Old Indian Legends

The century-old prose may seem a little precious at first, but stick with it. This is a delightful book of retold tales from the native people of the northern Great Plains. The author, Zitkala Ša, was a Dakota woman, and the illustrations to this book are also by a native artist. Zitkala Ša finds subtle ways to convey figures of speech, meaningful gestures, facial expressions, and other slices of life from the traditional Dakota culture. Iktomi, the immortal trickster, figures in most of the tales, which convey a moral lesson by inviting the reader to laugh at Iktomi's self-serving ways.

A fascinating collection of Dakota legends. Many of the stories describe the antics and predicaments of the trickster, Iktomi. Iktomi plays tricks on ducks, loses his meal to some wolves, and is outwitted in turn by a muskrat, a coyote, and a fawn. The tales are both humorous and instructive. Other stories include that of a hero conquering a great red eagle and of a brave and kindly rabbit rescuing a baby.

Many of the stories bear marked resemblance to tales by other Plains nations. It is cool to read these stories and imagine how they may have been passed down and changed as the tribes lived, developed, and split apart.

To read more stories like this, I would recommend "Blackfeet Indian Stories" by George Bird Grinnell. It includes show more "Kut-o-yis, the Blood Boy" which has similar elements to Zitkala-Sa's "The Badger and the Bear". Also, "Myths and Legends of the Sioux" by Marie L. McLaughlin contains a tale called "White Plume" which contains some of the same details as Zitkala-Sa's "The Tree-Bound". show less

Old Indian Legends by Zitkala-Sa. This is a wonderful book of Native American stories many learned by the author when she was a child growing up on the Yankton Lakota reservation. Zitkala-Sa was a leading advocate for Native American rights and co-founder of the National Council of American Indians in 1926. She was also a well respected musician and writer who, with William F. Hanson composed the first Native American opera The Sun Dance Opera. The stories in this book reflect the pride that the author had in her culture. She originally collected them to be read by children but the wisdom and joy found in these stories will touch any reader that opens their hearts to them.

This is the first collection by this author, originally 1901. Some years back I read a reprint by Univ of Nebraska Press (1985). I liked it... It has a good home among my collection of folktales.

"Like all folk tales they mirror the child life of the world. There is in them a note of wild, strange music. . .'I have read them with exquisite pleasure.'--Helen Keller. The legends are told in an easy, engaging style with a certain dramatic power." Agnes M. Picotte, University of South Dakota Source: The book's back cover.

Book Description: Lincoln University of Nebraska Press [1985]. Fine. 0803299036 A fine copy, probably never read.; Trade PB; B&W Illustrations. Illustrated by Illustrated by Angel De Cora. Binding is Soft cover; Fourth Printing.