Hidden Buffalo

by Rudy Wiebe, Michael Lonechild (Illustrations)

2004 Alberta Children's Book of the Year Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator's Award shortlist 2004 In this lyrical coming-of-age story, Governor General's Award-winner Rudy Wiebe captures the anxiety of a boy who feels powerless to help his people, but who must speak his dreams if they are to survive Steeped in aboriginal myth and lore, Hidden Buffalo is also the tale of how a whole tribe can turn its gaze from the horizon to see to the wisdom of a child Original paintings by noted Cree artist Michael Lonechild capture the colorful palette of the prairie landscape in autumn and the rich detail of Cree life in the late nineteenth century

Genres: Fiction

32 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2003

About the author

Wiebe was born at Speedwell, near Fairholme, Saskatchewan in what would later become his family’s chicken barn. For thirteen years he lived in an isolated Mennonite community of about 250 people. He did not speak English until age six since Mennonites at that time customarily spoke Low German at home and standard German at Church. He attended the small school three miles from his farm and the Speedwell Mennonite Brethren Church.

He received his B.A. in 1956 from the University of Alberta and then studied at the University of Tübingen in West Germany. In 1958 he married Tena Isaak, with whom he had two children.

He is deeply committed to the literary culture of Canada and has shown a particular interest in the traditions and struggles of people in the Prairie provinces, both whites and Aboriginals.

Wiebe won the Governor General's Award for Fiction twice, for The Temptations of Big Bear (1973) and A Discovery of Strangers (1994). He was awarded the Royal Society of Canada's Lorne Pierce Medal in 1986. In 2000 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada.

Reviews

[Karl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awarding winning Cree artist Lonechild’s puts pictures to award winning author Wiebe’s story. I like the indigenous contribution here more so than Bouchard’s Qu’Appelle that was painted by Lonechild but written by Bouchard who allegedly is not Metis.

Wiebe writes this book as a non-Indigenous creator but the collaboration with Lonechild is authentic in my opinion. The books teeters on cultural appropriation but passes the test.

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations

[Xiaohui · Rating 3 out of 5]

#hunting

[Leonard · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great children's book, written by the Canadian Mennonite novelist Rudy Wiebe.