From the Heart of the Crow Country - by Joseph Medicine Crow (Paperback)

About the Book

Originally published: New York: Orion Books, 1992.

Book Synopsis

The world of the Crow Indians comes to life in this extraordinary collection of stories from respected elder and famed storyteller Joseph Medicine Crow. Raised by traditional grandparents, who remembered life before the reservation days, Medicine Crow as a child would listen to stories that his grandfather and other elders told during sweat baths. He also learned about the Indian wars of earlier years from White Man Runs Him, one of Custer's Crow scouts. Medicine Crow became a passionate collector of stories and information about Crow life and history. This volume is a fascinating and informative collection of legends, humorous tales, history, and detailed accounts of life and culture, all told from Crow points of view.

From the Back Cover

The world of the Crow Indians comes to life in this extraordinary collection of stories from respected elder and famed storyteller Joseph Medicine Crow. Raised by traditional grandparents, who remembered life before the reservation days, Medicine Crow as a child would listen to stories that his grandfather and other elders told during sweat baths. He also learned about the Indian wars of earlier years from White Man Runs Him, one of Custer's Crow scouts. Medicine Crow became a passionate collector of stories and information about Crow life and history. This volume is a fascinating and enlightening collection of legends, humorous tales, history, and detailed accounts of life and culture, all told from Crow points of view.

Review Quotes

"Homespun slices of Crow archaeology, mythic history, and living memory . . . Always rewarding."--Ethnohistory

About the Author

Born in 1913, Joseph Medicine Crow lives in Lodge Grass, Montana, and travels extensively, speaking on the Crows and their culture.

Herman J. Viola is the former director of the Smithsonian Institution's National Anthropology Archive and Human Studies Film Archive and is the author of numerous works, most recently Little Bighorn Remembered: The Untold Indian Story of Custer's Last Stand.