Description
Book SynopsisSometime in August 1913, two Sioux warriors, Old Buffalo and Swift Dog, met with Frances Densmore at a makeshift recording site in McLaughlin, South Dakota. What Old Buffalo and Swift Dog said that day-about life as they knew it before the reservation era began-lives on still in the pages of this fascinating book. Densmore went on to interview numerous Sioux (or Lakota)/Teton (Lakota) Sioux men and women, collecting both their songs and their stories. The present version is an abridged edition of Teton Sioux Music, which according to William Powers is "one of the few monographs universally regarded as a true classic of Lakota culture." It has been skillfully edited to focus less on musical technicality and more on the cultural value of Densmore's work. Its subjects include the Sun Dance, dreams, treatment of the sick, military societies, buffalo hunts, and social dances. Also included are over 130 color and black-and-white illustrations which further bring to life the world of the Teton Sioux.
Table of ContentsPhonetic KeyEditor's PrefaceAuthor's ForewordIntroduction I. Ceremonies1. The White Buffalo Calf Pipe (Ptehin'cala Canon'pa)2. The Alo'wanpi Ceremony 3. The Ceremony of Spirit-keeping (Waki'cagapi)4. The Sun Dance II. Dreams and Their Obligations5. Heyo'ka Ka'ga (Fool Impersonation)6. Dreams Concerning Animals 7. The Sacred Stones (Tunkan') 8. Treatment of the Sick III. Societies (Oko'lakiciye)9. Dream Societies10. Military Societies IV. War and Hunting11. War Songs (Ozu'ye Olo'wan)12. The Buffalo Hunt (Wana'sapi)13. Council and Chief Songs V. Social Life14. Songs Connected with Dances and Games Biographical NotesIndex
