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Saga of the Sioux: An Adaptation from Dee Brown's Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
This new adaptation of Dee Brown's multi-million copy bestseller, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee , is filled with photographs and maps to bring alive the tragic saga of Native Americans for middle grade readers. Focusing on the Sioux nation as representative of the entire Native American story, this meticulously researched account allows the great chiefs and warriors to speak for themselves about what happened to the Sioux from 1860 to the Massacre of Wounded Knee in 1891. This dramatic story is essential reading for every student of U.S. history.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published September 13, 2011
6 people are currently reading
242 people want to read
About the author
Dee Brown
111 books426 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 - 22 of 22 reviews
January 25, 2012
Review submitted to ALAN's Picks (Social studies teachers - Add this to your classroom library, stat!):
Saga of the Sioux commemorates the 40th anniversary of the publication of Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by adapting Dee Brown’s epic account of the conflict between Native Americans and the United States government for younger readers. Whereas Brown’s original text provides a comprehensive narrative of struggles across the continent from the arrival of Columbus in 1492 to the Wounded Knee Massacre of 1890, Zimmerman’s adaptation focuses on the contraction of the great Sioux Nation during the second half of the 19th century. The stories behind some of the most iconic names from the mythology of the American West are all here – Little Crow, Red Cloud, Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, and the doomed General George Custer – along with ample photographs, illustrations and maps to help readers visualize this important phase of American history. A new first chapter to orient readers to the scope and early history of the Sioux Nation and a fresh epilogue to take readers from the last shot of the Wounded Knee Massacre to the present day serve as bookends for a selection of major chapters from Brown’s classic narrative that relate the history of the longest and fiercest sustained resistance to the United States’ incursion into Native American lands.
Zimmerman’s adaptation of this classic work of narrative history is a powerful text that manages to convey the scope of the injustices and atrocities committed against the Sioux in the name of Westward Expansion yet remains entirely suitable for young readers. The book’s focus on the Sioux provides readers with a strong scaffold for further exploration of Brown’s larger narrative, and the added text and visuals support young readers’ comprehension of a complicated story. Saga of the Sioux is an indispensable addition to any classroom library of American history for younger readers.
Saga of the Sioux commemorates the 40th anniversary of the publication of Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by adapting Dee Brown’s epic account of the conflict between Native Americans and the United States government for younger readers. Whereas Brown’s original text provides a comprehensive narrative of struggles across the continent from the arrival of Columbus in 1492 to the Wounded Knee Massacre of 1890, Zimmerman’s adaptation focuses on the contraction of the great Sioux Nation during the second half of the 19th century. The stories behind some of the most iconic names from the mythology of the American West are all here – Little Crow, Red Cloud, Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, and the doomed General George Custer – along with ample photographs, illustrations and maps to help readers visualize this important phase of American history. A new first chapter to orient readers to the scope and early history of the Sioux Nation and a fresh epilogue to take readers from the last shot of the Wounded Knee Massacre to the present day serve as bookends for a selection of major chapters from Brown’s classic narrative that relate the history of the longest and fiercest sustained resistance to the United States’ incursion into Native American lands.
Zimmerman’s adaptation of this classic work of narrative history is a powerful text that manages to convey the scope of the injustices and atrocities committed against the Sioux in the name of Westward Expansion yet remains entirely suitable for young readers. The book’s focus on the Sioux provides readers with a strong scaffold for further exploration of Brown’s larger narrative, and the added text and visuals support young readers’ comprehension of a complicated story. Saga of the Sioux is an indispensable addition to any classroom library of American history for younger readers.
April 8, 2012
With my background of working on the Wabanaki curriculum with students and educators around the state, I was very interested in reading this, but I have some concerns. Page 184 states that the boarding schools were closed in the 1920's. There were some still open as late as the 50's & 60's! Also, neither 'residential' or 'boarding' schools is listed in the appendix. More maps would have been helpful, and some of the illustrations/photos were only vaguely connected to the text on the page it appeared.
The need for people to read texts on this topic is very important, but I have some hesitation to fully endorse this one. I would like some input from Native historians, or other experts such as Debbie Reese, Nambe Pueblo.
The need for people to read texts on this topic is very important, but I have some hesitation to fully endorse this one. I would like some input from Native historians, or other experts such as Debbie Reese, Nambe Pueblo.
August 1, 2016
I took a break from reading "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" to read this Sioux-specific adaptation, and now I'm excited to get back to "Bury My Heart..."! Although "Saga of the Sioux" pulls pretty much directly from "Bury My Heart...", it adds additional photos and maps that help transport you back to the era covered by the book. Although it's billed as a book for youth, I think all ages will find it to be a fantastic read and will learn a lot. "Saga of the Sioux" and/or "Bury My Heart..." should be on every U.S. History teacher's bookshelf!
December 12, 2011
Unfortunately I've never read Dee Brown's iconic Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, the best-selling history of the American West from the point of view of the Native Americans that was first published in 1971. In this new book written for younger readers, Dwight Jon Zimmerman has adapted Brown's 500+ page book for a younger audience, adroitly simplifying but not "dumbing down" the complex and interwoven stories of the different Indian tribes in the original by concentrating on the Great Sioux Nation. As Zimmerman explains in his preface, the Sioux's epic fight against the white man represents the struggle of all the Indian nations in many ways, and includes the stories of some of the most famous warrior chiefs in Indian history, among them Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, as well as some of the most famous battles and events.
Zimmerman condenses and abridges Brown's work to concentrate on the Sioux' story, but also adds a first chapter providing background on the Sioux people as well as an epilogue discussing what has happened to the Sioux since the infamous massacre at Wounded Knee in 1890, and their attempts through the U.S. courts in modern times to get their sacred lands, the Black Hills, returned to them.
I must comment that I found this an incredibly difficult book to read; not because of complicated vocabulary or poorly written narrative, but because of the tragic nature of the material. In fact, the book made me think about how many narratives of the Holocaust I have read, and yet how this tale of the white man's betrayal again and again of the Native Americans was so hard for me to digest. That's perhaps a topic for another blog post, but even in stories (whether fiction or non-fiction) of the Holocaust there's a few good people who tried to rescue Jews or otherwise help them, whereas it doesn't seem like any of the white people appreciated the Indians' culture and lifestyle at the end of the 19th century. Undoubtedly there must have been some more forward looking whites, but where were they? Putting the Indian children into boarding schools to train them to be "white", it seems.
This narrative starts in the years leading up to the Civil War, in which the Sioux of Minnesota agreed in treaties to surrender nearly all their land, thus having to learn to farm like white men and depending on annuities from the government, and covers the story of the Indian Wars that ensued over the next thirty years. Over and over again the Sioux were betrayed by the U.S. government, who would appear to negotiate treaties in good faith that they seemed to have no intention of keeping. The narrative is magnificently illustrated with many full page photographs of various Sioux chiefs as well as American leaders, maps, as well as historic paintings and lithographs. Zimmerman allows the Sioux leaders to tell their own stories, continuing Dee Brown's practice of including ample primary source materials (primarily oral histories).
Zimmerman concludes his narrative with the incredibly powerful quote that seems to sum up everything that happened to the Native population of this country from the time the white man first landed:
"They made us many promises, more than I can remember, but they never kept but one; they promised to take our land, and they took it." --Red Cloud
This book includes abundant backmatter, including a timeline of Sioux history from 1851 to 1909, a glossary, information on the Sioux calendar, recommended reading, suggested websites, and an index.
I expect this excellent book to be nominated for many non-fiction awards; I would highly recommend it for upper elementary school through middle school, as well as for adults who would like an easy-to-follow overview of this shameful part of our nation's history.
Zimmerman condenses and abridges Brown's work to concentrate on the Sioux' story, but also adds a first chapter providing background on the Sioux people as well as an epilogue discussing what has happened to the Sioux since the infamous massacre at Wounded Knee in 1890, and their attempts through the U.S. courts in modern times to get their sacred lands, the Black Hills, returned to them.
I must comment that I found this an incredibly difficult book to read; not because of complicated vocabulary or poorly written narrative, but because of the tragic nature of the material. In fact, the book made me think about how many narratives of the Holocaust I have read, and yet how this tale of the white man's betrayal again and again of the Native Americans was so hard for me to digest. That's perhaps a topic for another blog post, but even in stories (whether fiction or non-fiction) of the Holocaust there's a few good people who tried to rescue Jews or otherwise help them, whereas it doesn't seem like any of the white people appreciated the Indians' culture and lifestyle at the end of the 19th century. Undoubtedly there must have been some more forward looking whites, but where were they? Putting the Indian children into boarding schools to train them to be "white", it seems.
This narrative starts in the years leading up to the Civil War, in which the Sioux of Minnesota agreed in treaties to surrender nearly all their land, thus having to learn to farm like white men and depending on annuities from the government, and covers the story of the Indian Wars that ensued over the next thirty years. Over and over again the Sioux were betrayed by the U.S. government, who would appear to negotiate treaties in good faith that they seemed to have no intention of keeping. The narrative is magnificently illustrated with many full page photographs of various Sioux chiefs as well as American leaders, maps, as well as historic paintings and lithographs. Zimmerman allows the Sioux leaders to tell their own stories, continuing Dee Brown's practice of including ample primary source materials (primarily oral histories).
Zimmerman concludes his narrative with the incredibly powerful quote that seems to sum up everything that happened to the Native population of this country from the time the white man first landed:
"They made us many promises, more than I can remember, but they never kept but one; they promised to take our land, and they took it." --Red Cloud
This book includes abundant backmatter, including a timeline of Sioux history from 1851 to 1909, a glossary, information on the Sioux calendar, recommended reading, suggested websites, and an index.
I expect this excellent book to be nominated for many non-fiction awards; I would highly recommend it for upper elementary school through middle school, as well as for adults who would like an easy-to-follow overview of this shameful part of our nation's history.
Read
March 15, 2013Audience: ages 9-13, those familiar with Native American culture or the area around Wounded Knee, those that have traveled around the Black Hills/Mount Rushmore area
Appeal: This book is very informative with character profiles and ample dialogue. The maps and journal entries included are helpful and not fanciful; they're also engaging, which is a plus. War can sometimes sound dry if you talk about it in a certain way; this book was not dry.
Application: This would go along great with a history class, I think. And American history, specifically. There's definitely a great multicultural focus here. The book does its best to sound unbiased, and that's a feat not easily completed. Because it's based off of Dee Brown's "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" it does call into question the reliability of the narrator. But I think Dee Brown as a historian did a pretty good job of trying to stay impartial.
Award: 2012 Carter G. Woodson Book Award
School Library Journal Review:
Gr 6-9-It has been 40 years since the publication of Dee Brown's seminal work on the conquest of the American West from the Indian perspective. That the book was and remains a cultural force is unquestioned, but its accessibility has been vastly enhanced by this adaptation. Zimmerman's focus on one tribe condenses the length of the book while keeping intact the issues and the indignities visited upon the Native American tribes between 1860 and 1890. Well-known figures such as Red Cloud, Sitting Bull, and Crazy Horse attain new dimensionality, and the story taken as a whole is nothing short of unnerving and, ultimately, heartbreaking. A final chapter covers the Native American movements of the 1960s and 1970s as well as the state of tribal advocacy today. Spellings of names and places follow closely those in Brown's original, sometimes given in both the Anglicized and Native versions. The narrative style is straightforward and readable, depending heavily on primary-source documentation, an exemplar of sound historical research. Black-and-white period photos appear throughout, as do maps of the territory under discussion. Back matter includes a detailed time line from 1851 to 1909 and information on the Sioux calendar. A powerful work, this book will serve as a discussion starter and as an educational tool. It's especially useful for illuminating the fact that the historical record depends heavily upon the viewpoint of those recording it.-Ann Welton, Helen B. Stafford Elementary, Tacoma, WA (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Appeal: This book is very informative with character profiles and ample dialogue. The maps and journal entries included are helpful and not fanciful; they're also engaging, which is a plus. War can sometimes sound dry if you talk about it in a certain way; this book was not dry.
Application: This would go along great with a history class, I think. And American history, specifically. There's definitely a great multicultural focus here. The book does its best to sound unbiased, and that's a feat not easily completed. Because it's based off of Dee Brown's "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" it does call into question the reliability of the narrator. But I think Dee Brown as a historian did a pretty good job of trying to stay impartial.
Award: 2012 Carter G. Woodson Book Award
School Library Journal Review:
Gr 6-9-It has been 40 years since the publication of Dee Brown's seminal work on the conquest of the American West from the Indian perspective. That the book was and remains a cultural force is unquestioned, but its accessibility has been vastly enhanced by this adaptation. Zimmerman's focus on one tribe condenses the length of the book while keeping intact the issues and the indignities visited upon the Native American tribes between 1860 and 1890. Well-known figures such as Red Cloud, Sitting Bull, and Crazy Horse attain new dimensionality, and the story taken as a whole is nothing short of unnerving and, ultimately, heartbreaking. A final chapter covers the Native American movements of the 1960s and 1970s as well as the state of tribal advocacy today. Spellings of names and places follow closely those in Brown's original, sometimes given in both the Anglicized and Native versions. The narrative style is straightforward and readable, depending heavily on primary-source documentation, an exemplar of sound historical research. Black-and-white period photos appear throughout, as do maps of the territory under discussion. Back matter includes a detailed time line from 1851 to 1909 and information on the Sioux calendar. A powerful work, this book will serve as a discussion starter and as an educational tool. It's especially useful for illuminating the fact that the historical record depends heavily upon the viewpoint of those recording it.-Ann Welton, Helen B. Stafford Elementary, Tacoma, WA (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
November 10, 2015
The main idea of The Saga of the Sioux is about the thirty long year war between the Indians and the whites.this book covers countless events that involved the Cheyenne and all of the Sioux tribes. The title is clever since Saga means achievement, the Indians did have a lot of achievements but they did eventually lose more then they earned. The reason why I picked this book is because I come from the Sioux tribe. The cover art work is a chief on a horse which suits the story well since horses were used a lot for the plains Indians. I feel like the reason the author wrote this was to shock and inform the readers of all the terrible things that both sides did to each other, like when the whites set fire to a peaceful Indian town or when the Indians starved the people in fort Laramie. The book jacket got me interested in reading it since it was based off of a Native Americans point of view rather than a white mans point of view. The author used as many sources as possible. This book was based off of Dee Brown's bury my heart at wound knee and was written for its thirtieth birthday. There were a lot of pictures in this book some were to show how a chief looked or to show a battle that took place. the one picture that really got me was one of the last pictures. It was of an Indian camp and in the back round on the ridge is a line of soldiers waiting, the picture was taken near the wounded knee massacre.I wish some of the people in the book would have appeared more and shown more character other than just sticking to one thing and one thing only like spotted tail being passive every time I read about him. i didnt think that this topic would be interesting at first until i actually got half way through the book and bigger events started to happen., such as battles At first i didn't like how the book ended considering a lot of death took place but now when I reread the last words I feel like the irony fits. i don't think anyone would want to change the ending of the story since it is so perfect for the opinion that's was created about the whites. I never really realized how many promises were broken and how much fighting was involved between the whites and the Indians. This book has enlightened me and has given me a clear picture of our ancestors. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about Indians or if they want to learn more about history.
December 5, 2011
As a fan of both Dee Brown and Dwight Zimmerman, I was excited to hear about SAGA OF THE SIOUX based on the book BURY MY HEART AT WOUNDED KNEE. Although I recently read Dee Brown's WONDROUS TIMES ON THE FRONTIER, it's been decades since I read BURY MY HEART AT WOUNDED KNEE.[return][return]SAGA OF THE SIOUX is an amazing book highlighting Brown's original work for a new generation, while showcasing Zimmerman's skills in presenting information for middle readers. [return][return]The text begins with a well-written "Note to the Reader" and "Introduction" that provides an essential historical and cultural context for readers. Zimmerman wisely chose to focus the book on the plight of the Sioux retelling the story in an easy-to-follow conversational style. Skillfully weaving together historical facts, stories, visuals, and quotes, Zimmerman is able to effectively convey the epic struggle of the Sioux people.[return][return]Divided into short chapters with an excellent index, the text lends itself to student reading assignments and research. Well-placed maps and images contribute to the power of the story and will keep reluctant readers engaged. The timeline, calendar, websites, and other added resources are also valuable educational resources. Students will enjoy the viewpoints of great chiefs and warriors as well as understanding the plight of the individual people impacted by events such as the Massacre of Wounded Knee.[return][return]Reading of nonfiction is a wonderful way to nurture curious young minds. There are a few nonfiction authors for middle readers such as Jim Murphy, Russell Freedman, and Candace Fleming that I follow closely. Dwight Zimmerman is also a leader in this field. I look forward to his next groundbreaking adaptation or graphic history. [return][return]I highly recommend SAGA OF THE SIOUX. I hope the committees remember this wonderful book at award time!
January 7, 2012
Should be required reading for all students...why don't we learn this stuff in school?
The tragic, horrifying, disturbing truth of the nation's treatment of the native population of this land... So much greed & narcisism & dishonesty... It's through this knowledge of similar horrors from our past that hopefully we can learn from & evolve as more empathetic & civilized people... Though what a shame that most of us are never taught the ugly truth about much of our history...best to keep us uninformed & therefore so much more liable to repeat the same ugly atrocities that those before us committed on some other new unfortunate target. It's unacceptable...
Buying a copy for my sis who is a high school teacher...as we'll as a copy for my nieces to read when they get old enough to understand.
I someday I hope to read Dee Brown's "Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee"...until then, this is great introduction filled with plenty of background info & historical data to lay the groundwork for further study.
The tragic, horrifying, disturbing truth of the nation's treatment of the native population of this land... So much greed & narcisism & dishonesty... It's through this knowledge of similar horrors from our past that hopefully we can learn from & evolve as more empathetic & civilized people... Though what a shame that most of us are never taught the ugly truth about much of our history...best to keep us uninformed & therefore so much more liable to repeat the same ugly atrocities that those before us committed on some other new unfortunate target. It's unacceptable...
Buying a copy for my sis who is a high school teacher...as we'll as a copy for my nieces to read when they get old enough to understand.
I someday I hope to read Dee Brown's "Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee"...until then, this is great introduction filled with plenty of background info & historical data to lay the groundwork for further study.
October 2, 2011
This is my young adult adaptation of Dee Brown's classic BURY MY HEART AT WOUNDED KNEE. It was an honor to have permission from the estate to adapt this book for today's readers. It has gotten some great reviews. The most important aspect of the book is that it is the story of how the West was LOST. In other words, from the Native American tribes' point of view. As I wrote in my introduction, there are very few heroes among the white men in it. I also gathered all the illustrations for it and was thrilled to see how many I was able to use. Hope you have a chance to give it a look!
December 3, 2011
This book taught me a lot about tribal culture, the importance of courage to the Sioux, and the wars fought. It went very deep into describing the way the white men were mistreating the Sioux, blaming it on them, killing them, chasing away their buffalo, stealing their land and forcing them to live somewhere that they didn't want, say, the worst place they could find,and when they found something of value in that place (gold), they took that away from them and made them move to a worse place! And the whole time, they had the nerve to preach peace!!!!
Read
April 5, 2013This book would be good for both girls and boys in 5th to 7th grade. It has maps and photos which are great to catch the attention of students. It won the Carter G. Woodson Award in 2012. This would be a great book to use to supplement a unit on American Indians.
Want to read
March 17, 2016moved to Bleeker Collection
January 24, 2019
Dee Browns Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee is a classic and should be taught in conjunction with how the traditional westward expansion and migration of America has been represented in classrooms historically. This adaptation of that massive book covers only the Sioux Indians, whose famous chiefs included Red Cloud, Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull, etc. It is tragic story where you can only root for the Sioux tribe as they are forced to sign treaty after treaty in reducing their land or as they have stated it is not theirs, but Earths. These treaties of course are altered and ignored by the US government and evil people that are supposed to be appointed by the government. Most of the injustices from the government seem to come from Congress and not from the Presidents during this time of the latter part of the 1800's that is covered by this book.
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee is over 500 pages. If that book is too long to read I would recommend this one first to get a sense of the history.
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee is over 500 pages. If that book is too long to read I would recommend this one first to get a sense of the history.
December 19, 2020
Read aloud to the kids for school. This book took us a while to read, both because of its length and because it is heavy in content. But it was extremely well written and engaging to read, if a little wordy at times. Having studied a lot about the treatment of Native Americans this year, this book detailed the era of Civil War time through the beginning of the 20th century in a way that made connections to past and present in helpful ways. It raised a lot of good discussion questions for us, and didn’t feel like an adaptation (we’ve read a few really boring adaptations).
April 29, 2022
This is such an amazing book that tells the explicit truth about the Sioux and everything they dealt with during the American West from their losses of land and their losses of people. If you're a fan of nonfictional books based on American history, then I think you will love this book.
March 24, 2023
A great adaptation of Brown's book with photos and maps to illustrate the main points of the historical narrative. I remember being blown away when I read the original and enjoyed the adaptation as well- great intro for the non-historian and a must read for all Americans.
May 8, 2023
Based on Dee Brown’s book “Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee” this book “Saga of the Sioux” has been adapted for young readers and focuses only on the Sioux nation. This is not a children’s book, but would be appropriate for high school students or maybe middle school students.
June 25, 2025
I picked this book up recently while visiting Badlands National Park in South Dakota. I enjoyed the active writing, informative details and the graphs and pictures included. I read the original Dee Brown book more than decade plus ago and find this addition or adaption a great tribute.
July 2, 2018
Good Book-
See full review on my website
http://anonymitygone.wordpress.com
See full review on my website
http://anonymitygone.wordpress.com
June 21, 2022
Written for younger audiences so most of the horrible things that happened to the indigenous people were removed. Still good though.
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December 2, 202401/2024 Booktalks
October 18, 2011
For review.
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