The Horse and the Plains Indians: A Powerful Partnership

by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent, William Munoz (Photographer)

Overview

The image of a Native American on horseback has become ingrained in the American consciousness. But the Plains Indians and the horse were not always inseparable. Once, Native Americans used dogs to help carry their goods, and even after the Spaniards introduced the horse to the Americas, horses were considered so valuable that the Spanish would not allow the Indians to have them. But soon horses escaped from Spanish settlements, and Native Americans quickly learned how valuable the horse could be as a hunting mount, beast of burden, and military steed. Follow the story of this transformative partnership, starting in the early sixteenth century and continuing today.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780547125510
Publisher:	HMH Books
Publication date:	07/10/2012
Pages:	112
Product dimensions:	8.30(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.60(d)
Lexile:	1200L (what's this?)
Age Range:	10 - 12 Years

About the Author

Dorothy Hinshaw Patent is the author of more than 130 nonfiction books and received theWashington Post / Children's Book Guild Award for Nonfiction for the body of her work. She lives with her husband in Missoula, Montana.
 

William Munoz has photographed many photo essays written by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent. He holds a B.A. in history from the University of Montana. He is now resettling in Montana after living for several years in Canada.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Certain to draw readers who are interested in Native American history or horses, making it a good choice for middle level collections."—School Library Journal, starred review

"Simple language and clear organization help readers fully engage with the material."—Horn Book

"Very well done; and important resource."—Kirkus

 "Thoroughly entertaining . . . readers will easily sit back and enjoy the fun."—Booklist

Editorial Reviews

"Certain to draw readers who are interested in Native American history or horses, making it a good choice for middle level collections."--School Library Journal, starred review

 

"Simple language and clear organization help readers fully engage with the material."--Horn Book

 

"Very well done; and important resource."--Kirkus

 "Thoroughly entertaining . . . readers will easily sit back and enjoy the fun."--Booklist

From the Publisher

Gr 4–8—In this companion to The Buffalo and the Indians (Clarion, 2006), Patent and Muñoz show how the introduction of horses to North America transformed the lives of the Native American tribes living on or near the Great Plains. The book opens with a chapter on the "dog days" before horses, when Plains Indians used dogs for hunting buffalo and as pack animals. Subsequent chapters discuss how they "acquired" Spanish horses and rapidly developed an equine culture that revolutionized their buffalo-based existence and changed economic, social, and inter-tribal relationships throughout the region. Patent also examines how tribes incorporated the horse into their cultural and spiritual beliefs and rituals and warfare. She concludes with a discussion of how white expansion and confinement to reservations threatened the relationship between horses and Native people and describes the modern resurgence of Plains Indians horse culture, including tribal fairs and riding events that highlight their traditions and rituals. This book shares the same format as the previous title, and it features a well-written and readable narrative, appealing and informative full-color photographs, and reproductions of period illustrations. Although the two titles complement each other and give readers a comprehensive look at Plains Indian culture, this book can also stand alone and is certain to draw readers who are interested in Native American history or horses, making it a good choice for middle level collections.—Mary Mueller, formerly at Rolla Junior High School, MO

School Library Journal

In a follow-up to their acclaimed The Buffalo and the Indians (2006), Patent and Munoz discuss how the Plains Indians' relationship with horses enriched them. For a very long time, the Native American tribes living on the Western prairies relied on dogs pulling travois as their beasts of burden. They hunted buffalo on foot, a dangerous pursuit only possible when many people worked together. In the 16th century, Spanish explorers brought horses to the New World in order to dominate and frighten the Indians, but gradually, as the horses reproduced, escaped and spread, the Indians used horses to transform their world. Horses gave them power and freedom: They could carry much larger loads much faster than dogs. Better still, they could be used in battle. A single warrior on horseback could bring down a buffalo. A mounted raiding party could attack suddenly and retreat with equal swiftness. Horses transformed Indian art and spirituality as well, and, in fact, are still an important part of Plains Indian tribal culture. Patent's prose is, as always, clear and readable. Munoz's color photographs show the prairie and tribes as they exist today; in addition, the book uses black-and-white historic photographs that, while grainy, show the West the way it used to be. Very well done; an important resource. (Nonfiction. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews

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