Synopses & Reviews
This fascinating picture book biography tells the childhood story of Buffalo Bird Woman, a Hidatsa Indian born around 1839. Through her true story, readers will learn what it was like to be part of this Native American community that lived along the Missouri River in the Dakotas, a society that depended more on agriculture for food and survival than on hunting. Children will relate to Buffalo Bird Girland#8217;s routine of chores and playing with friends, and they will also be captivated by her lifestyle and the dangers that came with it.
Using as a resource the works of Gilbert L. Wilson, who met Buffalo Bird Woman and transcribed her lifeand#8217;s story in the early 20th century, award-winning author-illustrator S. D. Nelson has captured the spirit of Buffalo Bird Girl and her lost way of life. The book includes a historical timeline.
Praise for Buffalo Bird Girl
STARRED REVIEWS
"The extraordinary illustration of this handsome volume begins with the endpaper maps and features acrylic paintings of the Hidatsa world reminiscent of traditional Plains Indian art. Pencil drawings and relevant, carefully labeled photographs round out the exquisite design. All the artwork both supports and adds to the text. An extensive authorand#8217;s note and timeline supplement this beautiful tribute."
and#151;Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"This is a lovely and graceful introduction to a way of life that persists despite cultural obstacles and the march of time."
and#151;School Library Journal, starred review
"Nelson's quiet, respectful tone capably balances the factual details of daily life in the Hidatsa tribe with the obvious joy and nostalgia Buffalo Bird Girl feels toward her childhood."
and#151;The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"As a writer, storyteller, and traditional artist of the Sioux people, his perspective is genuine and effectively portrayed. This book would be enjoyable for anyone interested in history, but would also be an effective resource in the classroom to support the curriculum.and#8221;
and#151;Library Media Connection
"Nelson's acrylic paintings and bandw pencil drawings are intriguingly interlaced with the photographs, contrasting Native American figures in blunt profile with harvest colors and background textures that mimic dried spears of grass, leather skins, and basket weaves."
and#151;Publishers Weekly
Award
Cooperative Childrenand#8217;s Book Center (CCBC) Choices 2013 list - Biography and Autobiography
Gelett Burgess Award - Arts and Letters category
and#160;
Review
"Wilson was well served by this lively old woman and her keen memory. . .she describes her life as a strong-willed, curious child, a spirited adolescent, and a skilled, hardworking young mother. She conveys a clear sense of her people's traditions, and, in particular, a woman's responsibilities, expectations, pleasures, and sorrows."and#8212;Kliatt Young Adult Paperback Book Guide
Synopsis
"I was born in an earth lodge by the mouth of the Knife River, in what is now North Dakota, three years after the smallpox winter." So begins the story of
Waheenee, a Hidatsa Indian woman, born in 1839 amid a devastated tribe.
In 1906 Gilbert L. Wilson first visited the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation and began to study the remnants of the Hidatsa tribe. He returned in 1908, sponsored by the American Museum of Natural History, and for every summer of the next ten years he worked among the Hidatsas, making notes of all he saw. One of his chief informants was Waheenee-wea, or Buffalo-Bird Woman, who told him this, her life story.
Synopsis
"I was born in an earth lodge by the mouth of the Knife River, in what is now North Dakota, three years after the smallpox winter." So begins the story of
Waheenee, a Hidatsa Indian woman, born in 1839 amid a devastated tribe.
In 1906 Gilbert L. Wilson first visited the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation and began to study the remnants of the Hidatsa tribe. He returned in 1908, sponsored by the American Museum of Natural History, and for every summer of the next ten years he worked among the Hidatsas, making notes of all he saw. One of his chief informants was Waheenee-wea, or Buffalo-Bird Woman, who told him this, her life story.
About the Author
S. D. Nelson is a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in the Dakotas. He is the award-winning author and illustrator of numerous childrenand#8217;s books, including Black Elkand#8217;s Vision, Gift Horse, Coyote Christmas, and The Star People. He lives in Flagstaff, Arizona. Visit him online at www.sdnelson.net.