Lakota Woman. Mary Crow Dog. New York: Harper Perennial, 1991. 263 pp.
             Lakota Woman, written by Mary Crow Dog, describes Sioux traditions, painful Indian history and the Indian's constant battle to win equality in America. Mary Crow Dog uses her personal experiences to give an Indian perspective on these issues. By using first hand experiences, Mary helps to give the book credibility. These stories are real, true experiences witnessed (through story and first hand account) by the author which helps to give an intimate voice to the book. Mary Crow Dog's voice is strong in the book; it is easy to forget you are only reading the book and not actually sitting beside Mary listening first hand to her story. There are many times when you feel present at the protests or in the church at Wounded Knee. Mary's experiences show struggle, pain and determination in hopes of getting the reader to see both sides of the Indian movement. Lakota Woman's main goal, in my opinion, is to give the reader an understanding of traditional Indian ways and to provide an understanding of the Indian movement through an Indian's point of view. If these goals are in fact reached, it will give the reader a clearer understanding of the Indian traditions and hopefully a more sympathetic heart towards their cause.
             Mary Crow Dog begins the first half of her story in anger and hate towards her oppressors. Her anger is explained through her family's history and experiences as a child in a European church's boarding school. In this section of the book, the battle of Wounded Knee is first explained; the horrendous massacre of helpless Indian people by the white man. Wounded Knee is Mary's history and by hearing this story you are able to understand how her resentment towards these new settlers began. However, the story of racism towards Mary's people by the white man does not end at Wounded Knee, it only begins. Mary&apos...