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teej7's review against another edition
3.0
Mary crow dog writes this autobiography/memoir in an informal way which makes me curious to how Native Americans/Indians tell stories. It doesn’t make the book unreadable though, and it’s generally easy to follow. Generally speaking, I did enjoy the book and learned a lot about Indian customs and particularly Lakota traditions. She also shed a light on the ways of modern reservation life (modern at least in the last 50 years as the time most of the story takes place is in the 70's or prior).
Her writing can be a bit clonky at times? Which I assume is related to her lack of formal education (not saying that’s a bad thing) but at times it’s a little difficult to follow a story line? Because there really isn’t a straight forward one.
Important names and events are mentioned in the book before stories of them are told where I feel like it would just flow more seamlessly if she told it in more of a chronological order, sometimes when she does this it takes you out the story thinking, "wait didn’t she mention so and so earlier and mentioned that they died a tragic death and now we’re formally being introduced to the character knowing this?"
Being that I myself am a black woman with a vague understanding of my own Native ancestry, I couldn't help but wish for more of a link between shared experiences of Black folks and Native folks because many many many of the trials and tribulations she speaks of go hand in hand. Though I understand this is a book written by a Native woman for Native people or people interested. I would love to read something focusing on that. But that’s just me projecting...
Pg. 77 “....the blacks want what the whites have, which is understandable they want in, we Indians want out--”
This generalization.....chile... this is the problem I had with this book that I can’t let go. Crow dog, with all the hate she has for white people even she makes the point (several times in the book) that good white people exist and can show compassion, whatever. Now she doesn’t say partially “bad things” about black people, she gives credit where it’s due for the Black Panther Movement heavily inspiring the Red Power movement and even borrowing rhetoric, but why the generalization? Black people don’t want OUT? Of course we do. But where is there for us to go? Like natives. Our home was stripped from us, and we were forced to start a new in the US, our African ancestors looking at us judgmentally for how we’ve been shaped by the white man. But what else could we have done? Whites terrorized and killed many Natives and stole land, however they were not mass enslaved. It’s kinda like..which is worse? I don’t really know. I just know this conception she has of black people is entirely shaped of either media, and things heard. It’s very obvious. This is not me trying to discredit Mrs. Mary Crow Dog, I just find her choice of verbiage interesting.
Overall, a solid 3 star read.
Her writing can be a bit clonky at times? Which I assume is related to her lack of formal education (not saying that’s a bad thing) but at times it’s a little difficult to follow a story line? Because there really isn’t a straight forward one.
Important names and events are mentioned in the book before stories of them are told where I feel like it would just flow more seamlessly if she told it in more of a chronological order, sometimes when she does this it takes you out the story thinking, "wait didn’t she mention so and so earlier and mentioned that they died a tragic death and now we’re formally being introduced to the character knowing this?"
Being that I myself am a black woman with a vague understanding of my own Native ancestry, I couldn't help but wish for more of a link between shared experiences of Black folks and Native folks because many many many of the trials and tribulations she speaks of go hand in hand. Though I understand this is a book written by a Native woman for Native people or people interested. I would love to read something focusing on that. But that’s just me projecting...
Pg. 77 “....the blacks want what the whites have, which is understandable they want in, we Indians want out--”
This generalization.....chile... this is the problem I had with this book that I can’t let go. Crow dog, with all the hate she has for white people even she makes the point (several times in the book) that good white people exist and can show compassion, whatever. Now she doesn’t say partially “bad things” about black people, she gives credit where it’s due for the Black Panther Movement heavily inspiring the Red Power movement and even borrowing rhetoric, but why the generalization? Black people don’t want OUT? Of course we do. But where is there for us to go? Like natives. Our home was stripped from us, and we were forced to start a new in the US, our African ancestors looking at us judgmentally for how we’ve been shaped by the white man. But what else could we have done? Whites terrorized and killed many Natives and stole land, however they were not mass enslaved. It’s kinda like..which is worse? I don’t really know. I just know this conception she has of black people is entirely shaped of either media, and things heard. It’s very obvious. This is not me trying to discredit Mrs. Mary Crow Dog, I just find her choice of verbiage interesting.
Overall, a solid 3 star read.
thewritebooks's review against another edition
3.0
Such an important book but a difficult read if you don't have any background knowledge (which I didn't). But after reading it, I feel like I've learnt a lot and am encouraged to search out more indigenous literature.
rachelb36's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars
It was interesting to learn about the Sioux people - their culture and history, etc. However, this book is more political rhetoric than memoir. Crow Dog recounts events from growing up in the 1960s and 1970s on a reservation. The book was published in 1990, so the nearness of events likely has influenced her opinions about race, which are quite generalized and unfair.
She attended a Catholic school, and during those times, Catholic schools were very strict (and unbiblical!) in their approach to education.
"[The beatings at school] had such a bad effect upon me that I hated and mistrusted every white person on sight, because I met only one kind. It was not until much later that I met sincere white people I could relate to and be friends with. Racism breeds racism in reverse." p 34
I cringe when I read this type of thing being perpetuated by people who are supposed to love others in response to God's love for them, but we can't change the past. We can only apologize that it ever happened, and attempt to do better going forward.
However, while I understand the sentiment of hating the people who hate you, I feel it's an illogical, and immature, position to hold as an adult. More racism will never right the original racism - it only keeps the cycle going.
And for all her talk of meeting "sincere" white people and becoming friends with them, she still seems to hate whites. Her assumptions about white people are terribly incorrect in many ways, and she made blanket, derogatory statements about whites on nearly every other page. Whenever the tiniest thing went wrong in her life, she always found a way to blame whites for it.
She also had strong statements to make about "half-bloods," whom she doesn't view as being "real" Indians - despite the fact that she is actually half-white herself! She sees herself as being a special exception; she considers herself a "whole-blood" because she practices the traditional religion of the Sioux.
She kept saying how brave she was and how everyone kept telling her she was brave during the American Indian Movement (AIM) stand at Wounded Knee, when she was 8 months pregnant, eventually giving birth there. In reality, she was selfish and immature. I was appalled at her failure to protect her unborn child. She tells how one day the government declared a cease-fire so that the women and children could leave, unharmed, but she decides to stay, stating, "If I'm going to die, I'm going to die here... I have nothing to live for out there." p 132
She also states, "One morning.... the feds opened [gunfire] upon me... some of the shots barely missed... all the men were overprotective, worrying about me." p 133
I certainly wouldn't consider that overprotective!
The timeline was very frustrating - Crow Dog kept jumping back and forth between multiple timeframes, without giving references so readers knew where she was in the story. In addition to all of this, there are also several sexual details given and quite a bit of language.
I've read that some of her historical reporting is not accurate, though I don't know it that's true or not. I would be interested in reading other accounts from Native American Indians to see how their accounts of the same time differed or remained the same.
It was interesting to learn about the Sioux people - their culture and history, etc. However, this book is more political rhetoric than memoir. Crow Dog recounts events from growing up in the 1960s and 1970s on a reservation. The book was published in 1990, so the nearness of events likely has influenced her opinions about race, which are quite generalized and unfair.
She attended a Catholic school, and during those times, Catholic schools were very strict (and unbiblical!) in their approach to education.
"[The beatings at school] had such a bad effect upon me that I hated and mistrusted every white person on sight, because I met only one kind. It was not until much later that I met sincere white people I could relate to and be friends with. Racism breeds racism in reverse." p 34
I cringe when I read this type of thing being perpetuated by people who are supposed to love others in response to God's love for them, but we can't change the past. We can only apologize that it ever happened, and attempt to do better going forward.
However, while I understand the sentiment of hating the people who hate you, I feel it's an illogical, and immature, position to hold as an adult. More racism will never right the original racism - it only keeps the cycle going.
And for all her talk of meeting "sincere" white people and becoming friends with them, she still seems to hate whites. Her assumptions about white people are terribly incorrect in many ways, and she made blanket, derogatory statements about whites on nearly every other page. Whenever the tiniest thing went wrong in her life, she always found a way to blame whites for it.
She also had strong statements to make about "half-bloods," whom she doesn't view as being "real" Indians - despite the fact that she is actually half-white herself! She sees herself as being a special exception; she considers herself a "whole-blood" because she practices the traditional religion of the Sioux.
She kept saying how brave she was and how everyone kept telling her she was brave during the American Indian Movement (AIM) stand at Wounded Knee, when she was 8 months pregnant, eventually giving birth there. In reality, she was selfish and immature. I was appalled at her failure to protect her unborn child. She tells how one day the government declared a cease-fire so that the women and children could leave, unharmed, but she decides to stay, stating, "If I'm going to die, I'm going to die here... I have nothing to live for out there." p 132
She also states, "One morning.... the feds opened [gunfire] upon me... some of the shots barely missed... all the men were overprotective, worrying about me." p 133
I certainly wouldn't consider that overprotective!
The timeline was very frustrating - Crow Dog kept jumping back and forth between multiple timeframes, without giving references so readers knew where she was in the story. In addition to all of this, there are also several sexual details given and quite a bit of language.
I've read that some of her historical reporting is not accurate, though I don't know it that's true or not. I would be interested in reading other accounts from Native American Indians to see how their accounts of the same time differed or remained the same.
megan_prairierose's review against another edition
4.0
This one hurts my heart. How can we as humans treat other humans so badly? Mary Crow Dog and her family are so strong and I enjoyed learning more about her.
leedigesu's review against another edition
3.0
I really don't want to rate this one.
I realize these are the opinions of this woman, based on her life and the people around her.
I did enjoy hearing about the tribal rituals.
It was...interesting...that every white person was a honky unless they were a celebrity who helped her group. And that she didn't mention any other white people if they weren't celebrities.
I do think she was a bit full of herself. She wouldn't "be famous" if it wasn't for her husband.
I realize these are the opinions of this woman, based on her life and the people around her.
I did enjoy hearing about the tribal rituals.
It was...interesting...that every white person was a honky unless they were a celebrity who helped her group. And that she didn't mention any other white people if they weren't celebrities.
I do think she was a bit full of herself. She wouldn't "be famous" if it wasn't for her husband.
jenniferbbookdragon's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
4.25
This memoir brings a sharp focus on what Native Americans have experienced at the hands of the US government, state and local officials, and the white people who view them as less than human. Her life and that of her friends and family throughout Indian communities is both inspiring and tragic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Police brutality, and Racism
Moderate: Colonisation, Sexual harassment, Bullying, Alcohol, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Misogyny
essinink's review against another edition
4.0
When people say to read different perspectives, this is probably the kind of book they have in mind. What I thought I knew about the history of relations between the U.S. Government and the Native populations really only scratched the surface of reality.
Mary Crow Dog (née Brave Bird) is quite a woman. Lakota Woman is a topical autobiography (rather than strictly chronological) focusing on her background and her involvement with the American Indian Movement (AIM) in the 1970s, including the occupation of Wounded Knee. There's also quite a bit in here about her complicated marriage to Leonard Crow Dog. (They have since divorced, but were still married at the time that this book was published.)
Much of this material was new to me. It's a view from the inside so disconnected from the rest of my knowledge base that I'm still figuring out where it all fits. But it's important. Reading a book like this is like sitting down and listening at the teller's knee. Just listening. And in the listening, coming to realize how different and how similar you are. You cannot read a book like this without having at least some chinks made in the armor of naïve realism.
Mary Crow Dog (née Brave Bird) is quite a woman. Lakota Woman is a topical autobiography (rather than strictly chronological) focusing on her background and her involvement with the American Indian Movement (AIM) in the 1970s, including the occupation of Wounded Knee. There's also quite a bit in here about her complicated marriage to Leonard Crow Dog. (They have since divorced, but were still married at the time that this book was published.)
Much of this material was new to me. It's a view from the inside so disconnected from the rest of my knowledge base that I'm still figuring out where it all fits. But it's important. Reading a book like this is like sitting down and listening at the teller's knee. Just listening. And in the listening, coming to realize how different and how similar you are. You cannot read a book like this without having at least some chinks made in the armor of naïve realism.