Synopses & Reviews
The story of Pocahontas saving John Smith is justly famous, as is the cross-country journey of Sacajawea with the Corps of Discovery, and Sarah Winnemucca earned fame by being a champion of her people as the old ways of life were disappearing. But there are lesser known stories of the Native American women who shaped their cultures and changed the course of American history—stories that have all too often been overlooked. Under the extreme circumstances that faced indigenous peoples over the centuries, brave and intelligent Native American women often put their safety and the lives of their families at risk by taking on the roles of peacemakers, diplomats, and spokeswomen for their people.
Wise Women brings together their amazing stories. Encompassing states from Florida to Alaska and many different tribes, it preserves the legacies of wise women who were caught between two cultures, and yet worked tenaciously to preserve the traditions of their tribes and to teach others.
You’ll meet:
- Sacajawea, Jane Timothy Silcot, and Kateri Tekakwitha, whose actions changed the destiny of their tribes
- Dat so la lee, Frances Slocum, and Nampeyo, who achieved greatness through arts such as pottery and basketmaking
- Maggie Axe Wachacha, Lozen, and Gladys Tantaquidgeon, who excelled at healing and magical traditions
Review
and#8220;Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve has told a terribly important, complex story of what it means to be humanand#8212;to be a father, a leader, a civil rights heroand#8212;in simple, powerful, unadorned language accessible to one and all, but especially to children.and#8221;and#8212;Joe Starita, author of and#8220;I Am a Manand#8221;: Chief Standing Bearand#8217;s Journey for Justice
Review
and#8220;Finally we have a childrenand#8217;s book that tells the story of the Ponca people who were for so long a forgotten tribe and presents an Indian hero for teachers to use in the classroom. Sneve captures the unique richness of being Indian and the challenges faced in a changing America as Standing Bearand#8217;s life evolves. Students will be inspired to find their own heroes through the universal themes of the love of family and home as we celebrate Standing Bearand#8217;s journey home.and#8221;and#8212;Judi M. gaiashkibos, an enrolled member of the Ponca tribe of Nebraska andand#160;executive director of the Nebraska Commission on Indian Affairs
Review
andquot;Standing Bear of the Ponca is first rate Native American biography material.andquot;andmdash;Childrenand#39;s Bookwatch
Synopsis
Illustrated with archival photographs, and encompassing twenty states-from Florida to Washington, Alaska to Maine-and many different tribes, this book brings together the lesser known stories of the Native American women who shaped their cultures and changed the course of American history.
Synopsis
For Ages 8 and up
Imagine having to argue in court that you are a person. Yet this is just what Standing Bear, of the Ponca Indian tribe, did in Omaha in 1879. And because of this trial, the law finally said that an Indian was indeed a person, with rights just like any other American.
Standing Bear of the Ponca tells the story of this historic leader, from his childhood education in the ways and traditions of his people to his trials and triumphs as chief of the Bear Clan of the Ponca tribe. Most harrowing is the winter trek on which Standing Bear led his displaced people, starving and sick with malaria, back to their homelandand#8212;only to be arrested by the U.S. government, which set the stage for his famous trial. Standing Bearand#8217;s story is also the story of a changing America, when the Ponca, like so many Indian tribes, felt the pressure of pioneers looking to settle the West. Standing Bear died in 1908, but his legacy and influence continue even up to the present.and#160;
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About the Author
Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve is of Ponca and Sioux descent and the recipient of the National Humanities Medal. Her many books include
The Trickster and the Troll,
When Thunders Spoke, and
Lanaand#8217;s Lakota Moons, all available in Bison Books editions. Thomas Floyd is an artist working in a variety of media from painting to illustration to comic strips and is a graphic designer at Nebraska Educational Telecommunications.