Ella Deloria''s Buffalo People is an assemblage of Lakota myths originally recorded by Deloria. This book contains five myths
and legends recorded during her field investigations in the 1930''s on the Lakota reservation. The author, Julian Rice, has compiled these unpublished and previously published myths and legends into a series of books, of which this is the third. The book includes an introductory chapter explaining the methods used in her research. The author states that Deloria''s research was unique because she was a native speaker of Lakota. This intimate linguistic knowledge allowed Deloria the freedom to interview many non-English speaking Lakota as well as the ability to fully comprehend the linguistic subtleties within these accounts. Thus, Deloria was able to meld various versions of each myth or legend into one solid coherent legend and then present these stories in both Lakota and English texts. The presentation of full stories in both Lakota and English is beneficial for
researchers undertaking linguistic studies as well as those individuals
interested in learning or reinforcing learning of this language. Moreover, researchers interested in studying the precise details or symbolic dichotomies contained within these texts will also find the grammatical intricacies and ability to compare the two texts extremely helpful. Another useful aspect of this work is that these myths and legends include important cultural information about women and children. The addition of these often neglected details adds depth to the dynamics of Lakota life. Researchers looking at gender roles, behavioral expectations, and social dichotomies within Lakota culture and language will find this information invaluable. Each of the five myths and legends-A Sioux Captive Rescued by His Wife, Stake Carriers, A Woman Captive and Her Baby, Prairie Dogs, and The Buffalo People is written in a smooth and entertaining way. These accounts range from the three page text of A Woman Captive and Her Baby to the thirty-three page account of The Buffalo People. Each includes ample footnotes explaining the grammatical complexities within various sentences, as well as the sources, and potential variations of each account. Ella Deloria''s Buffalo People is both an entertaining book and an important research tool. Thus, the book is suitable for those beginners interested in Lakota myth and language as well as those researchers or collectors looking for detailed information to conduct analysis in these areas. It is unfortunate, however, that the book contains only five stories as a more complete volume of all Deloria''s published and unpublished work would be an important asset to any researcher interested in the linguistic or mythological aspects of the Lakota language and culture.