BUFFALO HUNT

The winner of the 1988 Newbery Medal has produced another well-executed illustrated history, a genre that he has made his own. Here, the subject is the role of the buffalo in the lives of the Plains Indians. In five chapters, Freedman simply—but eloquently—discusses the meaning of the buffalo to Native American culture; methods used in hunting them; the many uses for the buffalo; and the role of the white man in destroying the vast herds and the culture they supported. Differences among tribal customs are pointed out, but what chiefly emerges is a portrayal of the destruction of a vital way of life. As always, Freeman has chosen his illustrations with discrimination—here, works of such great painters of Native American culture as George Catlin and Karl Bodmer, beautifully reproduced, large and in full color. His text is clear and matter-of-fact; he trusts events to speak for themselves, and, as he presents them, they do indeed. A worthy companion to his longer Indian Chiefs (1987).