Buffalo Bird Girl: A Hidatsa Story

by S.D. Nelson

“My name is Buffalo Bird Woman, Waheenee, and my people are known as the Hidatsa. In my life I have seen beautiful things and I have lived through hard times.”

A biography about the childhood of Buffalo Bird Woman, of the Hidatsa tribe, born in 1839. The reader will learn about the Hidatsa cultureThe traditions, customs, arts, and achievements of a particular nation or group of people. More including the ways children spent their time playing with friends or helping with chores like planting and harvesting or preparing for ceremonies. The challenges and dangers faced by the Hidatsa are also touched upon. You will finish the book with a new appreciation for the strong sense of history, traditions, and honoring of nature within the Indigenous community.

Story Read Aloud

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Talk About It

• Buffalo Bird Girl is a name full of meaning. Ask your child if they’ve ever heard of someone having a name like this. Ask if they know what their name means. Talk about how every person has a name that is uniquely theirs and has special meaning. Explain that different cultures and families have their owns ideas about which names are given and why. Share your beliefs about why this is something to be respected and appreciated. To learn more about the meaning of names in Indigenous cultures check out The Multifaceted Native American Naming Tradition or The Importance of the Naming Ceremony in Tribal Cultures.
• What did you think and feel when you read about Buffalo Bird Girl losing her mother, brother, and other family and tribe members when she was only 6? Have you ever heard of smallpox? Explain to your that it is believed that European settlers intentionally gave Indigenous communities blankets infected with smallpox knowing that they did not have the immunities necessary to fight off the illness.
• What do you notice that is different about how Hidatsa families live versus our modern day family? What do you think were some of the benefits of everyone living together?
• Talk with your child about the great respect Hidatsa people showed to their crops, the earth, their animals, etc. Explain that while it may be hard for us to imagine singing to corn, it is important to appreciate the amount of care and nurturing they gave to something that would ultimately help keep them healthy and well fed.
• The book describes the ways in which hunted animals were used for more than just food. Does your child know what it means to hunt? Talk about how there were no stores back then and so hunting was how they Hidatsa got meat to eat. They had such respect for animals that they used as much of the animal as they could so that there would be very little waste.
• What do you think went through Buffalo Bird Girl’s mind as she saw all of the new items available for trade with the White people. You may need to explain that White people refers to Europeans. Talk about the fact that while the increased presence of White settlers brought increased opportunities for trades and new goods, it also came at the cost of increased threats to their land and way of life.
• As Buffalo Bird Girl describes her childhood what do you notice about how she remembers this time? Talk about how happy she was and that while they way the tribe lived life is so different from our lives you can tell that they had established games, traditions, jobs, etc that gave her a senes of meaning and joy.
• What do you think Buffalo Bird Girl and her sister were thinking and feeling when they found themselves in the middle of an attack by the Lakota? Why do you think the tribe attacked them?
• Talk to your child about the great fire and dance being forms of celebrating that they had successfully protected their home and tribe from being taken by another tribe.
• What do you notice and appreciate about they ways in which the Hidatsa all work together while harvesting the corn. You can reflect on how this shows a strong sense of community in which they all rely on one another in order to stay healthy and happy.
• What do you think about the caches the Hidatsa would build to store their food? How do you think they came up with the idea that storing it underground would help keep the food from spoiling and prevent robbers from finding it? Why was it so important to make sure they had enough food stored away to get through winter?
• Talk about all the details you notice about the girl’s dress. Why do you think everyone got dressed up and celebrated a successful harvest?
• What do you think of White settlers coming in and making the Hidatsa and other tribes move from their land to reservations? Do you think it was okay that they made them give up their traditions and routines of daily life in order to “learn the white man’s ways?” Explain that this is called forced assimilationWhen one group of people are forced by another group to learn to act more like the second group.  Some examples include learning a new language, living in similar homes, practicing a new religion, or following new traditions.  The goal is to make people change their culture (what they believe, traditions, etc) to be more like those of the people who want to be in power (make all the rules). More and resulted in our country’s Indigenous people having to find ways to keep European settlers happy in order to protect their families; while also finding ways to preserve their heritage. How would you feel if someone forced you and your family to leave everything you know and learn a whole new way of life?
• Do you think that just because someone is forced to live differently that they ever really forget their traditions and beliefs?
• Why is it so important that Buffalo Bird Woman shared her stories with the anthropologist? What would happen if we didn’t have information about different cultures and ways of life from history? Why is it important for our family to take the time to learn about Indigenous people?

Explore More

• Spend some time learning more about the Indigenous peoples of the United States. Talk about how while the term refers to a group of people who were here before settlers came; there are hundreds of tribes with their own languages and customs. Make sure your family is developing an appreciation for the fact that before European settlers arrived there were already thriving communities living here. Begin to acknowledge that the settlers stole land; often in violent ways. That those native to this country were forced from their homes so that Europeans could have the land and create a new cities. We, any American who is not of native descent, are immigrants to this land and need to do more to make sure that Indigenous populations are treated with more respect and that the government follows through on promises that have been made.
• Think together about what your family can learn from the Hidatsa’s respect for the environment, nature, animals, food, etc. Come up with ideas for ways that your family might show a greater sense of appreciation for these things. Make a list or poster and place it somewhere in your house where you can easily see it.
• Learn more about the importance of dance in Indigenous Peoples cultureThe traditions, customs, arts, and achievements of a particular nation or group of people. More. Look for upcoming Powwows in your area that are open to all and plan to attend. Before going, please be sure to spend some time getting educated on these events and how best to honor being allowed to come. For more information check out A Guide to Taking Your Family to a Powwow for the First Time or Powwow Etiquette.
• Take this chance to learn more about the Hidatsa Tribe. Check out Hidatsa Tribe; The Hidatsa Tribe; and Hidatsa Culture and History.
• Think about a few questions you still have about the history and cultureThe traditions, customs, arts, and achievements of a particular nation or group of people. More of Indigenous Peoples. Make a plan for learning more as a family.
• Spend time learning about the myriad of issues facing Indigenous peoples including lack of running water, health concerns, and destruction of sacred monuments and lands. For more information check out our resource page; Learn More About It: Indigenous Peoples. Come up with action items you can take as a family. Some examples include writing to local and state branches of government asking for them to replace Christopher Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day; donating to an organization who focuses on advocacy or health work within these communities; or sharing information you learn with friends and family. Another great option would be to connect with someone collecting supplies for Indigenous communities who’ve been hit hard by COVID. Make a donation or start a drive in your neighborhood to collect money and supplies.