OR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 11, 2007
CONTACT: Martyn Beeny, (605) 773 8161, martyn.beeny@state.sd.us

Classic American Indian Children’s Story Published by South Dakota State Historical Society

PIERRE, S.D.—The South Dakota State Historical Society has published Zitkala-Ša’s (Zeet-kah-lah sha’s) Dance in a Buffalo Skull, illustrated by award-winning artist S. D. Nelson.

This dramatic story of frolicking mice and imminent danger takes place on the prairies of South Dakota. Nelson, a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, mixes traditional Lakota Indian art with modern styles to bring this old story to life. His striking artwork captures dancing mice, creeping wild cats, and the nighttime rhythm of the prairie. Dance in a Buffalo Skull passed orally from generation to generation before writer Zitkala-Ša translated it into English in 1901. In the story, prairie creatures learn a lesson about paying attention to the dangers around them.

“Nighttime on the prairie is filled with mysterious danger and wonderful celebration,” Nelson said. “The unusual subdued colors of the night have always fascinated me. I find them enchanting and inspiring. I hope my use of color and paint conveys my personal ‘feelings of wonder’ in the retelling of this prairie folk tale.”

Dance in a Buffalo Skull is the second book in the Prairie Tale Series from the South Dakota State Historical Society Press. It follows L. Frank Baum’s The Discontented Gopher (2006). The third book in the series will be The Prairie-Dog Prince, expected in the fall of 2008.

Nelson is the author and illustrator of award-winning children’s books. His numerous awards include a Parents’ Choice Gold Award, a Spur Award from Western Writers of America, and a nomination for a Grammy for best jacket design for an American Indian Album.

Zitkala-Ša, who was also known as Gertrude Simmons Bonnin, was born on the Yankton Sioux Indian Reservation in 1876. She first published this story about the prairie animals in a collection of tales called Old Indian Legends (1901).

Available for $14.95 plus shipping and tax, Dance in a Buffalo Skull can be purchased from most bookstores, or ordered directly from the South Dakota State Historical Society Press. Visit www.prairie-tale.com or call (605) 773-6009.