Grandpa Was a Cowboy and an Indian and Other Stories

Collection of short stories by this Lakota storyteller

Spins tales of Lakota and Dakota generations, of what the youngest can learn from their elders, if they choose to listen: a boy is embarrassed to accept the gift of a medicine bag from his dying grandfather; a little girl learns about the Lakota seasons. This collection ends with spellbinding ancient Sioux tales about the birth of the universe."'Grandpa,' I quietly asked, 'how come when you talk about the past, you say you were a cowboy and an Indian?' I sensed the regret in his short laugh when he answered, 'Cause I was both and both ways are gone forever.'”

With great imagination and vigor, award-winning Lakota storyteller Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve treats readers to a collection of her best stories. She first spins tales of Lakota and Dakota generations today, of what the youngest can learn from their elders, if they choose to listen. The second group of stories, set in the turbulent and tragic years of the nineteenth century, teaches the need for understanding across cultures. The collection ends with spellbinding ancient Sioux tales about the birth of the universe, the deeds of legendary beings, and an unforgettable story about Old Woman, whose quill work maps out the end of the world.