Customer Reviews

The Year the Stars Fell: Lakota Winter Counts at the Smithsonian

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This book contains pricless pieces of history. Be aware that the up-close individual pictures are black and white. If you wish to view the winter counts in full color you can just visit the smithsonian website. Even though I have spent countless hours viewing these wintercounts online, there is something about having a copy of your own that you can easily flip through. One of the best parts of this book is that upon reading the descriptions of idividual pictures, you will see that the authors are not so bold as to hold their descriptions as absolute, but rather the best information they could compile from the families and indirect sources of these wintercounts.

Saw this book at a Lakota Museum in St. Francis SD in the reference department. Since my husband is part Lakota, and he liked the book, so I ordered him one for Christmas. He'll open it tomorrow, but I already know he will like it. I was surprised to learn it is out of print. I am thankful a new copy was available.

This is an excellent resource for anyone studying Native American history, culture, or art. Covering the history of this calendar-like art form, and following with year-by-year images and descriptions from each winter count, the book ends with a modern interpretation of the winter count concept by Emil Her Many Horses.

It is very interesting to compare which events are covered by each winter count keeper. It is also fascinating to see how the Lakota depicted other tribes as well as soldiers. The book and the data in it give us a peek into a window of a culture that had no written language.