I have written this book from the viewpoint of one who has lived with and loved dogs since being a very young child. We had everything from springer spaniels to a big Newfoundlander. When I moved out on my own, I lived mainly in large cities, so I lived for many years not having a dog. When we bought our place in Hesperia with a large fenced-in yard, I knew it was time again to have a dog. I have been very spiritually oriented from early childhood and all through my adult life. As a young person, I had a very profound spiritual experience, and it changed my viewpoint on life very dramatically. In the book you will see how the spirit world seemed to intervene to bring about the relationship that has developed between my wife and me with our friend Lakota. Of all the dogs I have ever known, this one is the most unique and special. I started to write this book several years ago, and it just stalled. Recently I had another spiritual experience, and the doorway was opened again. The tale flowed freely from Lakota, and here we are with her story. It has been a joy to put it down in words in this book. I hope you enjoy it as much as I had fun in writing it.

This biography of Spotted Tail traces the life of the famous Lakota leader who expertly guided his people through a pivotal and tumultuous time in their nation's history as they fought and then negotiated with the U.S. government. Spotted Tail is remembered for his unique leadership style and deep love for his people. Today, a university is named in his honor.

The bestselling memoir of a Native American woman’s struggles and the life she found in activism: “courageous, impassioned, poetic and inspirational” (Publishers Weekly). Mary Brave Bird grew up on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota in a one-room cabin without running water or electricity. With her white father gone, she was left to endure “half-breed” status amid the violence, machismo, and aimless drinking of life on the reservation. Rebelling against all this—as well as a punishing Catholic missionary school—she became a teenage runaway. Mary was eighteen and pregnant when the rebellion at Wounded Knee happened in 1973. Inspired to take action, she joined the American Indian Movement to fight for the rights of her people. Later, she married Leonard Crow Dog, the AIM’s chief medicine man, who revived the sacred but outlawed Ghost Dance. Originally published in 1990, Lakota Woman was a national bestseller and winner of the American Book Award. It is a story of determination against all odds, of the cruelties perpetuated against American Indians, and of the Native American struggle for rights. Working with Richard Erdoes, one of the twentieth century’s leading writers on Native American affairs, Brave Bird recounts her difficult upbringing and the path of her fascinating life.

LAKOTA AND DAKOTA ANIMAL WISDOM STORIES is a compilation of twelve traditional, northern plains Native American stories retold by Dakota storyteller, Pamela Greenhill Kaizen and are accompanied by twelve full-color illustrations by South Dakota artist and educator Mark W. McGinnis. Leonard R. Bruguier, a descendant of the Yankton chiefs, War Eagle and Struck by the Ree, presents the introduction. The stories use animal characters to deal with the themes of compassion, greed, generosity, protection, survival, hard work, laziness, bravery, foolishness, trickery, and others. They range from simple humor as in THE FROG AND THE TURTLE BROTHERS, where two close friends decide to jump in the lake rather than catch colds by getting wet in the rain, to the rich and complex story of THE CRANE, which weaves a tale of compassion and caring for one's neighbors. The animal characters give insightful guidance on human morals and ethics and give a glimpse into the wonderful wit and wisdom of the Lakota and Dakota people. Mark McGinnis' paintings interpret a critical instant from each story, translating the oral moment to a visual expression of color, texture and shapes. This book is well suited to be read to younger children, to be read by older children, or for adults who enjoy new perspectives into Native American culture. Available for $11.98 plus $3.00 S/H from Tipi Press, St. Joseph's Indian School, Chamberlain, SD 57326; 605-734-3300.

"I am Crow Dog. I am the fourth of that name. Crow Dogs have played a big part in the history of our tribe and in the history of all the Indian nations of the Great Plains during the last two hundred years. We are still making history." Thus opens the extraordinary and epic account of a Native American clan. Here the authors, Leonard Crow Dog and Richard Erdoes (co-author of Lakota Woman) tell a story that spans four generations and sweeps across two centuries of reckless deeds and heroic lives, and of degradation and survival. The first Crow Dog, Jerome, a contemporary of Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, was a witness to the coming of white soldiers and settlers to the open Great Plains. His son, John Crow Dog, traveled with Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show. The third Crow Dog, Henry, helped introduce the peyote cult to the Sioux. And in the sixties and seventies, Crow Dog's principal narrator, Leonard Crow Dog, took up the family's political challenge through his involvement with the American Indian Movement (AIM). As a wichasha wakan, or medicine man, Leonard became AIM's spiritual leader and renewed the banned ghost dance. Staunchly traditional, Leonard offers a rare glimpse of Lakota spiritual practices, describing the sun dance and many other rituals that are still central to Sioux life and culture.

In her memoir, WALKING WITH THE SHADOW OF LOVE: The Remarkable Story of Lakota and the Zeakie Dog, the author/illustrator delves into some areas of pet ownership of great interest to a wide range of animal lovers. This beautiful memoir, illustrated and photographed by the author, is the story of her two working therapy dogs. The first dog is a purebred black Labrador from a fine breeder-the second, a mixed breed, puppy mill puppy who is losing his original home, and literally (and loudly) decides to "adopt" the author. The puppy grows into a statuesque, ninety-six pound dog who is surprisingly intelligent and becomes an intuitive, self-directed therapy dog. This dog with the humble origins, forms a bond so strong with the author and her other dog that even death cannot break it. Their story, above all, is a love story. The story begins with the training and raising of the first puppy, the adoption of the second puppy, and a description of the life of dogs and owner in a lake community in New Jersey. The dogs are both trained and certified as therapy dogs, and the reader gets to come along on some actual visits to people in facilities, and see the profound effect the two dogs have on the people they serve during these sessions. It is a joyful, rewarding, fulfilling lifestyle, until the unthinkable happens: at only four years of age, without the slightest hint of a warning, the adopted dog is stricken with an incurable cancer, so deadly that it threatens to take his life in a week or two-or even days. Enter a brilliant, dedicated, veterinary oncologist. She and the young dog's owner form an alliance to do battle with the disease, with the goal of extending the dog's life as much as possible, while providing a high quality of life-a life where he feels well, enjoys life, and can do all the things he loves. When they embark on this journey, neither one of them can even imagine the obstacles that will be put in front of them, or that, for the vet, the battle will become very, very personal, and require heroic measures on her part. Anyone who has ever battled this disease or watched someone they love fight it will relate to the struggle, the triumphs, the setbacks, and the need to live every day in presence and gratitude. What many people don't know, is that dogs are serving on the front lines of this battle. One of the most intriguing aspects of the book is its spiritual component. Do animals have souls? Will we ever see our beloved pets again, once they have left this life? Do they live on? This book delves into these questions and mysteries. In the introduction, the author explains that the book contains two separate story lines that run concurrently through the book. The first is the story as it unfolds. The second story line-in chapters printed in italics-consists of events that occur after the dog dies that provide convincing evidence that the dog is making its presence known. All along this journey, narrative photographs and illustrations of the dogs in the story keep us connected to these beautiful animals and their canine friends. The two story lines increase in intensity and barrel toward a life-altering, deeply emotional and spiritual conclusion that takes the reader to a place where few have gone. It is a place where they may learn a whole new concept of who our animals are, and a place that could be a great comfort to anyone who has ever lost an animal they love and been heartbroken.