books:

	Lakota Woman Mary Crow Dog Harper Perennial, 1991 - 288 pages average customer review:based on 37 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

However, I have very scant knowledge of American Indians even though they

have always fascinated me. And that is why I enjoyed this book completely. It's feels true and real and its starkness only underlines the story which, in reality, is not only Mary Crow Dog's personal story, but that of all American Indians in our country.

We are right there with her in the one room shack she was raised in with 8 other people in North Dakota, a house without electricity, plumbing or a single modern convenience. As there were no television or any connection with the outside world, she thought that everyone lived like this and had a happy childhood, warm and secure in the bosom a loving family.

And then she was sent off to boarding school run by the Jesuits. Here, the children were beaten, humiliated, punished by being sent into isolation, and forced into a mold that was foreign to them. It was the 60's then, and she rebelled, leaving school and joining forces with other Native American teenagers who drank and shoplifted and lived on the fringe of society.

Then the American Indian Movement came along and she joined, identifying with her people's struggles and learning the history. She was at the siege of the National Indian Affairs building in Washington, DC and then again at the 71-day takeover of Wounded Knee in the 1970s. It was here that she gave birth to her son while gunfire was going on around her.

Later, she married Leonard Crow Dog, the leader and medicine man. He had been brought up totally as an Indian and had never ever learned to read. She stood by him though his unlawful imprisonment, learned to make speeches at rallies, visited other tribes and totally absorbed her heritage. She bore him four children and is a spokesperson for her people. Hence this book, which I understand had been made into a TNT movie and is used as a textbook in schools.

By telling her own personal story, Mary Crow Dog gives the reader an insider's view of the racism around her, the hardships, the religious

rituals and the pride of her people. For anyone with an interest in this special area of American History, this book is extremely helpful.

Recommended

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An excellent read

Having to read this text for a university class, I initially did not expect to enjoy it as throughly as I actually did - I had the mindset that I would just read it once, just because I had to, and that would be that. Yet I enjoyed this book completely, with its realism and frank, yet emotional, portrayal of Indian life. I would recommend it to all; its simpistic style makes it accessible to younger readers. Whether you are interested in Indian culture or not, I guarantee you will be by the final page.


Very convincing

The autobiography, Lakota Woman, written by Mary Crow Dog, exhibits the negative effects of poverty on Native Americans. In a detailed account, Mary illustrates the issues with living on a reservation, in a small cabin, with one room, no electricity, no heating system and no plumbing. Not able to the handle the stress of their situation, many Native Americans turned to alcohol. Throughout the novel, she reveals the many harmful situations involving drinking and Native Americans. She states " Some people would do just about anything for a jug of wine, of mni-sha, and would not give a damn about the welfare of their families"(43). It was not until the Indian Movement and when she and her people were introduced to grandfather Peyote when they learn to love themselves. She argues "I understood the reality contained in this medicine, understood that this herb was our heritage, our tradition, that it spoke our language. I became part of the earth because peyote comes from the earth, even taste like earth sometimes. And do the earth was to me and I in it, Indian earth making me more Indian. And to me Peyote was people, was alive, was remembrance of things long forgotten"(96) Through her powerful imagery, readers are able to identify the negative affects of alcohol versus the positive affects of peyote, this traditional herb. Very early in the novel she introduces the readers to this scene: "Those cars! It was to see how man people they could cram into one of their jalopies, five of them side by side and one or two on their laps, little kids and all the brakes were usually gone... doors missing too, and tires and few gallons of the cheapest California wine. A great way to end it all" (44) This example really drives home the point, because of alcohol, her people were left aimless. Readers are also able to view culture, as it is different to many people. Discussions of government policy regarding reservations, substance abuse and use, and stereotypes are all appropriate. This novel is appropriate for juniors and seniors in high school.

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an eye opening tale unfortunately presented in a bland tone.

i found mary crow dog's style to be bland although it was very graphic. perhaps having to read this book as an assignment jaded me but i found it hard to stay awake. i enjoyed her sardonic humor towards the overbearing male sioux as well as her honest and understandable distaste for the white establishment but i felt myself lacking empathy for her cause.


reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, page 6, 7, 8

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