Prairie Bones: Poems

by Robert H. Bordeaux, Thomasina TopBear (Illustrator)

Genres: Poetry

104 pages, Paperback

Published June 27, 2025

Reviews

[Allie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dear friend of mine, Robert, your poetry is like the soul coming home. I have the immense privilege of my minds eye seeing all of your beautiful He Sapa photos as I read and that only serves to amplify this transcendent experience. I’ll be using some of your poetry to teach my high schoolers!

[A.J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prairie Bones is poetry in its truest form. Poems that illuminate the dark, speak to the subconscious mind and remind you that the human condition is deeply intertwined with our connection to nature. The author, Robert, is a Siċaƞġu Lak̇ot̄a descendant and kola (friend). They grew up disconnected from their Lak̇ot̄a family and poetry has been their medium for channeling the past to find their way back to their roots and spiritual tiwahe (family). I love the passion and love Prairie Bones cultivates for Uƞc̄i Mak̇a (grandmother earth) in the poems. Reading it feels like following the flow of a river, through wildflowers, weeds, woods through poems that asks the reader’s heart a question: what does it mean to be a good relative and ancestor? What does it mean to be whole? What gives our life meaning?
These poems paint a vivid portrait, and for those with eyes to see, a mirror reflecting our oneness with the land, our animal and plant relatives and our place in the web of all creation.
Robert and I are both descendants of Boarding School Survivors that led to disconnection from our culture. The legacy of Native American Boarding Schools left permanent scars and bloodstains. Their motto was: “Kill the Indian Save the Man”. They believed “saving our souls” was morally righteous and justified. They fractured thousands of minds, spirits and hearts. A caged bird that cannot fly, always thinks flying is a sickness. But the thing about the past is it can always be rewritten by the present. And Prairie Bones is poetry that transcends time. Highly recommend.

[Nicholas Trandahl · Rating 5 out of 5]

With his collection “Prairie Bones”, indigenous poet Robert Bordeaux has catalogued the beauty and struggles of discovering oneself. His poems, many of which are accompanied by gorgeous illustrations, are archeological in aspect as they uncover bit by bit his ancestors and their ancient language, the complexities of identity, and his own latent but steadfast connections to the land. It is a beautiful and empowering work, and an important addition to the American canon.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful language and stirring imagery. A fast read.