Buffalo Dance: A Blackfoot Legend - Hardcover

Van Laan, Nancy

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0316897280 ISBN 13: 9780316897280

Publisher: Little Brown & Co, 1993

Synopsis

A young woman's courage saves her village, in a beautifully illustrated retelling of a Blackfoot myth about the significance of the buffalo dance ritual, performed before and after each hunt to show respect for, and gratitude to, the buffalo.

About this title

From Publishers Weekly:

A satisfying multicultural effort, like Van Laan and Vidal's first collaboration ( The Legend of El Dorado ), this retelling of a complex legend posits a mythical origin for the sacred buffalo dance of the Blackfoot people. Long ago, a young woman saves her village from starvation when she promises herself to the chief of the buffalo on condition that the herd enter the hunters' piskun (trap). Both buffalo and maiden keep their promises, and the villagers rejoice at the opportunities for food and warm furs. The girl's bereft father, however, seeks her out, only to be trampled by the buffalo. She restores him to life by magic, and the buffalo, suitably impressed, then teach her the buffalo dance, so that they can come back to life when killed by men. Powerful themes of sacrifice and rebirth dominate the legend, whose action proceeds with a magical logic that may confuse younger children. Vidal's formal, even stiff, but strongly focused color pencil drawings face pages of text decorated with American Indian pictographs and bright geometric borders; the climactic dance of the buffalo stands alone. Ages 5-9.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist:

Gr.4-6. Threatened by a winter of starvation, a young Blackfoot woman promises herself as bride to the chief of the buffalo if the beasts will allow themselves to be killed to provide meat for her people. When she does not return to her village, her father sets out in search of her, only to be trampled to death by the buffalo. Singing and praying, the woman brings her father back to life. Moved, the buffalo chief teaches them the ceremonial buffalo dance that will bring the buffalo back to life after being hunted by humans. This is the Blackfoot legend of the origin of the buffalo dance, traditionally done before and after the buffalo hunt. Vidal's glowing, stylistic paintings have strength and dignity and appear to reflect the originating culture. Van Laan lists four books as sources for her story, and Vidal incorporates Blackfoot patterns and designs and symbols from Native American tradition in her paintings. A story of courage and faith, this makes effective storytelling material and a good read-aloud for older groups. Janice Del Negro

About this edition

• Publisher: Little Brown & Co
• Publication date: 1993
• ISBN 10: 0316897280
• ISBN 13: 9780316897280
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 1
• Illustrator: Vidal Beatriz