Walking Coyote placed his cheek against the frightened buffalo calf's side and sang softly. Lone survivor of a herd slaughtered by white hunters, the calf was one of several buffalo orphans Walking Coyote had adopted and was raising on the Flathead Reservation in Montana. For thousands of years massive herds of buffalo roamed across much of North America, but by the 1870s fewer than fifteen hundred animals remained. Hunted to the brink of extinction, the buffalo would have vanished if not for the diligent care of Walking Coyote and his family. Here is the inspiring story of the first efforts to save the buffalo, an animal sacred to Native Americans and a powerful symbol of the American west. From the foresight and dedication of individuals like Walking Coyote came the eventual survival of these majestic animals, one of the great success stories of endangered species rescue in United States history.
About the Author
Joseph Bruchac is an Abenaki Indian. He is among the most respected and widely published Native American authors, with over 100 titles in print, including the popular Keepers of the Earth series and Lee & Low's Crazy Horse's Vision, which received a starred review from Kirkus Reviews. His YA novel, Wolf Mark, is a Westchester Young Adult Fiction Award winner. A Rockefeller Fellow and an NEA Poetry Writing Fellow, he was the 1999 recipient of the Native Writers' Circle of the Americas Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition to writing, Bruchac is an editor at Greenfield Review Press, a literary publishing house he co-founded with his wife. He lives in Greenfield Center, New York.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Buffalo Song is a story that takes place in the 1870s. It tells of a how the buffalo, a spiritual animal for Native Americans, was hunted by white hunters into extinction. One particular herd of buffalo was killed and only the tongues of the buffalo were taken, leaving the remaining of the buffalo to decompose in the field. But one small calf of this herd hid in the bushes and was spared. The calf didn't leave her dead mother's side until a small boy and his father found her weak and starving. They took the calf to a buffalo orphanage and from there; the buffalo and their human protectors go on a dangerous journey to find a permanent home. In my opinions this book is a great read that would interest older elementary aged students (5-8th grade). It gives some general insight of the history of Native American people and I would truly recommend this book to others.