A First Nations former hockey star looks back on his life as he undergoes treatment for alcoholism in this novel from the author of Dream Wheels. Saul Indian Horse is a child when his family retreats into the woods. Among the lakes and the cedars, they attempt to reconnect with half-forgotten traditions and hide from the authorities who have been kidnapping Ojibway youth. But when winter approaches, Saul loses everything: his brother, his parents, his beloved grandmother—and then his home itself. Alone in the world and placed in a horrific boarding school, Saul is surrounded by violence and cruelty. At the urging of a priest, he finds a tentative salvation in hockey. Rising at dawn to practice alone, Saul proves determined and undeniably gifted. His intuition and vision are unmatched. His speed is remarkable. Together they open doors for him: away from the school, into an all-Ojibway amateur circuit, and finally within grasp of a professional career. Yet as Saul’s victories mount, so do the indignities and the taunts, the racism and the hatred—the harshness of a world that will never welcome him, tied inexorably to the sport he loves. Spare and compact yet undeniably rich, Indian Horse is at once a heartbreaking account of a dark chapter in our history and a moving coming-of-age story. “Shocking and alien, valuable and true… A master of empathy.”—Jane Smiley, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Golden Age “A severe yet beautiful novel…. Indian Horse finds the granite solidity of Wagamese’s prose polished to a lustrous sheen; brisk, brief, sharp chapters propel the reader forward.”—Donna Bailey Nurse, National Post (Toronto)

This carefully documented account brings to life the hardy Indian pony--possessing almost unbelievable speed and endurance that allowed its rider to run down the fastest buffalo or leave his cavalrymen pursuers far behind. It is the story of American Indians and their relationship to the animals that broadened their horizons, and a historical record of one of the most turbulent and fascinating eras of American frontier history.

Presents an illustrated examination of the role of horses in Native American culture and history, providing information on the depiction of horses in tribal clothing, tools, and other objects.

Tells of the transformative period in the early 16th century when the Spaniards introduced horses to the Great Plains, and how horses became, and remain, a key part of the Plains Indians' culture.

• An insightful and meaningful reader about relationship training methods between man and horse • Features an overview of how horses came to live with Native Americans and the impact on their lives • Provides philosophies and techniques for relationship training methods • Also includes Native American stories and legends about their special relationships with their horses

This is the first comprehensive text on Indian Horse masks, their usage, history, and symbolism. Forty five masks are featured from museums and private collections in this full color, stunningly beautiful coffee table book. Included are many original, historically accurate, drawings and paintings of both masks and decorated horses. There is also a chapter by Winfied Coleman on the Shamanic decoration of horses and warriors for battle.