Ella Deloria's The Buffalo People

The five narratives in this book, the third in Julian Rice's examination of the work of Ella Deloria, demonstrate Deloria's artistry in portraying the central values of Lakota (Sioux) culture. The introductory stories illustrate courage in three extraordinary women and Deloria's ability to subordinate her voice to that of different narrators. Another tale, "The Prairie Dogs," explains how the warriors' and chiefs' societies, the strongest forces for social cohesion, came into being. The longest story, "The Buffalo People," concerns the origin of tribal identity based on such ideal qualities as the strength and generosity of the buffalo and the resiliency and grace of the corn. Following the noted storyteller Makula (Breast or Left Heron), Deloria improvises upon the poetic conventions of oral performance, from simple asides to traditional set speeches of the Buffalo Woman ceremony. Blending careful observation with creative skill, these stories offer new and often surprising perspectives on Lakota culture. They will entertain and instruct any reader with an interest in Native American societies of the past and present.