The Indians of the northwestern plains always laughed at the tales about Old-man, heard around the lodge fire in the wintertime after sunset. For a powerful character, he was comically flawed. Old-man made the world but sometimes forgot the names of things. Victim and victimizer, he seemed closer to common experience than the awesome god Manitou. Frank B. Linderman thought Old-man was, under different names, a god for many Indian communities. These stories-collected from Chippewa and Cree elders and first published in 1920-are full of wonder at the way things are. Why children lose their teeth, why eyesight fails with age, why dogs howl at night, why some animals wear camouflage-these and other mysteries, large and small, are made vividly sensible.

About the Author
Frank B. Linderman (1869-1938) spent his adult life in Montana, first as a trapper and then as a publisher, politician, and businessman. He lived closely with the Flatheads, Blackfeet, Crows, and other Native Americans in the region for many years. A number of his works are available in Bison Books editions, including Indian Why Stories, Kootenai Why Stories, Pretty-Shield: Medicine Woman of the Crows, and Henry Plummer: A Novel. Celeste River is a Montana scholar, photographer, and research consultant who has lectured throughout the state on the life and writings of Linderman.


Book Information
ISBN 9780803280014
Author Frank B. Linderman
Format Paperback
Page Count 169
Imprint Bison Books
Publisher University of Nebraska Press
Weight(grams) 227g