Customer Reviews

Pretty-shield: Medicine Woman of the Crows (Bison Book)

5 star:		(7)
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3 star:		(1)
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I was engrossed with Pretty Shields story from the moment it began. It was wonderful to read of a native woman's life, before "the buffalo went away". Life then was simpler and so full of joy, as well as so many hardships, but the spirit that is brought across is inspiring and uplifting. A wonderful and engrossing read from beginning to end. I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone interested in Native studies, feminism, or simply life, before we came along.

a wonderful collection of memories of Pretty Shields life- as soon as you start reading you will love her. A strong, smart woman from the last generation of native people who lived by the way of the earth. you should read this!

Based on the title and the editorial reviews, I was expecting (and hoping) to read about Pretty-shield's life as a healer, and more about the customs of her tribe. Instead, a lot of the stories were about things she did as a child and teen, mostly how she got into trouble and silly things she did with friends.

On the positive side, it's an easy read, and would be a good introduction to Native American life.

Very easy read and love the stories told. I'm even thankful that she didn't reveal everything that she did relating to her medicine.

I couldn't put the book down. Pretty Shield takes the reader by the hand and takes him/her into the times when buffalo were a-plenty, there was always a danger of a Lakota or Cheyenne raid, a grizzly behind the corner - yet there was always laughing, joy, aliveness and community. Growing up as a child was not being sheltered from the vicissitudes of life - on the contrary, it was taking life seriously by playing in it. It was living on the edge; and only by living on the edge one can really be alive.

One learns so much more from a book like this than from anthropological literature.

The title says "medicine woman" probably at the insistence of the publisher. While there may not be much about 'Crow Medicine' in the factual, "Western' sense of the word, the medicine - the power of life - creeps out of almost every page. The confidence, the taking-care of her family is a manifestation of her Medicine; the story-telling, the knowledge about the animal and little "People" (spirits), how one gets to meet them and gets their help and the stories of healing that these days could only be classified as miraculous, can be told only by someone who knows what they are talking about. In other words, Pretty Shield teaches obliquely, like the Indians do, through stories. And this book delivers them with sensitivity, respect and simplicity which show that Linderman learnt something about Crows and their medicine.

Written in the order Pretty Shield narrated her stories to the transcriber, this book starts out with her earliest childhood and jumps around between the stories she remembers and anecdotes prompted by Linderman's questions. Entirely readable. Some sad stories, but much more fun and play. Many excellent details.

This edition (ISBN 0-7835-1758-0) is a reprint of the 1932 edition, reprinted in 1993, NOT 1991. 256 pages, cover is imitation leather, dark brown, with a bas-relief of Pretty-Shield on the cover. Gilded page edges, ribbon bookmark, marbled end papers. The best edition for gift giving.

The author also knew sign language, so he also picked up extra meaning lost in translation. This is a fantastically good view into the life of an indigenous woman, you really get into her spirit, her life, in this book. Really good description of her life, and culture. Mourning Dove: A Salishan Autobiography (American Indian Lives) and Nisa: The Life and Words of a !Kung Woman are rough comparables. Please cite any other books that are like this, if you know of any, ok?