Choteau Creek: A Sioux Reminiscence [Paperback]

Joseph Iron Eye Dudley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1998

From the time he was three years old, in 1943, Joseph Iron Eye Dudley was raised by his grandparents on the Yankton Sioux Reservation. Their tiny weatherbeaten house, nestled in a bend of Choteau Creek on the rolling South Dakota prairie, is where he grew up, and this moving reminiscence recreates with warmth and candor a childhood poor in material goods but overflowing with spiritual wealth.

"Much has been written," says the author, "by and about Native American people who are active in political and social movements, and much has been said about the appalling conditions of reservation life. This book is about the common, quiet people who never make the headlines or find their names in print. They are the backbone of the reservations, the ones who pass on the values that make Native American what they are. This story of my grandparents reminds us that there is a spirit in people which enables them to rise above the potential devastation of poverty and racism into a life marked by humor and laughter, one that radiates love and kindness."

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This compelling memoir covers the author's formative years (1948-1956) on the Yankton Sioux Reservation in South Dakota, where he lived with his dollar-poor but spirit-rich maternal grandparents in a small brown house on Choteau Creek. The product of a broken home, Dudley, now a doctoral student at the University of North Carolina, elevates his elderly grandparents, especially "grandma" Bessie Bourissau, to saintly status as they impart to him their beliefs, loves and fears. His strong sense of home and of his own spiritual awakening are striking as he describes a church service, a brother's homecoming, winter hardships, grandma's storytelling, chores around the house, medicine men and, finally, the inevitable illness, decline and death of his grandparents. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Choteau Creek runs through the Yankton Sioux Reservation in South Dakota. A three-room house near its banks was the home of William and Bessie Bourissau, American Indians who were raising their young grandson during the 1940s and 1950s. In this delightful account, their grandson recalls his life with these warm, caring individuals. Their life was materially poor, like that of most Native Americans living on reservations, but spiritually rich, providing a strong background for a young boy. This is not a story about being an Indian; rather, it describes the daily life of one boy meeting the unique set of challenges found in rural South Dakota on an Indian reservation. A wonderful story that will contribute to a more balanced view of Indian reservation life in the 20th century.
- Mary B. Davis, Huntington Free Lib., Bronx, New York
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 179 pages
• Publisher: Bison Books (March 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803266111
• ISBN-13: 978-0803266117
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #280,553 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars SUPERB, August 8, 2003

By 

Richard de Triquet - See all my reviews

This review is from: Choteau Creek: A Sioux Reminiscence (Paperback)

This is a truly tremendous book! Among my personal list of favorites. I found this book quite by accident years ago in a local bookstore and it continues to impact me today. I recommend it wherever I go and have had my own teenage sons and other family members read it. It should be on high school and college reading lists. The style is simple yet heartfelt. The themes so meaningful yet rare in todays world. Themes such as real character, unselfishness, solid role models, tradition, and attachment to place are woven throughout the text. Read it!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Warm, insightful and uplifting, October 29, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Choteau Creek: A Sioux Reminiscence (Paperback)

I am reminded of a saying I once heard: People may come to dinner, but a true friend helps you wash the dishes. This book presents friends. I can picture Grandma as she tells stories of her childhood or humbly contemplates the meaning of the owl's call. She remains with me after the book is finished. This is a good book for those who need to see the beauty and small acts of kindness and generosity that are triumphant in the face of hardship.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A simple, yet heartwarming story, November 27, 2005

By 

KP - See all my reviews

This review is from: Choteau Creek: A Sioux Reminiscence (Paperback)

Choteau Creek: A Sioux Reminiscence by Joseph Iron Eye Dudley was an easy read, and I was almost turned off by the simple and straightforward style. However, in the end, it is what made the book so enchanting. There were no hidden agendas or questions left unanswered- just a simple story of a man's childhood filled with people everyone should be lucky enough to learn from. This is not to say the book did not deal with deep issues, just that the way they were presented was very easy to grasp. But then again, I would hope the love felt in this book was always this simple and wonderful.