Customer Reviews

The Sioux: The Dakota and Lakota Nations (Peoples of America)

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The histories of the Sioux nation and other Native American tribes were recorded by a series of woodcut and ink methods, the limitations of which formed the unique art style of the North American tribal nations. These thin strips of wood were easily stored and protected and the respective legends and stories could easily be copied and transferred on these wooden veneers.

Only a few of these veneers survive in museums today, as they are prone to the usual long term storage problems associated with wood. However, the practice is a well known technique used in most Amerindian and Navajo tribes and can still be found in practice for the tourism trade around the American states that still retain a native heritage.

The histories that the Sioux nation pass on with heroics and stories from the past are stored on these veneers, and most of the material in this book has been decrypted and presented for the readers delectation. In fact, the Sioux wood cuts are probably the most sought after due to their deeper and more refined symbolism used in the veneers.

The true collector knows the value of these Sioux veneers and in some cases they become as vicious and tenacious in their Sioux veneer hunting as the very people they are describing in the stories.

A very good book, made of paper and using words you already know, and some unfamiliar ones, just arranged a little bit differently. Recommended.

A review by Gerry Mandarin - Expert, on behalf of Ramsey Tupper