Indian Books

A Gathering of Wisdoms is probably the very best documentation I've ever come across that focuses on the "right way" of working with people, whether they are of the Original People, or if they're non-native. Sterile environments and a counselor's "power" aren't what makes the changes...it's reaching out sincerely, with respect, and the desire to understand. And, this "A Gathering of Wisdoms" is a tremendous help to those who are reaching out to help others from their hearts! Lin

This manual is a godsend -- or Spirit-send. It presents the only clear outline for counseling Native clients available. The text can be used as a manual, workbook, ...whatever. Forms included are easily adapted to your particular agency's needs. Highly recommended by a seasoned drug/alcohol counseling veteran.

This manual is a godsend -- or Spirit-send. It presents the only clear outline for counseling Native clients available. The text can be used as a manual, workbook, ...whatever. Forms included are easily adapted to your particular agency's needs. Highly recommended by a seasoned drug/alcohol counseling veteran.

Well written chronicle of one of the South's finest soldiers.
Too little has been introduced about the struggle between North and South in the Nations. This book is the best I have read on the subject.
Watie and his gallant band are well represented in their struggle to defend their families and save their homes from ruin during the Yankee invasion.

....one of the worst of which is that the Confederacy was a white, Anglo-Saxon monolith. The truth is that the Confederacy pioneered the idea of giving blacks and women positions of authority [the Matron Law], placed Jews in positions of power, and put General's stars on a Mexican. And, we had the first American Indian General; this wonderful book is his story.

Stand Watie was born in Georgia in 1806, and went west on the Trail of Tears. In Oklahoma, he became a rich, powerful, slave-owning rancher. [Yes, Indians owned slaves; so did Jews, Mexicans, and, surprise, Blacks]. He also gained both friends and enemies; as one of the two rival Principal Chiefs of the Cherokee Nations, he headed the Mixed Blood faction, which some thought got along a little too well with the government. [The other Chief, John Ross, was also a rich slave-owning rancher, living in a mansion, married to a white woman; he had less Indian blood than Watie]. Sort of like the Pure Bloods and the Mud-Bloods in the Harry Potter stories, only this wasn't funny........

When the Civil War came, both sides wanted the Indians of the Five Civilized Tribes in present day Oklahoma; enter another of the few Civil War characters who provide a measure of comic relief, Brigadier General Albert Pike, sent by the Confederacy to recruit the Indians; he did a pretty good job, too, capitalizing on the very real beef that the Indians had with the US. Pike's Civil War career is a minor footnote to a long, productive life. Today, he is best known as the philosopher of Scottish Rite Masonry. Pike resigned in late 1862 [Maybe---another topic], and was replaced by the more conventional, but less colorful, Douglas Cooper. Cooper said that Pike was either disloyal to the Confederacy, or was insane; Masons know which was the case.....

Oklahoma saw action all thru the war; the battles aren't as well known as the eastern ones, but the troops gave just as much, and the dead were just as dead. Stand Watie was a hero of Wilson's Creek, and proved to be an effective leader the whole way. Indeed, this was a theatre of operations where the Confederacy remained viable right to the end. Stand Watie was rewarded with General's stars in 1864, and was the very last Confederate General to stack arms.

This book is a true classic, a well written account of a part of the Civil War that most people don't even know existed.. Many thanks to Mr. Cunningham, and many thanks to the University of Oklahoma Press for making it available.

Excellent overview of Native American Confederates. A little looked at fact of the Civil War. Does justice to all men, women of all color, nationalities whom fought for what they beleived in.

This is a wonderful book! It accompanies an exhibit of hundreds of Catlin's paintings held in Washington DC in 2002, and scheduled to travel to several other cities. The reproductions are superb (the best I've ever seen) - the colors are true, and the sizes are often full-page and sometimes double-page. A brief commentary accompanies each painting, and there are also lengthy essays describing Catlin's life, his time in Europe, and his connection with the Smithsonian.
I bought Letters and Notes on the Manners, Customs, etc at the same time that I bought this book, and I read the two of them together. The paintings are immeasurably enhanced by Catlin's comments and stories (he is a great story-teller). He explains what's happening in the crowd scenes (and it is sometimes hair-raising!), and he gives interesting background on the people shown in the portraits. Looked at in this way, the paintings really come alive. Very highly recommended.

This book has a nice variety of the collection of George Catlin paintings, along with a few of the artifacts from his collection. Most of these are reproduced in color in this book. The text is also well written and tells the story of Catlin, his paintings, and the view point of the era.

This is a gorgeous book, filled with magnificent reproductions of Catlin's seminal portraits and augmented by a trenchant and insightful commentary.

JD Challenger is a Master of Native American Art.His Ghost Dance series continues to be one of the most collected works of American Art.Anyone who loves our heritage should get this and let JD work his Spiritual magic on you.

The art technique makes these images truly stick in your memory. The subjects could easily have been made to appear terrifying, but Challenger evokes the spirit of a proud people living their lives in harmony with nature and yet "living life on the edge" as well. You can look into the eyes of these images and swear you can understand their trials and joys. Challenger has given life to his art, and that is no small accomplishment.

Two things strike me about this calendar from JD Challenger. The first is that it is enjoying the phenomenal popular and commercial success that this artist so richly deserves; and quite frankly, it's very affordable compared to similar calendar products. The second is that the entire offering, all twelve months' worth, is consistent with a single theme and most definitely not meant to catalogue this artist's capabilities. This theme must mean something special to him; in fact, he attributes the Ghost Dance to the original inspiration that moved him to pursue a life dedicated to telling the Native American story in art. So on the one hand this calendar serves as an affordable yet fairly deep representation of an important theme in Challenger's artwork; but on the other hand, this offering does not attempt to represent anything even approximating the full depth and scope of this man's art. So if you buy this collection for yourself or as a gift, keep in mind that you're not getting a fully representative compendium of the artist's work... Nevertheless, the prospect of having twelve Challengers reasonably well printed representing such an influencial force to the artist makes this offering highly compelling to both the dedicated Challenger fan and the casual "I-like-Native-American-Art" calendar user. In not too many years hence, there is the distinct possibility that JD Challenger will become one of the most influencial and celebrated American artists of our generation. Since very few of us are ever going to own a "real" Challenger or even his increasingly collectible seriographs, the medium of The Calendar brings his message to anyone who can afford a dollar a month for artwork. And this is a great medium for this artist (in addition to obvious ones he pursues with such success); his is a message that deserves to hang on your refrigerator and not just in galleries and museums. And if you're ever through Taos, be sure to visit his studio; it's awe-inspiring to see some of his works-in-progress sitting yards away from a $40,000 canvas, each of which will ultimately hang in whatever serves as America's Louvre a hundred years from now.

A wonderful, wonderful book. Please reprint it. I would buy 11 copies!

Since I grew up in cowboy country during the late 40's and early 50's, I loved stories about children growing up on ranches and Indian children. As an adult, I shared this book with my own students, discussing with them not only how the way of life in the West has changed, but how attitudes and beliefs about minority groups, such as Native Americans, has changed. The pictures in this book are delightful. The stories and poems about everyday life in the West long ago provide a basis of interesting discussions in the elementary social studies classroom.

52 Stories and rhymes by Kathryn and Byron Jackson with over 100 pictures by Gustaf Tenggren (1948 copyright by Simon & Schuster). This is a 96 page, 10 x 13 inch Giant Golden Book with exceptionally good rhymes, stories and artwork. The two page illustrated poem, The Wildcat's Picnic was a favorite bedtime read aloud for my son. Using a family on a ranch as the main characters the 1-2 page stories are often told from the viewpoint of the little 6 year old boy named Jon, or his similarly aged indian friend Little Bear or his sister Susie. Some story titles: Cattle Rustlers, Ghost Town, The Calico Colt, Prairie Fire, The Tornado, Lazy River Ranch, Calf Branding, The Square Dance, Snowbound, The Totem Pole, The First Buffalo, Three Little Indians, Indian Housecleaning, The Nice Tipi, The Stampede, etc. There is a Chinese cook named "No Pow Wow, on a ranch also populated with Daddy and Mother, Grandpa sister Susie, and various ranch hands. This is a wonderful bedtime story book especially for 4-9 year olds. Many stories teach virtues, or reflect common values. A beautifully done book. I wish Applewood Books would take it on as a reprint project.

When he begins his journey to manhood, a young Lakota boy is given a Gift Horse by his father, who had brought some new horses back from a trading visit with the Cheyenne. Flying Cloud names the horse Storm and the two become the best of friends. Storm is so fast that the boy is named Flying Cloud by the people. The two play games together and when Flying Cloud becomes lost in a raging prairie blizzard it is Storm that gets him home. Most of this story tells of not only the adventures of Flying Cloud and Storm, but also of what it was like for a young Lakota boy preparing to enter manhood. The climax of the story comes when a group of Crow, the enemies of the Lakota, steal most of the horses from Flying Cloud's tribe, including Storm.

S. D. Nelson is a member of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe in the Dakotas, and Flying Cloud was the name of his great-great grandfather. In an extensive Author's Note in the back of "Gift Horse," Nelson explains about the history of the Lakota (including how history books ended up calling them the Sioux instead) and focuses on the importance of horses in the culture of the Plains Indians and the rite of passage by which a Lakota boy entered manhood. For young readers who are interesting in finding out more about these subjects, Nelson gives them plenty to look over before they go on to other books or start searching the Internet.

The colorful artwork is done in acrylic paint on a wood panel and is based on the ledger book drawings done by Plains Indian artists done between 1865 and 1935. The bold illustrations will capture the attention of young readers, but the story is impressive as well, especially in terms of how it depicts the life of a young Lakota boy. "Gift Horse" is Nelson's first children's book and since this came out in 1999 he has added "The Star People: A Lakota Story." He has also illustrated other children's book as well, most notably "Crazy Horse's Visions" and "Jim Thorpe's Brightest Path."

This is a beautifully told and illustrated story inspired by the author's great-great grandfather, a Lakota Indian named Flying Cloud. In the story, Flying Cloud earns his name from the way he stirs up dust as he flies across the Plains on Storm, his horse. The relationship between boy and horse inspires several adventures: they get lost in a storm, they hunt buffalo, and when Storm is stolen by Crow horse thieves, Flying Cloud must rescue her. But this is more than the story of a boy and his horse. Nelson also concentrates on Flying Cloud's desire to prove himself and become a great Lakota Warrior. Different aspects of the lifestyle of Plains Indians are depicted, including the buffalo hunt, the sweat lodge, and the vision quest. The illustrations are particularly beautiful, and the writing is both spare and poetic. Highly recommended!

S.D. Nelson's book The Gift Horse is a beautiful story of a young boy's coming of age. The story teaches values of becoming a man that include all nationalities. The illistrations are breath taking. The colors are vibrant and alive. Drawn in the traditional style supports the traditional way of the Native Americans. A new book is Crazy Horse, the Legend

Goodbye Buffalo Sky deserves to become a classic in the tradition of 'To Kill a Mockingbird'. Although written for young adults, it is a powerful story beautifully told that could be enjoyed by any reader. Set in North America during the white settlement of the American West, this is a rich and complex story told with eloquent simplicity. Cappy and Alice, two teenagers who live in the small frontier town of Buffalo Sky take turns in telling the story of Two Songs, a beautiful young Mandan Indian who marries a local artist, Buckhart, and the effect their friendship with her has on their lives.

This is one of those books that stays with you for years after you've read it.

Ignore "Kirkus Reviews" and note instead the "Booklist" review, and the quotes provided by the author from the English reviews. "Goodbye, Buffalo Sky" is an immediately captivating tale [young Cappy is caught peeping as an artist paints a nude of his wife], told alternately by Cappy and friend Alice. Humor, page-turning narrative drive, and insightful characterizations make this tale of the great American prairie, a bit over one hundred years ago, a first-rate Western for readers ages 10-14.

It is 1870 on the northern plains in a small pioneer settlement called Buffalo Sky; orphaned twelve year old Cappy Carrew lives in a boarding house. When his painting teacher and friend is murdered by a Sioux Indian, and his Indian wife driven out of town, Cappy sets off across the plains in pursuit of the killer, accompanied by Alice, a girl eager for adventure. Alice and the Indian woman, Two Songs, are captured by the Sioux; Cappy sets off in pursuit. He and Alice return to Buffalo Sky only to find the town in ruins and the survivors having fled. Although it ultimitley leaves you hanging, this book is an exciting, action packed western, and sure to be a page turner!

I enjoyed reading this book and I found the artwork to be most interesting. This book explains two of our strangest creatures, the flying squirrel and the bat, who can fly although they are not birds. The excitement builds up as the birds find a way to make wings for the little animals, no bigger than mice, to prepare for the ball game. The action of the game itself is quick and intense, as the animals and birds battle it out. Can you guess who wins? You'll find yourself cheering for Bat as he dips and dives for the ball, but watch out! Bluejay drops the ball just at the crucial moment. I give this one an A+ for enjoyment.

I am happy to find a book that describes the game of stickball the way it was originally played here in the southeast. We Cherokees called the game "the little brother of war" in the old days. Even now our villages near the Cherokee Reservation in North Carolina play against each other in the traditional was, by setting up goal posts at both ends of the ball field. You will hear the teams taunting each other just as described in this book. Thanks to the writer and the artist for helping to keep our culture alive.

What more could you ask from a picture book? The Great Ball Game of the Birds and Animals is a wonderful tale that explains how the bat and the flying squirrel came to be. Duvall's version of this story sticks closely to the original Cherokee legend with expanded imagery and character development. Like all great stories, this one teaches a lesson for human beings. Jacob's beautifully detailed drawings will hold the imagination spellbound as the story unfolds in crisp black and white. This book won the 2003 Oklahoma Book Award for Design and Illustration. I am proud to own a signed first edition that I obtained while visiting Tahlequah, Oklahoma during the Cherokee National Holiday. I highly recommend this book to art collectors and readers alike.

This book was incredible. In-depth, informative and unmatched by others in its genre. It draws on the authors decades of experience in this art and unlike many he does not hold back. He explains what true Taoism is all about. Intermediate techniques are explained here; as some of the beginning ones are overviewed in the first book of the series. What is really impressive is that the author tells of the importance of finding a qualified instructor and how to do so. He does not claim to teach everything through a book. A "bible" of Taoist studys.

At last, after years of search through various courses and readings, I have found in this book a clear explanation of what the word "Meditation" really means, and how to safely practice it.

Many teachers, even the most renowned, have talked or written about meditation, only rarely caring to define it, or when they did, it was either through obscure metaphors, or cryptic zen-like comments that only the enlightened could constructively make use of.

Here the author, expanding on the precise relaxation methods described in the precedent volume in the series, takes the reader through a precise and technical description of the meditation process : the exploration and cleansing of one's emotionnal, mental, and more and more refined bodies, through inner perception and the practice of "inner dissolving", a higher form of relaxation.

All the material in the book is clearly described, with step-by-step explanations everywhere needed, as well as theoretical explanations that help keep a global view of the work he proposes. Warnings and answers to frequently asked questionsare there to avoid all possible risk of bodily, energetic, or emotionnal injury. It is clear from reading his books that the author has a great experince of teaching. Stories from the author or his teacher's experience keep the book entertaining and give an idea of the possible depth that can be reached in this field of research.

Even such obscure subjects as Sexual meditation, that are often alluded to in mysterious exotic terms (the like of "golden clouds rise from the Jade pillar" and others) are here treated openly and simply. The technical aspect of the work keeping it from getting esoteric, and the insistance on respect of the other and openness of feelings keeping it always very humane.

This book, along with the previous tome in the series ("Relaxing into your being"), and the author's other didactic work "Opening the Energy Gates of the Body", give detailed instructions for years of safe and fruitfull inner workout. And for those who do not wish to engage into the deep work of meditation, the book can still be helpfull, as it clarifies a lot of misconceptions about the goals and methods of a vastly misunderstood field of human activity.

My only regrets about this fascinating book would be that it does not cover all of the material it alludes to, but only gives access to the first levels of meditation, and roughly outlines the higher levels. I strongly wish for a further book expanding on the intricacies of clearing beyond the emotionnal body. Hopefully it will take me a few years of meditationg work before I get to a level where I need these indications. By then the author has the time to expand the series.

Frantzis, who has written a few other good books on Taoist arts, gives a good overview of the "water" method for meditation. This style of meditation is basically Chan (Zen) meditation that is closer to its Taoist roots than the pure Rinzai and Soto schools.

Water meditation is basically just a variant on the Vipassana Buddhist type of following-and-becoming-one-with-the-breath. Frantzis emphasises awareness and following energy within the body; there is no attempt to direct energy. This is in contrast with the normal Qigong style of "fire" meditation that may involve actively circulating energy through the meridians and microcosmic orbits.

I think Frantzis does an admirable job interspersing the simple progression of lessons with text on other subjects. I enjoyed his section on cults and gurus but suspect that his warning will likely fall on deaf ears given the sheer quantity of "masters" and people with "genuine Indian names" running around handing out "certificates" of achievement for meditation.

Anyone who enjoys this will also like "Mindfulness in Plain English" and "Zen Training". I also recommend looking at Deng Ming Dao's "Scholar Warrior".

Beautifully -- in places lyrically -- written, this small volume makes a compelling case for preservation of the natural beauty that once prevailed throughout North America, and which now has become all too rare. Never straying far from her main theme (the life of Grey Owl), Jane Billinghurst draws us into the passion and dedication of her subject, leading us reflect on environmental questions not as dry policy issues, but as ones that can relate to an almost spiritual connection between the individual and his natural surroundings. Must reading for historians, environmentalists, and those with an interest in Canada, this insightful book is thoroughly rewarding for the general reader as well. Very highly recommended.

It has been said, "one cannot judge a book by it's cover", however, we must also keep in mind that there are no absolutes as this book is a story which is depicted, in large measure, by the cover. Sensitive, warm, and poetic presentation of the life and contributions of Grey Owl. The photos exceptional in quality, and accurate as to life and times of the era. These are real people, places, and times that were a part of North American history. The manner in which sayings and aspects of Grey Owl are available as the story unfolds are done in such a manner I think you get two books for the price of one. I read the book from cover to cover the first time then re-read the white pages only, and then followed by reading the tan colored pages. Either way it is easy, fast, and enjoyable. I think the author did an excellent job in demonstrating the efforts of Grey Owl. He was an interesting fellow who had a vision and purpose in life which is so unique that a major moving picture has been make about him as well as four documantaries. Jane Billinghurst has created a work which makes possible an interpretation of the content, by the reader, as it is a factual and well documented treatise. There have been several books published about Grey Owl, in my opinion this is, like the Land of Shadows (Don Smith), is a must read for a deeper appreciation of this most remarkable fellow, Grey Owl.

This is a wonderful book. Well researched and balanced. Jane Billinghurst tells the story of Archie B. and I could not put it down. Other's have borrowed it and have praised it also. I am off to check out what else Billinghurst has written!