Richard N Ellis

When Standing Bear returned to the Pine Ridge Sioux Reservation after sixteen years' absence, his dismay at the condition of his people may well have served as a catalyst for the writing of this book, first published in 1933. In addition to describing the customs, manners, and traditions of the Teton Sioux, Standing Bear also offered general comments about the importance of Native cultures and values and the status of Indian peoples in American society....

At Summit Springs, Colorado on July 11, 1869, Maj Eugene A. Carr led the Fifth United States Cavalry and a force of Pawnee scouts in an attack on Chief Tall Bull's Cheyenne Dog Soldier village. Also prominent in the fight was chief of scouts, William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody. When the day's fighting was over, fifty-two Cheyenne Dog Soldiers lay dead. On that day, too, a soldier picked up what appeared to be a plain army ledgerbook. When opened, the...