A song for the horse nation : horses in Native American cultures

Whether it's the Oglala Lakota, Sioux, or Arapaho, Native cultures across the continent hold a special place in their hearts and culture for horses. This tradition of horses in Native American culture is depicted in A Song for the Horse Nation through images, essays, and quotation—including stories and songs collected nearly a century ago by Frances Densmore, and poems by brilliant contemporary writers Sherman Alexie (Spokane/Coeur d'Alêne), Luci Tapahonso (Navajo), and Linda Hogan (Chickasaw). A Song for the Horse Nation gives powerful and passionate voice to the emotional dimension of the relationship between the horse and mankind. In September of 2004, after years of planning, the National Museum of the American Indian opened the doors of its new museum on the National Mall to the 1.2 million people that visit them each year. Among the many exhibits and thousands of artifacts housed in this spectacular building, one overriding theme is the horse. Horse objects in their collection encompass everything from the most utilitarian (a curved knife with a horse-head handle, for example) to the most decorative blankets, beaded ornaments, and even masks for horses to wear on ceremonial occasions. Presents An Illustrated Examination Of The Role Of Horses In Native American Culture And History, Providing Information On The Depiction Of Horses In Tribal Clothing, Tools, And Other Objects. Freedom, Bravery, And Generosity : Native Americans And The Horse / Herman J. Viola -- Remembering Lakota Ways / Emil Her Many Horses -- Typecast Indians / Linda R. Martin -- Horse Trappings And Ornament -- Horse Equipment / George P. Horse Capture -- Horse Society / Frances Densmore -- Horse Images In Everyday Life -- The Art Of Capturing Horses : Joe Medicine Crow Counts Coup During World War Ii / Herman J. Viola -- Old Buffalo's War Narrative / As Told To Frances Densmore -- I Would Steal Horses / Sherman Alexie -- Affinity : Mustang / Linda Hogan -- Blue Horses Rush In / Luci Tapahonso. Edited By George P. Horse Capture And Emil Her Many Horses ; With Additional Essays By Herman J. Viola And Linda R. Martin. American Indian cultures, especially those of the Great Plains, have a rich relationship with their horses. Far more than a beast of burden, the horse is for Native people a friend and a spiritual companion. Nowhere is this bond more spectacularly illustrated than in the beautiful equipment Native horses wear and the tribal clothing, tools, and other objects that incorporate horse motifs. Filled with photographs of objects from the unparalleled collections of the National Museum of the American Indian, as well as historical photographs of North American Indians and their horses, this book documents the central role horses play in Native cultures. 95 color and black-and-white photographs. Whether it's the Oglala Lakota, Sioux, or Arapaho, Native cultures across the continent hold a special place in their hearts and culture for horses. This tradition of horses in Native American culture is depicted in A Song for the Horse Nation through images, essays, and quotation-including stories and songs collected nearly a century ago by Frances Densmore, and poems by the brilliant contemporary writers Sherman Alexie (Spokane/Coeur d'Alêne), Luci Tapahonso (Navajo), and Linda Hogan (Chickasaw). A Song for the Horse Nation gives powerful and passionate voice to the emotional dimension of th Foreword Introduction: Freedom, Bravery, and Generosity: Native Americans and the Horse Remembering Lakota Ways Typecast Indians Horse Trappings and Ornament Horse Equipment Horse Society Horse Images in Everyday Life The Art of Capturing Horses: Joe Medicine Crow Counts Coup during World War II Old Buffalo's War Narrative "I Would Steal Horses" "Affinity: Mustang" "Blue Horses Rush In" The tradition of horses in Native American culture, depicted through images, essays, and quotes. For many Native Americans, each animal and bird that surrounded them was part of a nation of its own, and none was more vital to both survival and culture than the horse.