As Long As the Rivers Flow: The Stories of Nine Native Americans (School & Library Binding)

by Paula Gunn Allen (Author), Patricia Clark Smith (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8. Allen and Smith profile nine individuals of Native American or Native American/white backgrounds from the 17th century to the present. Most were raised in American Indian communities, but several were members of families that distanced themselves from Native American culture. Geronimo, Will Rogers, Maria Tallchief, Wilma Mankiller, Michael Naranjo, and Louise Erdrich are among the figures included. The authors believe that identification as Native Americans has enriched the lives of their subjects and enabled most to succeed, in spite of the fact that many had to overcome prejudice to do so. A wide variety of experience is contained in this narrative, and the biographical sketches fill in gaps in American history. Writing from a Native American perspective, the authors express pride and passion in their heritage. Their commitment and fluent prose will involve readers of all backgrounds. A black-and-white photo or drawing of each subject is included. Susan Avery's Extraordinary American Indians (Children's Press, 1992) has a larger number of brief entries and is useful for reference, and William Loren Katz and Paula Franklin's Proudly Red and Black (Antheneum, 1993) features individuals of black and Native American heritage.?Libby K. White, Schenectady County Public Library, NY
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Gr. 5^-8. Smith and Allen, who has edited several excellent anthologies of Native American writings for adults, provide admiring profiles of nine notable Native Americans. Four of their subjects, Geronimo, Will Rogers, Jim Thorpe, and Maria Tallchief, are familiar names, often included in collected profiles. The others--for example, Weetamoo, the Pocasset sachem who led her people in King Phillip's War; sculptor Michael Naranjo; and writer Louise Erdrich--may be less well known to the target audience but are well-chosen subjects. The entries are longer than the usual brief sketches found in collected biographies, a particularly nice feature allowing readers to gain a more complete understanding of the individual. The authors do not vilify whites, but an unmistakable thread of violated trust and broken promises runs through the profiles. A single black-and-white picture accompanies each biography, and a selected bibliography is appended. Chris Sherman

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• School & Library Binding: 328 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic (October 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590478699
• ISBN-13: 978-0590478694
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,715,496 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #11 in

  Books > Literature & Fiction > Authors, A-Z > ( A ) > Allen, Paula Gunn

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Traces of racism, October 24, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: As Long As The Rivers Flow (Scholastic Biography) (Paperback)

Gunn and Smith struggled valiantly to shape a collection of 9 biographies of Native American achievers, blending the historical and the personal in a somewhat old-fashioned style of narration that young people will find attractive. The biographical sketches review the life and achievements of Weetamoo, an Indian woman who figured in very early white-Indian skirmishes, Geronimo, Will Rogers, Jim Thorpe, Maria Tallchief, Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell, Wilma Pearl Mankiller, Michael Naranjo (Vietnam War Veteran), and Louise Erdrich. Yet, this reviewer believes that most libraries will not want to purchase it this book. First of all, the title picks up an egregious lie that appeared in many treaties that were later broken. The authors admit knowing this but used it anyhow. The persons pictured, for the most part, became successful in the white world on white terms. In the story of Jim Thorpe, Gunn and Smith tell of a battle in which 300 Sac and Fox Indians were killed, and include parenthetically a comment by Lincoln that, during his war experience at this time, he "could not remember meeting any enemy except mosquitoes." The authors refer to the disparaging term "blanket Indians," which is very nearly as offensive as the n word to black Americans. They say that Quakers forced an Indian young person to do indoor chores but provide little context. They comment that Senator Campbell made jewelry but never got to the point of selling it for income; also, that he was married in a sleazy wedding chapel. The authors refer, directly or indirectly, to disparaging stereotypes this reviewer has not heard for half a long lifetime: laziness, drunkenness, and unwillingness to embrace reasonable white demands for education, private ownership of land, and relocation to urban areas. They may not have intended to offend, but they have a glaring lack of intuitive sense of what Native American culture is all about today. Add this to the unattractive packaging of the book--black and white portraits, large print, and narrow margins. Schools should reject this collection.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars it's about being human, about being who you are, powerfully, March 30, 1999

By A Customer

Did you know Will Rogers was American Indian? Want to know about Balancine's wife? Read this book. It's good