Synopses & Reviews
In this stirring historical account, Neil Waldman presents the background events that led up to the final and unforgettable confrontation between two proud and disparate cultures.
Waldman begins the story of Wounded Knee with the settling of North America by Europeans, the land that tribes of nomadic hunters had found centuries earlier, and where they had developed their own unique culture. When the settlers arrived and tried to tame the frontier wilderness of the west, a conflict began which would last for decades.
Unfamiliar with European concepts of ownership and diplomacy, the Lakota warrior tribes of the western plains could make no sense of the intruders who were suddenly staking claims to the mountains and prairies they called home. And in turn, the settlers felt unjustly threatened by the "red heathens" who attacked them even when they turned useless prairie into productive farmland.
Finally, the Lakota were forced to cast aside their ancient ways and live on reservations, where the eastern settlers hoped they would learn white ways of living. Then, on December 28, 1890, at Wounded Knee Creek in South Dakota, the last free remnants of the proud nomadic hunters faced the might of the U.S. Army. And another series of misunderstandings left the blood of the last free Lakotas trickling into the earth.
Synopsis
In this stirring historical account, Neil Waldman presents the background events that led up to the final and unforgettable confrontation between two proud and disparate cultures.
Waldman begins the story of Wounded Knee with the settling of North America by Europeans, the land that tribes of nomadic hunters had found centuries earlier, and where they had developed their own unique culture. When the settlers arrived and tried to tame the frontier wilderness of the west, a conflict began which would last for decades.
Unfamiliar with European concepts of ownership and diplomacy, the Lakota warrior tribes of the western plains could make no sense of the intruders who were suddenly staking claims to the mountains and prairies they called home. And in turn, the settlers felt unjustly threatened by the "red heathens" who attacked them even when they turned useless prairie into productive farmland.
Finally, the Lakota were forced to cast aside their ancient ways and live on reservations, where the eastern settlers hoped they would learn white ways of living. Then, on December 28, 1890, at Wounded Knee Creek in South Dakota, the last free remnants of the proud nomadic hunters faced the might of the U.S. Army. And another series of misunderstandings left the blood of the last free Lakotas trickling into the earth.
Synopsis
The story of the final battle of the Indian Wars, which took place at Wounded Knee Creek in 1890 resulting in the slaughter of many Lakota men, women, and children, is presented. Illustrations.
About the Author
Neil Waldman's paintings and prints are included in many prestigious collections around the world.
His works have garnered him many awards and honors, including a gold medal from the United Nations. The world body selected his entry as the official poster for the International Year of Peace. Today, it hangs in the halls of the General Assembly. Waldman has also designed postage stamps for thirteen nations, and illustrated more than thirty books.
Among Mr. Waldman's books for children are The Two Brothers and The Golden City, which he both wrote and illustrated, as well as illustrating Nessa's Fish written by Nancy Luenn and The Gold Coin written by Alma Flor Ada. He is currently an art instructor at the State University of New York and the Westchester Art Work-shop. He lives with his wife, Kathy, in Greenburgh, New York.