Native American Literature, B
114. BEDFORD, Denton R. Tsali. San Francisco: Indian Historian Press (1972). A novel of the Cherokee Removal of 1838, written by an Indian author, published by an important Indian publishing house, and illustrated by an Indian artist, Dan B. Timmons. This is the scarce hardcover issue; most copies of this title -- and most books issued by this press -- were in softcover. Number front flyleaf, slight flaking to spine letters; else fine, without dust jacket.
115. (BENT, George). HALAAS, David Fridtjof and MASICH, Andrew E. Halfbreed. (Cambridge): Da Capo Press (2004). The advance reading copy of this biography of George Bent, the son of a white trader and a Cheyenne mother, who fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War and later became a Cheyenne Dog Soldier after surviving the Sand Creek Massacre. Fine in wrappers.
116. BERKHOFER, Robert F., Jr. The White Man's Indian. NY: Knopf, 1978. Subtitled "Images of the American Indian from Columbus to the Present," the book examines the assumptions and stereotypes of Native Americans since the first encounters with white Europeans. Inscribed by the author to a Native American poet, a nice association copy. Poet's handmade bookplate on flyleaf; annotations to preface; else fine in a near fine dust jacket with one tape-mended edge tear.
117. (Bibliography). GREEN, Rayna. Native American Women: A Bibliography. (Wichita Falls): (OHOYO) (1981). The earliest edition of this bibliography, which was published in a revised and expanded format in 1983 by Indiana University Press. A landmark publication, this copy from the library of Joseph Bruchac, with an address label to him on the rear cover; the book was printed as a self-mailer. Uncommon and important book, with notable provenance. Near fine in stapled wrappers.
118. BIG CROW, Moses Nelson. A Legend from Crazy Horse Clan. Chamberlain: Tipi Press (1987). A Lakota legend told to the author when he was a boy, and written here as a children's book, with illustrations by Daniel Long Soldier, a Lakota artist. Fine in wrappers.
119. BIGEAGLE, Duane. Bidato. Ten Mile River Poems. Berkeley: Workingman's Press, 1975. The first and only book of poetry by this writer of Osage Sioux descent. Published by Barry Gifford and distributed by Serendipity Books. Fine in stapled wrappers.
120. -. Another copy. Near fine in stapled wrappers.
121. -. Another copy, a review copy, with publication announcement laid in. Fine in stapled wrappers.
122. BILBY, Julian W. Nanook of the North. NY: Dodd, Mead, 1926. Not the same story as the earlier film of the same name, but covering similar ground and reproducing several images from the film, as well as other photographs. An early attempt to give "the life story of a typical Eskimo," by an author whose earlier book was Among Unknown Eskimo. Owner name front pastedown; near fine, lacking the dust jacket.
123. BLUE CLOUD, Peter. Turtle, Bear and Wolf. (Mohawk Nation): Akwesasne Notes, 1976. An early collection of poetry by this Mohawk writer, with a preface by Gary Snyder. Inscribed by the author to Joe Bruchac in 1977, a nice association copy. Fine in wrappers.
124. -. Same title, Skyldpod, Bear en Wolf. Probable first Dutch edition. De Tille: Ljouwert (n.d.). Inscribed to Joseph Bruchac by the translator Jelle Kaspersma in 1984. Fine in wrappers.
125. BLUE CLOUD, Peter. Back Then Tomorrow. (Brunswick): (Blackberry Press/Wind River)(1978). A book of poems and Coyote stories, illustrated with line drawings by Bill Crosby. Printed in an edition of 1000 copies in wrappers. Fine.
126. BLUE CLOUD, Peter. The Paranoid Foothills. (Brunswick): (Blackberry) (1981). A "work of fiction" in the form of a single long poem: subtitled "A Sinsemilla Dialogue-In-Progress" and pertaining to a fictional dialogue about marijuana and its attendant legal dangers. Blue Cloud won the American Book Award in 1981, from the Before Columbus Foundation. Small ink price rear cover; edge-sunning; near fine in stapled wrappers.
127. BLUE CLOUD, Peter. Sketches in Winter, With Crows. (NY): Strawberry Press, 1984. Poetry, with illustrations by Peter Jemison, a Seneca artist. Blue Cloud is noted as both a poet and an activist, combining poetry based on cultural traditions with contemporary issues. The book was published by Mohawk poet Maurice Kenny's Strawberry Press. Near fine in stapled wrappers.
128. -. Another copy. Warmly, and lengthily, inscribed by the author in 1993 with an added original, unpublished holograph poem on the first blank. Fine in stapled wrappers.
129. BONNETTE, Jeanne. Pueblo Poems. (Marvin): Blue Cloud Quarterly, 1975. Issued as Vol. 21, No. 1 of the Blue Cloud Quarterly. Mailing address of Joseph Bruchac. Fine in stapled wrappers.
130. BORDEAUX, G. Jake. The Name I Carved into Bleeding Stone. Marvin: Blue Cloud Quarterly, 1978. Poems written by a young Lakota while in jail. Issued as Vol. 24, No. 1 of the Blue Cloud Quarterly. Fine in stapled wrappers.
131. -. Another copy. Stamp of Greenfield Review on title page. Fine in stapled wrappers.
132. BRASHERS, Charles. The Vision Quest of Charles Stonecrist. Marvin: Blue Cloud Quarterly, 1976. Issued as Vol. 22, No. 2 of The Blue Cloud Quarterly. Mailing address of Joseph Bruchac. Small nick to front cover; else fine in stapled wrappers.
133. BRIGHAM, Besmilr. Agony Dance: death of the (Dancing Dolls. Portland: Prensa de Lagar, 1969. The first book by this Mississippi poet of Choctaw descent. Originally named Bess Miller, she shortened her name to "besmilr," with no capital letters. Brigham was a student of Robert Duncan and a frequent poetic contributor to anthologies and literary magazines in the 1960s and 70s. This title was printed in an edition of 450 copies. Fine in stapled wrappers.
134. BRITO, Silvester J. Man from a Rainbow. Marvin: Blue Cloud Quarterly Press, 1983. Vol. 29, No. 2 of the Blue Cloud Quarterly. Poetry by a writer of Comanche and Tarascan descent. Fine in stapled wrappers, with mailing address of Joseph Bruchac.
135. BRITO, S.J. Red Cedar Warrior. (Laramie): Jelm Mountain Press (1986). His fourth book, a collection of poems which, at 75 pages, is considerably more lengthy than his earlier chapbooks. Fine in wrappers.
136. BRONSON, Ruth Muskrat. Indians Are People, Too. NY: Friendship Press (1944). A small volume by an author of Cherokee descent who was educated at Mount Holyoke College and did graduate work at George Washington University. She later became the first English teacher at Haskell Institute and then a Guidance Officer in the Indian Service (later the Bureau of Indian Affairs). A critique of government treatment of Indians, based on the author's own experiences, and a volume at the core of her lifelong concern of promoting Indian self-determination. This is the hardcover issue. Small drawings last blank; crayon to rear board and one page of text. Very good, without dust jacket.
Early Memoir of a Cherokee Woman
137. (BROWN, Catharine). ANDERSON, Rufus. Memoir of Catharine Brown, a Christian Indian of the Cherokee Nation. Boston: Armstrong, Crocker and Brewster, 1825. The first edition of this "memoir" of a Cherokee woman who attended a missionary school in Tennessee and later returned to Alabama and opened a school there for the Cherokees and Creeks. Her father, John Brown, was one of the chiefs of the Cherokees after their move west, and her brother reportedly helped develop a written language for the Cherokees prior to that of Sequoyah. Although the memoir was not written by Brown herself, it is an important document in the history of Native American literature: it precedes William Apes's autobiography, A Son of the Forest, by four years, and nearly half the book consists of Brown's own writings, from her diaries and letters. A very early publication of Native American writing, especially of a Native American woman. Contemporary gift inscription; dampstaining to foredges and into text, not affecting legibility. Original boards; backstrip restored but still chipping; overall very good.
138. BROWN, Joseph Epes. The Sacred Pipe. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press (1953). "Black Elk's Account of the Seven Rites of the Oglala Sioux," recorded and edited by Brown. Dictated by Black Elk three years before he died, The Sacred Pipe gives a much more detailed description of the material Black Elk earlier recounted to John G. Neihardt, which was published in Black Elk Speaks, and includes accounts of some ceremonies not described to Neihardt at all. One of the classic, seminal texts of Native American spirituality. Fine in a very good, spine-faded jacket with one edge tear.
139. BRUCHAC, Joseph. Indian Mountain and Other Poems. Ithaca: Ithaca House (1971). The second book, and first regularly published volume, by this writer of Abenaki descent, who has carved out a unique place in contemporary American Indian literature as a poet, storyteller and chronicler of traditional stories, novelist, anthologist and publisher. Inscribed by the author. Slight sunning; else fine in wrappers.
140. -. Another copy. Inscribed by the author to another Native American poet in 1972. Several poems starred in text, else fine in wrappers. A nice contemporary literary association between two key figures in Native American literature.
141. BRUCHAC, Joseph. The Buffalo in the Syracuse Zoo and Other Poems. Greenfield Center: Greenfield Review, (1972). An early collection of poetry, and the first of his books to be published by Greenfield Review Press, the press he founded. Greenfield Review Chapbook #3. This copy is near fine in textured blue stapled wrappers.
142. -. Another copy. Near fine in tan stapled wrappers.
143. -. Another copy in tan wrappers. Inscribed by the author to another Native American poet in 1972: "For ___,/ Who has/ known both/ the power/ & the pain,/ the coast-wind/ & the rain." Edge-sunned; near fine in tan stapled wrappers. An uncommon, early inscription and, again, a nice literary association copy.
144. -. Another copy in tan wrappers. Inscribed by the author to the poet William Everson, "with thanks for/ a beautiful evening,/ a good reading &/ good poetry." Fine in stapled wrappers. A nice literary association copy.
145. BRUCHAC, Joseph. Great Meadow. Words of Hearsay & Heresy. Paradise: Dustbooks/Greenfield Review, 1973. A small volume of poems Bruchac wrote as a result of his teaching a weekly Creative Writing class at Great Meadow Penal Institution, a New York State Prison. Signed by the author. Near fine in stapled wrappers. A scarce, early work by Bruchac.
146. BRUCHAC, Joseph. The Poetry of Pop. (Paradise): (DUSTbooks) (1973). A collection of articles by Bruchac, on the Beatles, The Doors, Dylan, The Who, Woodstock, The Impressions, and a piece on the popular music of Ghana, where the author spent time in 1966-69. A very near fine copy in shiny white pictorial wrappers. An uncommon, early book by Bruchac, who was the contemporary music editor for the little magazine Kite in the early 1970s.
147. -. Another copy. This copy is in dull green pictorial wrappers with a $3.50 price added to the front cover and an indication inside the book of there having been a hardcover edition of this title, which we have never seen. Inscribed by the author. Rear corner crease, slight edge-soiling; near fine in wrappers.
Important Association Copy
148. BRUCHAC, Joseph. Flow. Austin: Cold Mountain, 1975. One of 700 trade copies in wrappers, of a total edition of 1000. According to the colophon, these were distributed free to Patrons of the Cold Mountain Press. This copy is inscribed by the author in the year of publication to Native American writer James Welch: "9/20/75 Moon of Wild Apples/ For Jim, With thanks for the keen true vision of your poems, knives cutting through the lies, cutting away the cobwebs from our eyes. In admiration and friendship.../ Peace, Joe." Spine sunned; else fine in stapled wrappers. A wonderful inscription and an excellent association copy between two of the key writers of the "Native American renaissance."
149. -. Another copy. Signed by the author. Fine in stapled wrappers.
150. BRUCHAC, Joseph. "Seven Sections from the Dreams of Jesse Bowman" in Catalogue Five. (Austin): Cold Mountain Press (1976). Cold Mountain Press, who had published Bruchac's chapbooks Flow and This Earth is a Drum, was attempting to publish Bruchac's novel The Dreams of Jesse Bowman. Lacking adequate funds, they published sections from the galley sheets along with a fund-raising pitch as a preface to their fifth catalog of books. Cold Mountain published the novel in 1978 with the title The Dreams of Jesse Brown. Spine and edge-sunned; near fine in stapled wrappers.
151. BRUCHAC, Joseph. The Road to Black Mountain. (Berkeley): Thorp Springs Press (1976). A short novel, his first. Inscribed by the author to another Native American poet. Fine in wrappers; there was no hardcover edition. A nice association copy.
152. BRUCHAC, Joseph. The Dreams of Jesse Brown. (Austin): Cold Mountain Press (1978). A novel by Bruchac, his second. Apparently only issued in wrappers. Slight spine rubbing, else fine. Signed by the author.
153. BRUCHAC, Joseph. Mu'ndu Wi 'Go: Mohegan Poems. Marvin: Blue Cloud Quarterly, 1978. Poems derived from Mohegan stories and from the diary of Flying Bird, the last speaker of the Mohegan-Pequot language. Vol. 24, No. 3 of the Blue Cloud Quarterly. Fine in stapled wrappers.
154. BRUCHAC, Joseph. Entering Onondaga. (Austin): Cold Mountain (1978). A collection of poems, with illustrations by Kahonhes (John Fadden), a Mohawk artist. This is the issue in wrappers. Signed by the author with the inscription "Peace" and his typical Kokopilli drawing. Very slight spine-sunning; else fine in wrappers.
155. BRUCHAC, Joseph. In Milan. Binghamton: Bellevue Press, 1978. Poetry postcard. Fine.
156. BRUCHAC, Joseph. Translator's Son. Merrick: Cross-Cultural Communications, 1980. A collection of poems, Cross-Cultural Review Chapbook 10, illustrated by Kahionhes (John Fadden). This copy is inscribed by the author to another Native American poet during the Moon of Strawberries, 1982. Several poems starred in text, else fine in stapled wrappers. A good association copy.
157. BRUCHAC, Joseph. Remembering the Dawn. (Marvin): Blue Cloud Quarterly Press (1983). A collection of poems, issued as Blue Cloud Quarterly Vol. 29, No. 1. Cover illustration by Kahionhes. Printer's note to Bruchac laid in. Fine in stapled wrappers.
158. BRUCHAC, Joseph. Tracking. Memphis: Ion Books (1986). Of a total edition of 750 copies, this is one of 25 copies numbered and signed by the author. Fine in stapled wrappers and dustwrapper. An attractive and uncommon chapbook.
159. BRUCHAC, Joseph. The White Moose. Marvin: Blue Cloud Quarterly (1988). Stories by Bruchac, published as Blue Cloud Quarterly, Vol. 34, No. 2. Inscribed by the author: "For ____,/ with admiration for your work,/ brother./ Peace,/ Joe." With the author's Kokopelli drawing. Fine in stapled wrappers. Illustrations by Sioux artist Angie Eagle.
160. BRUCHAC, Joseph. Turtle Meat and Other Stories. Duluth: Holy Cow! Press, 1992. The first published collection of this Abenaki author's original short stories. This is the issue in wrappers. Inscribed by the author to another Native American writer "whose work has always been an inspiration, whose friendship has been a blessing." Near fine in wrappers.
161. BRUCHAC, Joseph. Dawn Land. Golden: Fulcrum (1993). Second printing. Inscribed by the author to a Native American poet: "with deep/ respect/ for your vision/ and with gratitude/ for your friendship." According to the publisher, this is his first novel; actually, it is only his first novel to be published in hardcover. Based on myths and legends of the Abenakis, this is an attempt to forge a link between two disparate forms -- the traditional Native American oral tale and the Western novel. Recipient's handmade bookplate front flyleaf; fine in a very near fine dust jacket with a strip of dampstaining on verso.
162. BRUCHAC, Joseph. Roots of Survival. Golden: Fulcrum Press (1996). A book about storytelling, combining stories with essays reflecting on storytelling and the place of oral tales in Native American culture and spiritual life. An important statement from perhaps the foremost exponent of the Native American storytelling tradition, both in theory and in practice, in the U.S. today. Signed by the author. Fine in a fine dust jacket.
163. BRUCHAC, Joseph. Skeleton Man. (NY): HarperCollins (2001). An Abenaki legend recast into a contemporary children's tale, with overtones of horror. Inscribed by the author. Creasing to pastedowns; else fine in a very near fine dust jacket.
164. (BRUCHAC, Joseph). Selected Poetry of the XVIII Festival of Contemporary Arts. Ithaca: Cornell University, 1964. A collection of previously unpublished poetry accepted for reading at the eighteenth Festival of Contemporary Arts. Includes three poems by Bruchac, preceding his appearance in The Duval Lectures by one year, and apparently written while he was still an undergraduate at Cornell. Edge-sunned; near fine in stapled wrappers. The earliest Bruchac writing we have encountered.
165. (BRUCHAC, Joseph). Syracuse Poems, 1966-67. Syracuse: Syracuse University (1967). A collection edited by George P. Elliott. Contains Bruchac's "To Die in Madrid." Printed in an edition of 1250 copies. Spine- and edge-sunned; small chip rear upper cover; near fine in stapled wrappers. Bruchac earned his Master's degree at Syracuse University.
166. (BRUCHAC, Joseph and William Witherup, eds.). Words From the House of the Dead. Prison Writings from Soledad. Greenfield Center: Greenfield Review Press, 1971. A collection of writings by inmates of the infamous Soledad prison, which were smuggled out of the prison and printed anonymously to protect the inmates' identities. This was the first book published by Bruchac's newly founded Greenfield Review Press -- Greenfield Review Chapbook #1. Bruchac later went on to teach a prison writing workshop at a New York State maximum security prison and to publish other inmates' writings. Crossing Press distribution stamp on title page; price altered on rear cover; else fine in stapled wrappers.
167. -. Another copy. Inscribed by the author to his parents: "For Dad/ & Mom/ Our 1st Book!/ Love/ Your Son." Spine slightly faded; very good in stapled wrappers. An excellent association copy.
168. BUSH, Barney. Petroglyphs. NY: Greenfield Review Press (1982). Poetry by this Shawnee writer, with illustrations by Meenjip Tatsii, a Shawnee artist. Fine in wrappers.