Readings of and by American Indians which share stories of their existence helps us understand their lifestyles and thought world. For those reasons I suggest you peruse the books listed below. As you read, awareness of cultural norms become readily apparent. Interaction between relatives, physically present and those who have passed on, provides an outstanding example of Ella C. Deloria's admonition: "the ultimate aim of Dakota life, stripped of accessories, was quite simple: One must obey kinship rules; one must be a good relative (Speaking of Indians, 17)." Read and enjoy.
Big Crow, Moses Nelson. A Legend from Crazy Horse Clan.
Chamberlain, SD: Tipi Press, 1991.
Cook-Lynn, Elizabeth. The Power of Horses and Other Stories.
New York: Little, Brown and Company, 1990.
Estes, George C., and Richard R. Loder. Kul-Wicasa-Oyate:
Lower Brule Sioux Tribe. Lower Brule, SD: Lower Brule
Sioux Tribe, 1971.
Louis, Adrian C. Among the Dog Eaters. Albuquerque: West End
Press, 1992.
Pratt, Vince E. The Story of Iktomi (The Spider). Agency Village,
SD: Featherstone, 1988.
Sneve, Virginia Driving Hawk. Completing the Circle. Lincoln, NE:
University of Nebraska Press, 1995.
________. The Dakota's Heritage: A Compilation of Indian Place Names
in South Dakota. Sioux Falls, SD: Brevet Press, 1973.
________. They Led a Nation. Sioux Falls, SD: Brevet Press,
Inc., 1975.
________. When Thunders Spoke. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska
Press, 1974, Bison Book, paper.
Theisz, R. D., ed. Buckskin Tokens: Contemporary Oral Narratives of
the Lakota, Henry Black Elk, Kate Blue Thunder, Irene Clairmont, and
Christine Dunham. Aberdeen, SD: North Plains Press, 1975.
Wheeler, Sylvia G. Counting Back: Voices of the Lakota and Pioneer
Settlers. University of Missouri-Kansas City: BkMk Press, 1992.
________. This Fool History: An Oral History of Dakota Territory.
Vol. 3, The Wayne S. Knutson Dakota Playwriting Project. Vermillion,
SD: University of South Dakota Press, 1991.
This narrative is a replica of Counting Back.
New Additions:Fixico, Donald L., ed. Rethinking American Indian History. Albuquerque, NM: University of New Mexico Press, 1997.
Smith, David L. Folklore of the Winnebago Tribe. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 1997.
Return to Native American Thought
Return to Spring 1998 Courses
Return to Institutute mainpage
4 February 2000, lrb