S. D. Nelson (1950–)

From newcomer Nelson, a starry-eyed but exhilarating story of a Lakota boy coming of age on the Plains during the 19th century. The boy receives a horse from his father, a gift of great symbolic freight; it is on this horse, Storm, that the boy will travel to manhood. The boy explains the elements that go into becoming a Lakota warrior: he must learn to think before acting, to show imagination in the hunt, to be invited to attend a sweat lodge, and to go on a vision quest. Two major acts of courage are also involved: the taking of a buffalo and a confrontation with the enemy. The last is simply contact with, not the killing of, an enemy of his people, carried out during a raid to recapture horses, including Storm, stolen from the Lakota. Nelson explains every act within its spiritual context, which tends to slow the story, but the acts are so plainly good—thanking the buffalo for his gift, living in harmony with the earth and its creatures, etc.—that they are worthy of inclusion. The artwork is modeled after the ledger book drawings of the Plains Indians, as is explained in an author’s note, which further elucidates the other stages of the boy’s entering manhood. An impressive debut. (Picture book. 4-8)
(Kirkus Review)… (more)

Carle Museum horse exhibit

A text-heavy story in first person, best for an older picture book audience, but with bold, brilliant illustrations featuring stylized human and equine characters with traditional dress and paint designs. Flying Cloud is a boy becoming a young man when his father gives him a horse called Storm. "I was already a good rider, but on Storm I became like the wind." Flying Cloud goes through the rites of becoming a Lakota warrior, including the sweat lodge, a vision quest, and a raid to retrieve stolen horses - including Storm - from the Crow.

A detailed author's note gives a personal history (Nelson is a member of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe in the Dakotas; his great-great-grandfather's name was Flying Cloud) as well as a background on Lakota traditions and alliances (e.g. with the Cheyenne).… (more)

Author/illustrator S.D. Nelson is my go-to source for accessible and well-presented background on Native American heroes and culture. Nelson is a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in the Dakotas. His books are simply not to be missed.

The focus of this book is on Buffalo Bird Woman (Waheenee in her native language), born in 1839. (She was called Buffalo Bird Girl as a youth.). She was a member of the Hidatsa, which was united with the Mandan and Arikara people into one tribe living in villages along the Missouri River. In the Author’s Note at the end of this book, Nelson explains that in 1906, Buffalo Bird Woman, concerned that her people’s customs were vanishing and would be forgotten, met with Gilbert Wilson, an anthropologist studying the Plains Indians, and provided him with the details of her life.

Nelson draws from her stories to share Hidatsa traditions, focusing on Buffalo Bird Woman’s childhood experiences.

When Buffalo Bird Girl was only six, smallpox decimated her people, and she lost her mother, brother, and one of her aunts. Her grandmother and two aunts survived, and they raised her.

She goes on to explain, in words partly taken from direct quotes and partly summarized by Nelson, what their house was like, what they ate, and what they did all day. Women did the farming, cooking, and gathering firewood, while the men did the hunting. The children helped out with whatever they could, but also had time for fun and games. There were also occasional celebrations, such as after a successful battle, or after a successful harvest.

When winter came, Buffalo Bird Girl’s people moved from the exposed banks of the Missouri River to the wooded lowlands.

The U.S. Government contributed to the destruction of the tribes people who had managed to survive the diseases spread to Native Americans. The government passed a series of acts designed to relocate Native Americans onto reservations. They would also take charge of Native provisions and food predicated on tribes adapting to “the white man’s way” (not to mention, predicated on the character of the Government Indian Agent, which was often lacking). This meant giving up their customs, dress, and languages, inter alia. Buffalo Bird Girl and her family went to the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation.

But she did not forget the old ways, and was determined that the memories of them would not be lost. She died in 1932, having successfully collaborated with Wilson in the publication of two books based on her stories.

In an afterword, the author explains that in 1934, following the Indian Reorganization Act, the remaining Hidatsa, Mandan, and Arikara officially united as the Three Affiliated Tribes on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation, in North Dakota. All three still exist and remain one sovereign nation.

Back matter includes the Author’s Note, a selected timeline of Native Americans, and a bibliography.

Like other books on the Native American experience by Nelson, this volume also features not only his pencil drawings and gorgeous acrylic paintings, but relevant photographs when available. Hand-created maps are on the endpapers.

Evaluation: The charming stories told by Buffalo Bird Woman in this book for older children along with the outstanding illustrations by Nelson should be a part of every curriculum about life in tribes before their total co-optation by whites hungry for their land and prejudiced against their customs. Nelson’s other books are excellent too, in particular, Red Cloud: A Lakota Story of War and Surrender, reviewed here, and Sitting Bull: Lakota Warrior and Defender of His People reviewed here.… (more)