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misspippireads's review against another edition
4.0
Buffal Bird Girl shares her history and her way of life. Nelson crafts Buffalo Bird Girl's story from her original books written in the early 1900's.
Themes: history, memories, Native American lifestyle
Characters: Buffalo Bird Girl/Buffalo Bird Woman, the Hadatsa people
Artwork: paintings in acrylic on gessoed Masonite, drawings with black colored pencils on 140 lbs cold-press 100% cotton acid-free paper
Author's Note: Author's story, Buffalo Bird Girl story, Hidatsa story, Hidatsa timeline, notes (and quotes), bibliography, index
Reviewed from a library copy.
Themes: history, memories, Native American lifestyle
Characters: Buffalo Bird Girl/Buffalo Bird Woman, the Hadatsa people
Artwork: paintings in acrylic on gessoed Masonite, drawings with black colored pencils on 140 lbs cold-press 100% cotton acid-free paper
Author's Note: Author's story, Buffalo Bird Girl story, Hidatsa story, Hidatsa timeline, notes (and quotes), bibliography, index
Reviewed from a library copy.
cowboylucy's review against another edition
3.0
While I did enjoy reading this book and its combination of illustrations and photographs, I did struggle with the text at times. I'm glad this was written by someone who is indigenous themselves, but I felt there was not enough discussion of the hardships directly caused by colonizers. There were talks of attacks from neighboring tribes, but never anything about white people directly hurting the tribe, other than infecting them with smallpox.
abigailbat's review against another edition
3.0
Have you ever wondered what life might have been like for Native Americans long ago? Buffalo Bird Girl is a peek into the life of a member of the Hidatsa tribe as they go throughout a year. You get a look inside their earth mound huts, which would house large families - 12 members of Buffalo Bird Girl’s family lived in one hut!
Girls and women planted vegetables and farmed while boys and men went out to hunt for meat. Everyone helped clean the animal skins when the men brought back game.
Other tribes lived in the same areas. The Hidatsa tribe lived with the Mandan tribe in the same village. They were allies that protected each other. But other tribes were not friendly and one day the Lakota tribe attacked. After the villagers defended themselves from the attack, they had a big celebration with dancing. [show spread on page 24] This is one of my favorite pictures because there’s so much to look at and such bright colors.
If you like learning about different people, if you’re interested in how the Hidatsa tribe lived long ago, pick up Buffalo Bird Girl.
Girls and women planted vegetables and farmed while boys and men went out to hunt for meat. Everyone helped clean the animal skins when the men brought back game.
Other tribes lived in the same areas. The Hidatsa tribe lived with the Mandan tribe in the same village. They were allies that protected each other. But other tribes were not friendly and one day the Lakota tribe attacked. After the villagers defended themselves from the attack, they had a big celebration with dancing. [show spread on page 24] This is one of my favorite pictures because there’s so much to look at and such bright colors.
If you like learning about different people, if you’re interested in how the Hidatsa tribe lived long ago, pick up Buffalo Bird Girl.
krismarley's review against another edition
3.0
Would have cataloged in 900s, not in Biography. Love the mix of watercolor paintings, pen and ink drawings, and photographs. #bookaday
nerfherder86's review against another edition
3.0
Really gorgeous paintings, interspersed with photographs, of life on the Plains for the Hidatsa and Mandan Indians of history. Told in first person ( but fictionalized), info taken from research and Buffalo Bird Woman's two books, but with some creative license. Includes quotes from her. Tells story of her daily life as a child, referencing the hunting and farming lifestyle of the Hidatsa in general. Author's Note adds postscript of her later life, how they had to leave and go to a reservation; she lived from 1839-1932. Extensive sources, and a timeline that starts back in 5000 BCE! Text is matter-of-fact, descriptive but not particularly literary/lyrical.
sunflowerjess's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
This is tagged as a biography, but it is less about one person and more about the way of life for the Hidatsa people. I liked the real photographs interspersed with the illustrations.
dandelionfluff's review against another edition
4.0
This reads as very informational, and covers traditional ways of life of the Hidatsa people.
calistareads's review against another edition
4.0
This is a book for history minded children or children who might be doing a report on Native Indian cultures for grade school. This is a long picture book and not for younger kids. I saw this and I did not bother reading it to the nephew as I knew he couldn’t sit through something like this.
It is a well told story. I, as an adult, enjoyed it. It tells the story of Buffalo Bird Girl who was a real person and was old in 1912. She was a Hidatsa Indian. There are plenty of illustrated pictures and interspersed with those are actual photos of Indians doing things the story spoke of and it said ‘this is what Buffalo Bird Girl would have looked like’. I thought that was a nice touch.
We get to see how they lived and survived and the troubles they had. The Lakota peoples constantly raided them and attacked them. Winter was harsh and growing food was everything. I find it so strange how separated men and women were in society. They did not eat as whole families, but men ate together and women and children ate together. Most everything was separated. It’s so strange to my modern sensibilities.
I learned a lot and I thought it was a good book, but I can’t see it being a book most children enjoy reading in that age range.
It is a well told story. I, as an adult, enjoyed it. It tells the story of Buffalo Bird Girl who was a real person and was old in 1912. She was a Hidatsa Indian. There are plenty of illustrated pictures and interspersed with those are actual photos of Indians doing things the story spoke of and it said ‘this is what Buffalo Bird Girl would have looked like’. I thought that was a nice touch.
We get to see how they lived and survived and the troubles they had. The Lakota peoples constantly raided them and attacked them. Winter was harsh and growing food was everything. I find it so strange how separated men and women were in society. They did not eat as whole families, but men ate together and women and children ate together. Most everything was separated. It’s so strange to my modern sensibilities.
I learned a lot and I thought it was a good book, but I can’t see it being a book most children enjoy reading in that age range.