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Folktales of the Native American: Retold for Our Times
This comprehensive collection of Native American folklore draws on a unique oral tradition, illuminating for students the very roots of Native American culture. Gathered from numerous tribes―Seneca, Hopi, Navaho, Creek, Cheyenne, Cherokee, and Blackfoot―these thirty-six stories, passed down through generations, are narrated by Dee Brown as they might be told around a campfire today. Updated for the modern reader, these tales capture the true spirit and flavor of Native American Mythology.
With a new preface written by the author especially for this edition and attractive line illustrations by Native American Louis Mofsie, this unique is essential reading for a new generation of students interested in Native American culture and history, mythology and folklore, and cultural history.
With a new preface written by the author especially for this edition and attractive line illustrations by Native American Louis Mofsie, this unique is essential reading for a new generation of students interested in Native American culture and history, mythology and folklore, and cultural history.
176 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1979
3 people are currently reading
237 people want to read
About the author
Dee Brown
110 books417 followersAKA: Dee Alexander Brown
Dorris Alexander “Dee” Brown (1908–2002) was a celebrated author of both fiction and nonfiction, whose classic study Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee is widely credited with exposing the systematic destruction of American Indian tribes to a world audience.
Brown was born in Louisiana and grew up in Arkansas. He worked as a reporter and a printer before enrolling at Arkansas State Teachers College, where he met his future wife, Sally Stroud. He later earned two degrees in library science, and worked as a librarian while beginning his career as a writer. He went on to research and write more than thirty books, often centered on frontier history or overlooked moments of the Civil War. Brown continued writing until his death in 2002.
Dorris Alexander “Dee” Brown (1908–2002) was a celebrated author of both fiction and nonfiction, whose classic study Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee is widely credited with exposing the systematic destruction of American Indian tribes to a world audience.
Brown was born in Louisiana and grew up in Arkansas. He worked as a reporter and a printer before enrolling at Arkansas State Teachers College, where he met his future wife, Sally Stroud. He later earned two degrees in library science, and worked as a librarian while beginning his career as a writer. He went on to research and write more than thirty books, often centered on frontier history or overlooked moments of the Civil War. Brown continued writing until his death in 2002.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 15, 2024
Wanting to read “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee”, but lacking the courage to start such a devastating read, I purchased this book by the same author a few years ago. I thought it would “ease me in”.
Campfire Tales of the American Indians (U.S title, “Teepee Tales of the American Indians”) was published in 1979, and includes stories that have survived through the oral tradition from more than two dozen Native American tribes. The book is divided into sections:
1. When Animals Lived as Equals with the People
2. Before the White Men Came
3. Allegories
4. First Contact with the Europeans
5. The Coming of the Horse
6. Tricksters and Magicians
7. Heroes and Heroines
8. Animal Stories
9. Ghost Stories
There are between two and seven stories in each section. Only twice is a tribe represented more than once within a section. There is a list of sources at the end.
It is an interesting way of grouping the stories, partly chronologically and partly by theme. It serves as a way of “dipping into” folk tales, although such an overview leads one to group different tribes together, and not recognise important distinctions. Perhaps this is a retrospective attitude; the book was after all written over forty years ago, and even the title might now be viewed as contentious.
The illustrator Louis Mofsie has worked in pen and ink; stark black and white images with an occasional rough shading in grey crayon. A native indigenous American himself, at the time of publication he was an Art teacher, who directed a dance troupe in his leisure time. At the present time he is a dancer and choreographer. His father is Hopi, from Arizona, and his mother is Winnebago, from Nebraska, born in New York. It seems significant that I had to google this information, rather than finding his ethnicity included in the short blurb about him in the book.
Here are links to retellings of some of the tales in this volume; one per section:
1. When Animals Lived as Equals with the People
“The Rooster, the Mockingbird and the Maiden”
Hopi LINK HERE
2. Before the White Men Came
“Godasiyo, the Woman Chief”
Seneca LINK HERE
3. Allegories
“Return of Ice Man”
Cherokee LINK HERE
4. First Contact with the Europeans
“Katlian and the Iron People”
Tlingit LINK HERE
5. The Coming of the Horse
“How a Piegan Warrior Found the First Horses”
Blackfoot LINK HERE
6. Tricksters and Magicians
“How Rabbit Fooled Wolf”
Creek LINK HERE
7. Heroes and Heroines
“Red Shield and Running Wolf”
Crow LINK HERE
8. Animal Stories
“The Bluebird and the Coyote”
Pima LINK HERE
9. Ghost Stories
“The Sioux Who Wrestled With A Ghost”
Sioux LINK HERE
Campfire Tales of the American Indians (U.S title, “Teepee Tales of the American Indians”) was published in 1979, and includes stories that have survived through the oral tradition from more than two dozen Native American tribes. The book is divided into sections:
1. When Animals Lived as Equals with the People
2. Before the White Men Came
3. Allegories
4. First Contact with the Europeans
5. The Coming of the Horse
6. Tricksters and Magicians
7. Heroes and Heroines
8. Animal Stories
9. Ghost Stories
There are between two and seven stories in each section. Only twice is a tribe represented more than once within a section. There is a list of sources at the end.
It is an interesting way of grouping the stories, partly chronologically and partly by theme. It serves as a way of “dipping into” folk tales, although such an overview leads one to group different tribes together, and not recognise important distinctions. Perhaps this is a retrospective attitude; the book was after all written over forty years ago, and even the title might now be viewed as contentious.
The illustrator Louis Mofsie has worked in pen and ink; stark black and white images with an occasional rough shading in grey crayon. A native indigenous American himself, at the time of publication he was an Art teacher, who directed a dance troupe in his leisure time. At the present time he is a dancer and choreographer. His father is Hopi, from Arizona, and his mother is Winnebago, from Nebraska, born in New York. It seems significant that I had to google this information, rather than finding his ethnicity included in the short blurb about him in the book.
Here are links to retellings of some of the tales in this volume; one per section:
1. When Animals Lived as Equals with the People
“The Rooster, the Mockingbird and the Maiden”
Hopi LINK HERE
2. Before the White Men Came
“Godasiyo, the Woman Chief”
Seneca LINK HERE
3. Allegories
“Return of Ice Man”
Cherokee LINK HERE
4. First Contact with the Europeans
“Katlian and the Iron People”
Tlingit LINK HERE
5. The Coming of the Horse
“How a Piegan Warrior Found the First Horses”
Blackfoot LINK HERE
6. Tricksters and Magicians
“How Rabbit Fooled Wolf”
Creek LINK HERE
7. Heroes and Heroines
“Red Shield and Running Wolf”
Crow LINK HERE
8. Animal Stories
“The Bluebird and the Coyote”
Pima LINK HERE
9. Ghost Stories
“The Sioux Who Wrestled With A Ghost”
Sioux LINK HERE
December 21, 2020
Attorno al fuoco è una raccolta di racconti appartenenti alla tradizione di varie tribù di indiani d'America.
Le storie sono divise in nove categorie: la sesta, ad esempio, si occupa di "Maghi e imbroglioni", l'ottava di animali, la nona di fantasmi.
È sempre interessante saperne di più del folklore di un popolo, soprattutto se si tratta di un mondo così lontano come quello dei pellerossa.
Quello che risalta dalle storie contenute in questo volume, è l'amore degli indiani per la natura, soprattutto per gli animali, considerati quasi al pari degli uomini, e non solo temuti, ma anche rispettati e visti come una presenza imprescindibile nella loro vita. In ogni racconto si respira il profumo dell'erba, si sente la durezza delle pietre dei canyon, lo sguardo si perde sulla vastità di territori ricoperti da alberi e lambiti da corsi d'acqua.
E se la maggior parte delle storie appaiono del tutto peculiari, in altre, soprattutto quelle riguardanti la creazione del mondo, ritroviamo incredibili somiglianze con quelle europee e con le narrazioni bibliche.
Tuttavia, benché nell'insieme il volume risulti interessante, molto spesso i racconti si rivelano noiosi o deludenti, come quelli riguardanti gli imbroglioni o i fantasmi, che mi aspettavo più stimolanti.
Purtroppo scarsissima la presenza di personaggi femminili.
http://iltesorodicarta.blogspot.com/2...
Le storie sono divise in nove categorie: la sesta, ad esempio, si occupa di "Maghi e imbroglioni", l'ottava di animali, la nona di fantasmi.
È sempre interessante saperne di più del folklore di un popolo, soprattutto se si tratta di un mondo così lontano come quello dei pellerossa.
Quello che risalta dalle storie contenute in questo volume, è l'amore degli indiani per la natura, soprattutto per gli animali, considerati quasi al pari degli uomini, e non solo temuti, ma anche rispettati e visti come una presenza imprescindibile nella loro vita. In ogni racconto si respira il profumo dell'erba, si sente la durezza delle pietre dei canyon, lo sguardo si perde sulla vastità di territori ricoperti da alberi e lambiti da corsi d'acqua.
E se la maggior parte delle storie appaiono del tutto peculiari, in altre, soprattutto quelle riguardanti la creazione del mondo, ritroviamo incredibili somiglianze con quelle europee e con le narrazioni bibliche.
Tuttavia, benché nell'insieme il volume risulti interessante, molto spesso i racconti si rivelano noiosi o deludenti, come quelli riguardanti gli imbroglioni o i fantasmi, che mi aspettavo più stimolanti.
Purtroppo scarsissima la presenza di personaggi femminili.
http://iltesorodicarta.blogspot.com/2...
January 6, 2012
never knew how day and night were divided?lol thanks chew-thlock-chew!lol
November 21, 2012
Superb collection of traditional Native American stories. Timeless stuff.
May 1, 2016
This is a nice overview of stories from different tribes. I like that source material is included at the end, and look forward to reading more in depth collections.
April 25, 2025
A wonderful mix of myths. I feel I've learned a lot about various major Native American cultures. It really makes me think how they're culture and customs differ to the western world's. I am now intrigued about researching their culture more deeply now. I highly recommend.
July 18, 2020
It's pretty good, but I thought these would be more fun to read.
March 22, 2025
What a fun book! So fascinating to hear these folktales from multiple Native American tribes.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews