Honor the Grandmothers: Dakota and Lakota Women Tell Their Stories

by Sarah Penman (Compiler)

In this poignant collection of oral histories, four Indian elders recount their life stories in their own quiet but uncompromising words. Growing up and living in Minnesota and the Dakotas, Stella Pretty Sounding Flute and Iola Columbus (Dakota) and Celane Not Help Him and Cecelia Hernandez Montgomery (Lakota) share recollections of early family life interrupted by years at government boarding schools designed to eradicate tribal culture. Recounting their complex lives, the grandmothers reveal how they survived difficult circumstances to become activists in Indian politics, reconciling urban with reservation life and Christianity with native spirituality. Particularly memorable is one grandmother's detailed family account of the tragic events and consequences of the Wounded Knee Massacre of 1890.

Defying stereotypes, these clear and forthright voices are unforgettable. As the traditional teachers and bearers of culture, the grandmothers also share their concern for future generations.

Genres: Indigenous, Nonfiction, History, Book Club

153 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1969

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a nice book that tells the personal stories of 4 Native Grandmothers. It is interesting to hear their accounts of events in their lives and also to learn about their culture. These Grandmothers are all tough influential women in their tribes and to hear their stories is an inspiration.

[Deb Weina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good book to read if you can take the words and wisdom from these incredible women. They speak honestly about their history and experience as a Native American people.

[Aubriella D · Rating 5 out of 5]

the book I read is called honor the grandmothers written by Sarah Penman. i don't have a lexile level in my book. This book is about kunsis telling there stories, they went through many hardships but they all survived. they were all from reservations and mainly were all raised in the Dakota/Lakota way of life. Celane Not Help Him, pine ridge south Dakota, Stella Pretty Sounding Flute, Crow creek indian reservation, Cecila Hernandez Montgomery, pine ridge south dakota and Iola Columbus, sisseton sd, Flandreau SD and Lower Sioux Indian reservation, ( she was the first woman on tribal council.) All of most if not all of these women went to some type of boarding school, the wasicus tried to take the culture away from them and there mothers and grandmothers would stop teaching them, so they didn't teach there kids and I specifically remember Iola Columbus saying how much she regrets and wishes she would've taught her kid(s.) They had songs and the language in this book and what they went through in life and how tunkasid(l)a helped them through a lot of things, or "god".

the theme of this book is touching base on what the women went through during the times our people weren't aloud to practice our language or any part of our culture. They could've been arrested for practicing there culture. it tells stories of how grandmothers were important because mothers were very busy cleaning, working and taking care of the other kids so the grandmothers would teach them stories and thing about the culture. All of them didn't have electricity growing up and even for a little into there older life, they grew up the hard way, They worked for what they needed, the boys hunted and the girls learned how to pick plants, fruits and etc. They talked about how so much has changed and it was only written in 1996! The family always wanted good for them so they sent them to a good education even tho it white washed them and they cute there hair and hurt them. But mothers were the rock in the families. And they went through a trauma thats how it dramitcally changed the reservations.

I really enjoyed this book, during my life I was too raised into the culture and language. I go to a white school like my past relatives so on the daily school and everything is whats on my mind and i just don't ever get to learn about my culture. So this book really took a break from the learning and taught me and yeah. If you aren't very educated on roles and just the culture this book is really good to learn from and hear stories from great women, this book can educate you because its coming from real Dakota/Lakota women! Over all this was a very cool book and I very much would recommend you read it!

pidamiya pi.

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

We can learn a lot from these Dakota and Lakota women.
They have experienced hardship and terrible discrimination due to their ethnicity yet can somehow still laugh and help their communities.
God bless them and their descendants.

[Megan Ferguson · Rating 3 out of 5]

An excellent primary source, though since it was based on interviews, I would have enjoyed seeing the questions to which the grandmothers were responding.

[Sarah Bigham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oral histories from Dakota and Lakota elders