Old Indian Legends [Paperback]

Zitkala-Sa (Author), Angel De Cora (Illustrator), Agnes M Picotte (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1985

Early in the century a magnificent Sioux woman named Zitkala-Ša published these legends that she learned during her childhood on the Yankton Reservation. Her eastern education developed a writing talent that was put to good use in recording from oral tradition the exploits of Iktomi the trickster, Eya the glutton, the Dragon Fly, the Blood Clot boy, and other magical and mysterious figures, human and animal, known to the Sioux. Until her death in 1938, Zitkala-Ša stood between two cultures as preserver and translator.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Zitkala-Ša (also known as Gertrude Bonnin) later published the largely autobiographical American Indian Stories, also available as a Bison Book.

Product Details

• Paperback: 165 pages
• Publisher: Bison Books; First Bison Book Printing: 1985 edition (December 1, 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803299036
• ISBN-13: 978-0803299030
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,168,516 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stories from the Dakota/Nakota/Lakota Nation, May 15, 2008

By 

DONALD G. FOX "Santee Sioux" (Minneapolis, MN USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Old Indian Legends (Paperback)

In this wonderful collection of D/N/Lakota stories originally published in 1901, Zitkala'sa ("Little Red Bird") retells fourteen legends (listed below)from the oral tradition. Most of the stories involve Iktomi (Unktomi) the Spider Trickster and his moral misadventures. Other stories include the Avenger and Iya ("Mouth")the Glutton. Most of the stories are used in showing the proper norms for D/N/Lakota society: be generous, do not be greedy, be hospitable, do not boast about yourself, do not deceive others to attain things, be merciful, be a good relative, etc. The reader will notice that some of the later stories do not follow the pattern of teaching morality, but seem to reflect older stories that do not always seem to follow logically. All in all, they are amazing stories that Zitkala'sa, also known as Gertrude Simmons Bonnin, wrote for primarily white audiences. There is a nice biographical sketch of Zitkala'sa and the illustrations by Angel De Cora are interesting in that they imagine the characters in human form.

Here are the stories as they appear in the book: "Iktomi and the Ducks," "Iktomi's Blanket," "Iktomi and the Muskrat," "Iktomi and the Coyote," "Iktomi and the Fawn," "The Badger and the Bear," "The Tree-Bound," "Shooting of the Red Eagle," "Iktomi and the Turtle," "Dance in the Buffalo Skull," "The Toad and the Boy," "Iya, the Camp-Eater," "Man'stin, The Rabbit," and "The Warlike Seven."

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars American Indian Legends, February 19, 2011

By 

Mithril (USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Old Indian Legends (Kindle Edition)

This is a clever and interesting book of Indian Legends. The first several stories are loosely linked and are probably best read in order, but otherwise the stories stand alone. They are a bit more violent than many Western tales, so if you're concerned about exposing your kids to violence, I might suggest reading over them first (I pretty much suggest that for every book of cultural tales, though).

Also, many attitudes have changed since the times these stories were written, so although they cannot exactly be construed as prejudiced, there are a few odd phrases and translations that wouldn't have been used if the stories were transcribed today--nothing offensive, just odd.

There were no formatting errors in the text. There is an active Table of Contents, but it is a chart, half of which is inaccessible. Even the available half looks incorrect in my kindle-for-pc program, though it's fine on the kindle itself. The kindle edition also lacks any discussion or author biography.

The stories included are:

Iktomi and the Ducks
Iktomi's Blanket
Iktomi and the Muskrat
Iktomi and the Coyote
Iktomi and the Fawn
The Badger and the Bear
The Tree-Bound
Shooting of the Red Eagle
Iktomi and the Turtle
Dance in a Buffalo Skull
The Toad and the Boy
Iya, the Camp-Eater
Manstin, the Rabbit
The Warlike Seven

1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A little slow reading., March 13, 2011

By 

Jordan J. Martin "Jordan Martin" (Delphos, OH USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Old Indian Legends (Kindle Edition)

Book was not that interresting and probably would not read another book like it. It was free so I was not too worried about liking it or not. All in all, it was slow reading and easy to lose intrest in.