Luther Standing Bear (1868 - 1939) was a Sicangu and Oglala Lakota author, educator, philosopher, and actor. He worked to preserve Lakota culture and sovereignty, and was at the forefront of a Progressive movement to change government policy toward Native Americans.
Barack Obama delivers a tender, beautiful letter to his daughters in this powerful picture book illustrated by award-winner Loren Long that's made to be treasured! In this poignant letter to his daughters, Barack Obama has written a moving tribute to thirteen groundbreaking Americans and the ideals that have shaped our nation. From the artistry of Georgia O'Keeffe, to the courage of Jackie Robinson, to the patriotism of George Washington, Obama sees the traits of these heroes within his own children, and within all of America’s children. Breathtaking, evocative illustrations by award-winning artist Loren Long at once capture the personalities and achievements of these great Americans and the innocence and promise of childhood. This beautiful book celebrates the characteristics that unite all Americans, from our nation’s founders to generations to come. It is about the potential within each of us to pursue our dreams and forge our own paths. It is a treasure to cherish with your family forever.
"He is forever and ever here in spirit" An adventure. A magic necklace. Brotherhood. Six-year-old Forrest feels lost now that his big brother Kitchi is no longer here. He misses him every day and clings onto a necklace that reminds him of Kitchi. One day, the necklace comes to life. Forrest is taken on a magical adventure, where he meets a colourful cast of characters, including a beautiful, yet mysterious fox, who soon becomes his best friend. www.kitchithespiritfox.com
Black Elk’s Vision is a stunning picture book biography of the celebrated Lakota-Oglala medicine man from award-winning author and illustrator S. D. Nelson. Black Elk (1863–1950) was a Lakota-Oglala medicine man and a cousin of Crazy Horse. This biographical account follows him from childhood through adulthood, recounting the visions he had as a young boy and describing his involvement in the battles of Little Big Horn and Wounded Knee, as well as his journeys to New York City and Europe with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. Award-winning author and member of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe S. D. Nelson tells the story of Black Elk through the voice of the medicine man, bringing to life what it was like to be Native American from the mid-19th century to the early 20th century. The Native people found their land overrun by the wasichus (White Man), the buffalo slaughtered for sport, and their people gathered onto reservations. Interspersing archival images with his own artwork, inspired by the ledger-art drawings of the 19th-century Lakota, Nelson conveys how Black Elk clung to his childhood vision, which planted the seeds to help his people—and all people—understand their place in the Circle of Life. Backmatter includes a Lakota description of the Circle of Life, a brief history of the Lakota and a timeline.
"The Sioux Indians came into my life before I had any preconceived notions about them," writes Mari Sandoz about the visitors to her family homestead in the Sandhills of Nebraska when she was a child. These Were the Sioux, written in her last decade, takes the reader far inside a world of rituals surrounding puberty, courtship, and marriage, as well as the hunt and the battle.
First People tells the story of American Indians—from their arrival on the continent 10,000 years ago to their search for identity in the modern world. Avoiding standard clichés and easy generalizations, the book presents each tribe as an individual, evolving culture, with its own history, artwork, and traditions. With a wealth of modern and historic images, innovative page layouts, and compelling first-person accounts, this is an eye-opening look at the richness and variety of North American tribes, and a moving account of the European conquest.
A grandmother’s love is forever in Star People, a picture book about remembrance and tradition from S. D. Nelson, award-winning author and member of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe. “A young Lakota Indian girl narrates the story of how she and her little brother, Young Wolf, survive a prairie fire.” —School Library Journal “A stirring, original story based on Lakota legend . . . The swirling images of the celestial dance beautifully reflect the story’s celebration and awe of the natural world.” —Booklist Sister Girl and her brother, Young Wolf, wander away from their village and soon find themselves far out in the surrounding prairie. They sit down in the grass and watch the clouds passing above billow to form an eagle, horses, and other creatures. We sat in the dry, sweet-smelling grass, watching the clouds drift overhead. Young Wolf pointed and said, “Sister Girl, that cloud looks like a buffalo’s head!” We both laughed with amazement. “There’s an eagle,” I cried! Suddenly, animals begin to race past the children on the ground—followed by a wall of fire! Fleeing along with the frightened beasts, Sister Girl and Young Wolf save themselves by tumbling into a shallow stream. The fire leaves behind ash and a barren, forbidding landscape. The children realize that they are hopelessly lost. Night is coming—how will they get home to their parents? And why are the evening stars dancing so? Drawing upon traditional Lakota ledger book art, S. D. Nelson’s illustrations bring to life a memorable new legend about the Star People.