We are currently studying the state of South Dakota. Crazy Horse was born in the Black Hills in the area close to the border that divides Wyoming and South Dakota. He was born in 1841 or 1842 and was given the name Curly at birth because of his curly hair. He was always a leader and is among the best-known Native American heroes. Today, there is a Crazy Horse Memorial in South Dakota that is still a work in progress.
After looking at pictures of the memorial, we read Crazy Horse's Vision by Joseph Bruchac. This book recounts the story of Curly's childhood, the trouble the Lakota Indians (also known as Sioux Indians) faced from the white settlers, and Curly's attempt to seek a vision to guide him to help his people; all of these moments lead to his transformation into the brave warrior known as Crazy Horse. There is a very informative author's note at the end of the book that fills in the details and explains how Crazy Horse died.
We really liked the Illustrator's Note at the end of the book. S.D. Nelson is a Sioux artist who explains the symbols, use of colors, and the painting style of the Plains Indians. The illustrator (I'm not sure if S.D. is a man or woman) mentions the intention to draw in young readers through the pictures; this worked for us - C and R were both very interested in the paintings. They were also very interested in the fact that Crazy Horse did not appear to be wearing clothing - sigh.
We learned that colors have special meanings for the Lakota people. Red represents the east where each day begins with the rising sun. Yellow represents the south, summer, and where things grow. Crazy Horse was painted blue in this book (C and R kept saying he was from the movie Avatar) because blue represents the sky and a connection with the spirit world. The paintings throughout the book are primarily red, yellow, and blue.
I gave C and R white paper and red, yellow, and blue paint to create their own art after reading this book. C tried to paint what the colors represent:
R painted what she felt like painting:
I love that C and R always approach learning experiences and art so differently. I learn so much from them just by the way they approach things.
We really enjoyed the book. I liked that it captured and held the attention of C and R, and also taught them some interesting history of South Dakota and the Native American people.
10 comments:
We've studied Crazy Horse in conjunction with Mount Rushmore. That book sounds really interesting. I think my C would like it.
Sounds like an interesting and accessible book!
All the explanation about color is very informative - it sounds like an interesting book.
I got to see Crazy Horse about 16 years ago. It's come a long way since then! LOL! That sounds like a neat book.
I love memorials built out of rock! I would love to take my kids! This sounds like a fantastic book! I love!
I really like this.
On another note, you are so organized! I can't believe you just plug through the states with so many wonderful activities. I always read these posts and think, "what a great idea, why am I not doing this... ." But don't worry, I'm not one to feel guilty. :) In any case, these posts are great for inspiration. :)
Very fascinating. I always enjoy seeing R and C pictures together. R is a lot like Anna in her approach to art :) Did they watch Avatar? I really loved it, but I don't think Anna would enjoy it because of scary moments.
I saw Crazy Horse ages ago when it was just a theory........... And a very rough carved one at that.
I love their projects. I think I have some Lakota horses from when I collected model horses as a kid. They have hte same coloring on them.
I didn't know there was a work in progress memorial for Crazy Horse. Hanna has read about him and honestly, all I know about him/this story are the things she's told me--she is so smart, and so are your kids!
I always enjoy reading about your state studies.
I live in SD and we have visited Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse multiple times. I like them both, but actually prefer Crazy Horse because it is bigger. It's still a work in progress. And the museum is more thorough than Rushmore. You get to tour the home of the sculptor, look at Native American crafts, see tee-pees and great pictures of the people that played a part in starting the memorial. (It doesn't hurt that our oldest daughter is Native American, too.) We really are blessed to be able to enjoy both memorials.
If you ever come out for a field trip, let me know!
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