Synopses & Reviews
Bighorn sheep graze on the last of the green grass on Gets-Struck-By-Lightning Mountain in the late fall. Two Hawkand#8217;s father and older brother, Night Heron, set off through newly fallen snow to hunt with their dogs. Two Hawk is sad to be left behind, but he has heard the bull elkand#8217;s mating call for only seven seasons, too few to be old enough to hunt.
So begins another day for a boy of the Tukudika (Sheep Eater) Shoshones, living in the traditional ways in what will one day be known as Yellowstone National Park. Two Hawk is learning those ways, accompanied by his dog, Gypsum, and a talkative magpie whose secrets only Two Hawk can hear. His adventures, beautifully illustrated by Davand#237;d Joaquand#237;n, show Two Hawk, and the reader, the meaning of rituals and responsibilities and the mystical origins of Two Hawkand#8217;s name. Only the appearance of the hairy-face man who crosses paths with Two Hawkand#8217;s family suggests the vast changes that are soon to shake the Shoshonesand#8217; world.
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"A beautifully presented legend, highly recommended."-Children's Bookwatch(Children's Bookwatch)
Review
"[A] beautifully illustrated retelling of a story of the Montana Salish People. . . .and#160;Beaver Steals Fire makes both a fine children's tale and an interesting way to introduce students to the complexities of the relationship of Indian Peoples to the land."and#8212;Journal of the West
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"Readers of all ages will find much to delight over in this tale. . . . The watercolor illustrations that accompany the tale are rich with earthy patinas and skillfully add intelligence and dramatic action to the animal characters."and#8212;The Bloomsbury Review
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“A beautifully presented legend, highly recommended.”Childrens Bookwatch
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“A gift for the whole family.”Billings Gazette
Review
Wednesday, November 30 - Book of the Month:
BeaverStealsFire: This tale from the Salish people explains how the animals brought fire from the sky to the earth. Like many Native stories, it can only be told in the cold winter months when snow is on the ground. The story shows how the animals helped prepare the world for human beings. It also touches on the ideas of teamwork, greed and deception. and#8220;Beaver Steals Fire,and#8221; is our November Book of the Month.and#160;Native America Calling airs live Monday-Fridayand#160;1pm EST, 10am PST.
Review
A story beautifully toldand#160;Beaver Steals Fire: A Salish Coyote Story, illustrated by Sam Sandoval, University of Nebraska Press, hardbound, $14.95At first glance, Beaver Steals Fire seems to be a childrenand#8217;s book. Indeed, the lively illustrations by Sam Sandoval would appeal to most young readers.and#160;Mr. Sandoval draws well and has created animal characters with personality, no mean feat when youand#8217;re trying to give human expression to a bird. I would have preferred a bigger palette. Too many shades of brown and yellow for my taste. And, are Western Montana frogs brown?and#160;The words of John Arlee, the author, have the pleasant rhythm and subtle repetition of all good storytellers. I could close my eyes and see a family cuddled up to keep warm on a dark winterand#8217;s night, listening to a favorite tale. and#8220;Grandpa, tell us about ... .and#8221;and#160;This book retells the Salish version of the gift of fire. As in many other fire myths, fire comes from the sky, and fire is so valuable that it must be stolen. Coyote is voted in to brainstorm the expedition, but Beaver is the real hero.To reach the heavenly fire, the animals fasten a rope to the top of the sky and climb. and#8220;Grizzly Bear climbed last. Because he was such a greedy person, he carried his lunch with him.and#8221;and#160;Evidently, lunch for a grizzly was no small thing. The rope broke and Grizzly Bear fell back to earth. Fun, I thought. Kids will like this. I liked it, and Iand#8217;m only an honorary kid.and#160;But also included in this picture book is information on ancient Salish and Kootenai fire management. Before the white man, the tribe had a fire setter, evidently an honored and important person, who started controlled fires. This human intervention resulted in healthy forests and fields. Wildfires also burned without interference.and#160;Another important cultural tidbit: This Coyote story and others like it should only be told in the dark of winter when the snow is on the ground. After early March, snakes will come get you, or it will snow in summer!and#160;I doubt that anyone really believed that, but it was good for a delicious shiver. Winter is a season of deserved rest. With the coming of spring, itand#8217;s back to work.and#160;Beaver Steals Fire is a gift for the whole family, beautifully produced, and very affordable at $14.99. Thanks to the University of Nebraska Press and the Salish and Pend dand#8217;Oreille Culture Committee.and#160;
Review
http://buffalosfire.com/?p=2284 Staff - Great Falls Tribune (MT)
Review
The Mythology/Folklore Shelf
Beaver Steals FireJohnny Arlee and Sam Sandoval
University of Nebraska Press
233 North 8th Street, Lincoln, Nebraska, 68588-0255
www.nebraskapress.unl.edu
0803243235 $14.95 1-800-755-1105and#160;Beaver Steals Fire: A Salish Coyote Story is a picturebook rendition of a story directly from the cultural tradition of the Salish people of Montana. Retold by Salish elder Johnny Arlee, and wonderfully illustrated in full color by tribal artist Sam Sandoval, Beaver Steals Fire recounts how the animals worked together to obtain fire and help prepare the world for inhabitation by human beings. Beaver Steals Fire is presented with the full support of The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Division of Fire; a note to the reader at the beginning asks those who use Beaver Steals Fire in the classroom or others who read it aloud to orally tell or discuss the story only in winter, when snow is on the ground, as this is a strongly ingrained part of tribal seasonal tradition. A beautifully presented legend, highly recommended.
Review
Beaver Steals Fire. Illus. by Sam Sandoval. 2005 64p. Univ. of Nebraska, $14.95 (0-8032-4323-5). PreS-Gr. 2."A long, long time ago, the only animals who had fire lived in the land above, up in the sky. The animals on earth had no fire." It is very cold, and to keep warm, the Earth animals form a fire-raiding party and appoint Coyote as leader. The animals follow Coyote's instructions, and steal fire from the sky world, bringing it to Earth and passing it from camp to camp. Handsomely illustrated by Salish tribal artist Sandoval, this accessible story credited to confederated Salish and Kootenai tribes, incorporates Salish words and is part of a larger fire-education project that focuses on native use of fire as well as principles of fire ecology. A note asks readers to respect the tradition that this story be told or discussed only during winter, when snow is on the ground. A brief guide to written Salish and International Phonetic Alphabet is appended.
Review
BEAVER STEALS FIRE: A Salish Coyote Story, by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2005), 64 pp., $14.95 pb.and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; Beaver Steals Fire is a beautifully illustrated retelling of a story of the Montana Salish People. Johnny Arlee, the storyteller, is a Salish Elder, and worked with illustrator Sam Sandoval to create a book suitable for both younger children and those wishing to learn more about Salish and Pend d'Oreille culture. Beaver Steals Fire describes how Coyote leads a team of animals to steal fire from the denizens of the sky world and bring it to the chilly residents of the Earth below. The introduction to the book asks those who would read it aloud to confine such readings to the winter months, which is when the story was traditionally told.and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; The story is suitable for young children, though older children will get more out of the discussion of the traditional use of fire by the Salish that follows the story. Arlee challenges the claim that North America was a "virgin landscape" before the coming of European immigrants, arguing from both tradition and archaeological evidence that the Salish (among many others) heavily modified the land with fire to expand the prairie and promote certain plant species. This forces readers to confront difficult questions about the nature of conservation, since Arlee argues for a return to the fire-managed landscape of his people rather than the relatively unmanaged ecosystem of today. Overall, Beaver Steals Fire makes both a fine children's tale and an interesting way to introduce students to the complexities of the relationship of Indian Peoples to the land.
Review
"A gift for the whole family, beautifully produced, and very affordable."and#8212;Billings Gazette
Review
and#8220;This story of a boy named Two Hawk, his family, his dog, Gypsum, and an outspoken magpie on their seasonal journey down from the heights of Yellowstone is a magical tale full of adventure and wisdom.and#8221;and#8212;Jake Page, author of
In the Hands of the Great Spirit: The 20,000and#8211;Year History of American IndiansSynopsis
A long time ago, fire belonged only to the animals in the land above, not to those on the earth below. Curlew, keeper of the sky world, guarded fire and kept it from the earth. Coyote, however, devised a clever plan to steal fire, aided by Grizzly Bear, Wren, Snake, Frog, Eagle, and Beaver. These brave and resourceful animal beings raided the land above and risked all to steal fire from Curlew.and#160;Beaver Steals Fire is an ancient and powerful tale springing from the hearts and experiences of the Salish people of Montana. Steeped in the rich and culturally vital storytelling tradition of the tribe, this tale teaches both respect for fire and awareness of its significance, themes particularly relevant today. This unforgettable version of the story is told by Salish elder Johnny Arlee and beautifully illustrated by tribal artist Sam Sandoval.
Synopsis
American Indian Youth Literature Award Picture Book Winner
" A] beautifully illustrated retelling of a story of the Montana Salish People. . . . Beaver Steals Fire makes both a fine children's tale and an interesting way to introduce students to the complexities of the relationship of Indian Peoples to the land."--Journal of the West
A long time ago, fire belonged only to the animals in the land above, not to those on the earth below. Curlew, keeper of the sky world, guarded fire and kept it from the earth. Coyote, however, devised a clever plan to steal fire, aided by Grizzly Bear, Wren, Snake, Frog, Eagle, and Beaver. These brave and resourceful animal beings raided the land above and risked all to steal fire from Curlew.
Beaver Steals Fire is an ancient and powerful tale springing from the hearts and experiences of the Salish people of Montana. Steeped in the rich and culturally vital storytelling tradition of the tribe, this tale teaches both respect for fire and awareness of its significance, themes particularly relevant today.
This unforgettable version of the story is told by Salish elder Johnny Arlee and beautifully illustrated by tribal artist Sam Sandoval.
About the Author
Archaeologist and rock art researcher Lawrence L. Loendorf is president of Sacred Sites Research, which records and analyzes pictograph and petroglyph sites and promotes their protection. Writer and editor Nancy Medaris Stone is the coauthor, with Loendorf, of
Mountain Spirit: Sheep Eater Indians of Yellowstone. Davand#237;d Joaquand#237;n is a freelance artist and illustrator. His illustrations have appeared in
Mountain Spirit: Sheep Eater Indians of Yellowstone.