Booklist Review

Gr. 3-7. Ziter explains the procedures and significance of buffalo hunting as practiced by the Plains Indians. As suggested by the full title, a good balance is struck between the poetic and the practical. Tracing the Indians' connection with the buffalo from the coming of horses until the virtual extermination of the herds in the late nineteenth century, the author reflects upon the spiritual place of the hunt in the culture of native peoples. He also details their weapons, hunting strategies, and uses made of almost every part of the buffalo for food, clothing, shelter, and tools. Mayo's drawings, done in charcoal and varied through shading, appear frequently and lend a rich, dramatic atmosphere to Ziter's text. Showing respect for both the hunted and the hunters, Mayo interprets their intertwined stories with sympathy but without sentimentality-reflecting the tone of the words. A fine choice for libraries needing resources on Plains Indians or the fate of the bison. CP. 978'.00497 Indians of North America-Great Plains-Hunting / Indians of North America-Great Plains-Social life and customs / Bison [CIP] 87-25164