from his pipe with him. White Bull along with three other braves not wanting to look afraid volunteered. When they sat down in between the soldiers and their fellow Sioux with bullets zinging all around them, Sitting Bull put tobacco in his pipe, lit it, and took a long slow draw. When it got to White Bull he states "Except for Sitting Bull we smoked it as fast as we could." For those that wish an authentic flavor of what the Sioux thought during the Great Sioux War this book hits the spot.

This book was recommended by my sister-in-law, who is 1/2 Lakota Sioux. I wanted to understand more about the culture, the language, the inner feelings of the Sioux. This depiction, from a Lakota who went through the changes from freedom to confinement in his formative years, was sobering. I happened to find a 1951 version at a library and am now ordering the updated version to keep. I will be reading it again. I cried when I realized what my ancestors had done.

The book was about a young boy who was having vision at an early age. Not only that he was very ill when he had his first vision. At the end he became a Shaman which is closed enoughed as being a preist.

Black Elk has channeled a deeply spiritual work from the Great Spirit, and in my mind will become another of the worlds holiest scriptures. Black Elk has lifted his self to saint hood right alongside the great ones. I love his work. I would recommend this book to all spiritual aspirants.

The whole of creation is essentially one, all parts within the whole are related...realize that at the center dwells Wakan Tanka, and that center is really everywhere, it is within each of us... May we walk with love and mercy upon the path which is holy... "Mita kuye oyasin!"

Mr. Brown actualy lived with Ben Black Elk's family for a period of time while gathering material for this book, and he has the accurate information.

This book has several nice photos of the famous holy man Nick Black Elk.

Questions or comments E-Mail me. Two Bears

Wah doh Ogedoda

In 1862 some of the Sioux in Minnesota reacting to starvation rations and delayed annuities rose up against the white settlers. The result was a great loss of life and suffering on both sides.

The author gives a fairly even handed account of this uprising, however, I think he dwelt just a little too much on graphic accounts of the atrocities committed by the Indians. Not that I think it would be fair to white-wash their participation. Under the influence of alcohol and the breakdown of their society, I'm sure that some of these atrocities did occur. However, we must keep in mind that it was long assumed that the Plains Indians tortured live victims because bodies were often found mutilated. In most cases, though, these mutilations took place after death. Also the eye-witness accounts of those suffering from fear, starvation, and delirium, may not be the best to rely upon, especially as they were probably told after the fact.

Still the author does a very good job of handling the politics on the Indian side, and showing how innocents on both sides suffered, while many of the guilty did not. This episode also brings up many questions about assimilation, mob psychology, and human behavior. This is definitely a must-read for anyone interested in Native American history or the history of the American West.

In "Over the Earth I Come," military historian Duane Schultz writes a popular history of the infamous Dakota uprising of 1862. The title of the book comes from a Dakota chant of defiance, a fitting title for a book that describes the efforts of a people to cast off the heavy chains of hopelessness, starvation, and general depravation forged through contact with the American government and its Indian agents.

Schultz writes a gripping account of all aspects of the uprising and the aftereffects of the rebellion. The author weaves narratives of survivors with political and military events of the uprising into a seamless and compelling account of this unfortunate incident in American history. According to Schultz, some 500 to 2000 whites died in the uprising, many of them German settlers unaware of the danger they faced from the angry Dakotas. Hundreds of Dakotas died as well in the futile military campaigns launched against Fort Ridgley, New Ulm, and at the battle of Birch Coulee. The uprising was a tragedy for everyone involved, from the white women and children who died in astonishingly brutal ways, to the Indians who lost their freedom and lands as a result of the uprising, to President Abraham Lincoln who signed a death warrant for 38 Dakotas (Lincoln lessened the tragedy somewhat by commuting some 264 death sentences). Schultz conveys the tragedy with a heartfelt eloquence that brings tears to your eyes.

Early in the book, Schultz examines the causes of the uprising. Was the uprising inevitable? Schultz's answer is a resounding NO! The Dakotas rebelled against the government agents and white settlers due to starvation, a tardy annuity payment, and poor treatment by Indian agents and German settlers. Cultural factors also played a role, as the government played Indians off against each other by rewarding Indians who played by the rules (those who adopted white culture and farming methods), and withholding supplies from "blanket" Indians (those who refused to adopt an alien culture in order to preserve their ancient way of life). The Indians who refused to adopt white culture watched their converted kin collect supplies and food from government warehouses anytime they needed it, while the blanket Indians collected their food on a set schedule. The blanket Indians eventually formed a soldier's lodge and planned military action against the whites. A harmless incident over some eggs on a white farm escalated into the murder of a family of whites, and the war was on.

Schultz spends much time discussing Little Crow, the leader of the uprising. Little Crow, who initially opposed the uprising, eventually changed his mind and supported the revolt, a decision that doomed Little Crow and his people. After discussing Schultz's presentation of Little Crow with a friend, he asked if Schultz relied on the "noble savage" stereotype while discussing Little Crow. I don't think that is the case here, as Little Crow appears as a politically astute politician, saddened over the deaths of white children and white women while generally making the best of a situation rapidly spiraling beyond his control.

In a move sure to bring about howls of protest from the politically correct crowd who believe Indians can do no wrong, Schultz provides graphic details of the slaughter and torture of white settlers caught in the uprising. Through the use of narrative accounts, we see Indian braves on a murder spree of shocking proportions. Indians dashed the heads of children against trees, dropped rocks on people's heads, and tore limbs from still living children. Indians shook hands in a gesture of "friendship" with whites, and then shot them when they turned their backs. The list of atrocities goes on and on. As bad as these descriptions are, there are many worse ones found in this book. It is understandable that whites howled for blood when the uprising came to an end.

At the same time, Schultz shows us the many Indians disgusted at the behavior of their fellow Indians. Just as people sheltered Jews during World War II, some Indians risked life and limb to protect innocent whites. These Indian men and women were truly saviors to many. But in keeping with the theme of tragedy, Schultz explains how a few innocent Indians died on the gallows; one of them was Chaska, an Indian who protected Sarah Wakefield, a white woman taken captive early in the uprising. Despite Sarah's protestations (or perhaps because of them; whites were not interested in letting any Indian off the hook), Chaska ended up on the gallows.

As a popular history, "Over the Earth I Come" does have its limitations. For example, in his discussion on the causes of the uprising, Schultz completely fails to mention the Spirit Lake massacre in 1857 and the withholding of annuity funds by the government in order to force the Indians to do what the government told them to do. Both of these events contributed to the uprising, and discussing them is essential in understanding the events that followed.

"Over the Earth I Come" is an excellent, well written introduction to this troubling event in American history. The book has all the trappings of a novel: dramatic battles, perilous escapes, mind blowing ironies and "what-ifs," and touching stories of human kindness. Schultz conveys the multiple tragedies of this sad event with great sympathy and understanding.

Over The Earth I Come describes in detail the events and atrocities that eventually lead to the uprising of 1862. You come away ashamed that people could have treated others this way, and a new opinion of the great Henry Sibley and his questionable friends. It is one of those books that is hard to put down once you start reading it. I have so many people asking for my copy that it's almost impossible to keep track of it. It was highly recommended to me by Dr. Gerald Grinde, History professor at Ridgewater College.

I had high expectations when I began reading this book. I was looking for a clear and concise description of animal totems and how they related to the life of the Sioux. I was disappointed as it appeared the author never did quite get across the specific meaning of the animals and their relationship to man. The background material was good as well as the information on dances and ceremonies. Dr. Brown seemed right on the edge of a wonderful definition of the animals but just was not able to get the meaning across.

This book is not a comprehensive study of all Oglala beliefs but is a great overview of their main ceremonies and the meaning of the animals they worshipped. It's a great book for those people interested in learning about this culture without being mired down in material intended for scholars and those embarking on in depth research in this subject. A great book for students of social history.

This book is not for those who are blinded by what is expected of them in modern western life. Joseph Epes Brown treats the subject in a factual and down to earth way, not romantisicing. This book is a fascinating insight into the Spiritual way of the Oglala. It explains about the Oglala's attitude to those who shared the earth, their mother, with them. He explains Mita kuye ayasin - we are relatives- and how the animal spirits could help a man through life. He has a good descriptive set of chapters about the main animals and what they mean to the Oglala. He also shows which animal had which qualities and how these responded to male or female. This is only a book for those who are wiling to accept and to learn. Those who have lost the way will not read it properly. They certainly will not understand it. This book should be read, not with the two eyes of the head but with the Chante Ista, the single eye of the heart. A very enjoyable and informative book.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, captivity narratives were rather popular among those who lived to tell about their abduction by Indians, and Fanny Kelly's account is a good specimen of this type of writing. I was impressed by the rather harsh lifestyle that the plains Indians endured in their nomadic wanderings. This book neither praises nor belittles the Sioux, but paints a fair portrait of life among them. It's not an outstanding book, but it is good, instructive, and worth getting in the paperback edition.

I just finished reading a borrowed copy of Fanny Kelly's book and was fascinated by her account of her experiences. Her treatment by her Indian captors may give one a "politically incorrect" view of our native Americans, but her account is documented and proven true. It is well written, inspiring, and educational -- a book I must have as a permanent part of my library.

I truly wanted to like this book more than I did. I had read all the great reviews, and have read a great deal of Native American history. Black Elk's first-hand accounts of some of the most famous moments in American history are priceless, as was his description of Sioux culture; these easily rated five stars. But lengthy chunks of this book are descriptions of Black Elk's dream-like visions. They were obviously very personal, and Black Elk even wonders if he should try to recreate them for auhtor John Neihardt. For me, the re-telling of these visions through an interpreter and then written by a white man left the passages a convoluted and overly-detailed morass. I would, however, still recommend that anyone interested in Native American history read this book.

Black Elk of the Ogallala Sioux (or Lakota, their real name) led quite an important life among his people. He was present at Custer's Last Stand and the Wounded Knee Massacre, and even toured Europe with Buffalo Bill. John G. Neihardt has given us this very important life story as told by Black Elk himself. The saga of Black Elk and his people during their final years of freedom is very important from a biographical and historical standpoint. Contrary to popular opinion, this book is not really a treatise on Native American religion, as it is only Black Elk's personal story, though there is much valuable material on spirituality as he saw it. His many messianic visions are described in great detail. These would be looked on by Westerners as fever-induced dreams, but they still had great significance in Black Elk's life and the fate of his people. Also interesting are his tales of working as a medicine man and curing sick people. Instead of dismissing such tales, we should look on them as great examples of the power of positive thinking, not to mention homeopathic remedies. There has always been some concern about how much Neihardt altered the story to fit Western writing methods, with possible losses to Black Elk's true narrative. But one of the great modern Native American activists, Vine Deloria, gives his endorsement in the new introduction. While not quite the compendium of spiritual knowledge that many people think it is, this is still an extremely valuable and enlightening life story of a man who has much to teach us.

Mari Sandoz both admired and modeled much of her work about the Plains Indians on the work of Neidhardt. Both worked on using the flow of the native language as opposed to a word for word translation, and both spent time with Indians, learning their culture and getting first hand information. They took advantage of what is no longer available to us, first person histories from those who actually lived the free life on the Plains. They also did more for native cultures than any white person before or since, by writing down this information for future generations. One thing I found enjoyable about Black Elk, and the Sandoz books is that while the Indians they spoke with took their religion and duties very seriously, they also had a great sense of humor, and didn'tt mind poking fun at themselves as well as whites. I found the story of the warriors who stopped to eat a buffalo during the battle of the Rosebud particularly humorous.

Mari Sandoz, the daughter of German-Swiss parents, was born in 1896 on the Great Plains of Nebraska, and spent much of her young life amid the Sioux tribes there at that time. This book, which is only 118 pages long, briefly depicts much of what she learned first-hand of Sioux customs and rituals. She writes with great intimacy, love, and a depth of knowledge that few could match. Her prose sometimes meanders, and often gives the sense of being unstructured, without a coherent thread. This might bother some and not others. Admittedly, it bothered me at times, as I prefer my facts and history presented in a more cohesive context. That said, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone interested in Native American history.

This gives me some sense of what it would be like to live with the Sioux. Simple enough for a child to read. No magic, but worth reading.

This is a clarification of the review below by:
natasha trotskygrad from moscow, Ussr.

Mari Sandoz was a FEMALE author from northern Nebraska. :)

And this is a great Sioux book, but even more highly recommended is Sandoz' CRAZY HORSE biography. Sandoz was quite respected by the native population and did extensive research for all of her books. Her book on Crazy Horse even used first hand oral accounts with those who knew Crazy Horse.

While I'm very pleased the author, Joseph Trombello, survived the flight, I was disappointed with his book and the flight's account. I wanted to read more about the initial explosion in the engine, the anxiety of the people on the plane, the knowing they were going to likely crash. It seemed that part of the story was rushed in the first two chapters, and the rest of the book was about his meeting with other survivors and what they had to eat at these meetings. I would not recommend this book to someone looking for crash or investigation details. Trombello does do an adequate job of relating how crash survivors like himself struggle with their emotions years after the ordeal.

An amazing book by an amazing guy. Joe Trombello writes from the heart as he tells his compelling story of how he survived the crash of United Airlines flight 232. I'm an avid reader and a keen aviation enthusiast, and this book tells a story that captivates every reader who has a heart - it is full of feeling, emotion, and compassion.

Joe tells what he endured during and after the initial crash, the injuries he received (which included a broken neck), and how he dealt with the emotions that followed the accident. Co-founder of the Chicago support group for the survivors of flight 232 in the Chicagoland area, Joe describes the meetings that were held in detail, covering everything from what was discussed to what was eaten (an Italian-American, Joe is very fond of food!). I have had the great honour of meeting Joe Trombello on two occassions in recent years, and consider him a personal friend.

I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in reading true stories that touch the heart. This book really touched my heart - let it touch yours as well.

I have studied the Flight 232 disaster for sometime. This was a good book. I feel for Joe -- too bad his family wasn't more supportive. But, you know, unless you've actually been through a critical incident such as this, you really don't know how to help others who have.

You will find yourself laughing out loud at the antics in this book numerous times. I almost fell out of my chair when the book detailed Lame Deer's crime spree of moonshine whiskey and stolen cars. ;-) This one story alone os worth twice the price of the book!

There is much wisdom in this book; but the ceremonies in this book are not entirely accurate.

Many American Indian Nations witheld accurate information, but now more and more of them are coming forward and releasing accurate information. Even some of the Hopi Elders came forward about two years ago and released some of their sacred prophecies. I hope it is not too late.

I am deeply disturbed by the Kettle dance, but I am not of that culture, and have no right to judge it.

I would like to give this book five stars but I can't because some of the ceremonies are wrong.

I say the ceremonies are wrong because I have read ceremonies in many other books, and I have several full blooded American Indian friends, and they confirmed what I read in these other sources.

I recommend these books regarding American Indian Spirituality in the order listed.

"The Sacred Pipe" Joseph Epes Brown

"Native Wisdom" Ed McGaa

"Mother Earth Spirituality" Ed McGaa

"Foolscrow: Wisdom And Power" Thomas E. Mails

"Black Elk: The Sacred ways of the Lakota" Wallace Black Elk & William S. Lyons.

I recommend "The Sacred Pipe" highest because Mr. Brown actualy lived with the famous holyman Nick Black Elk for a few months while gathering information for this book.

Then; there are some books written by Indians that are full of new age pap because it sells. ;-(

I am the proud carrier of a Catlinite (pipestone) pipe that my American Indian friends helped me obtain. I agree with the 1990 quote by Orval Looking Horse "No one should be denied a peace pipe.".

If you have questions or comments; E-mail me. Two Bears.

Wah doh Ogedoda (We give thanks Great Spirit)

People here are prasing this book for the insight it gives into the lives of Native Americans. Not that this book isn't important for its take on Amerindian culture: to say that John Lame Deer doesn't have a grasp on what is important to himself and his people would be improper and negligent.

People are missing two of the things that make this book so powerful: its humor and its take on the white world that exists outside of the reservation. Erdoes commentaries on his Indian visitors, Lame Deer's comments on EVERYTHING, and the voice and process of this book are FUNNY. This book is well-constructed and fun to read. On to the second point: Lame Deer is fairly sucessful in making Europeans often look like clowns-- stripping their culture and sophistication, making them more human....

This book should have a much wider audience than it has ever had (and that is actually fairly substantial, strangely enough....) Not that this is a book that could change a person's life: it could at least give direction to the perplexed. I highly recommend this book....

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Without a lot of unnecessary rhetoric it will have a powerful effect on you, if you only read the introduction.