1. Bibliography
Bruchac, Joseph. 1995. Dog People: Native Dog Stories. Golden, Colorado: Fulcrum Publishing. ISBN 1-55591-228-1.
2. Plot summary
10,000 years ago in a place we know today as New England between Lake Champlain and the Connecticut River the Abenaki Indians lived; they called it Ndakinna (Our Land). Life is good, food is plentiful and the Abenaki are helped by “their most faithful friends, their dogs.” These are the stories, separate yet intertwined, of six children and their dog companions; Azeban (Raccoon), Awasosis (Little Bear), Kwaniwibid (Long Tooth), Mikwe (Squirrel), Moosis (Little Moose), and Soksemo (Good Nose). Whether hunting, visiting with friends and family, or escaping certain death these dogs remain by the sides of their human friends, sharing in the adventure whatever that may be.
3. Critical analysis
Author, storyteller and Abenaki Indian Joseph Bruchac takes us back 10,000 years to a time when the Abenaki people called themselves the “Only People.” Bruchac’s flowing narrative makes the characters, both human and dog, come to life. His emphasis on the very different personalites, hopes, and dreams of each character lets the reader see them as individuals not as generic “Indians”; brave and smiling Hummingbird companion to Awasosi, tall, lanky, and curious Muskrat companion to Kwaniwibid, persevering hunter Keeps-Following-the Trail and his companion Soksemo, Sweetgrass Girl who loves stories and her companion Moosis, Rabbit Stick the pest who secretly admires Sweetgrass Girl and his companion Mikwe, and Cedar Girl who often visits from the village of the Salmon People and her companion Azeban. Although the stories are from thousands of years ago many cultural markers can be found in the six stories; respect for elders, the importance of friends and family, and the use of storytelling to keep the tribe’s history alive. Tradition and respect for all creatures is also emphasized; “Remember, only hunt when you need food for your people. Always say thanks to the animals that you hunt and you will always have success. That is the way we hunt.” Food is highlighted in the form of hunting and fishing; salmon, caribou, deer, and the hare are all important in sustaining the Abenakis. Leisure takes the form of time spent with family and friends around the fire in the large wigwam, built to hold everyone in the village, listening to the stories of Stands-in-a-Hole. At the beginning of each story is a full page black and white sketch by Cherokee painter and pipemaker Murv Jacob. The illustrations; the children running with their dogs, Keeps-Following-the-Trail hunting white hares with Soksemo, Muskrat and Kwaniwibid fighting a giant white bear, resemble ancient wood cuts and add to the long-ago flavor of the stories. Bruchac incorporates Abenaki words and phrases throughout the stories and provides a glossary in the back of the book for translation. Children 8-12 will enjoy reading these stories of long ago and will surely find someone to identify with in the many different characters presented.
4. Review excerpts
School Library Journal: “Grade 3-6 Five highly readable, engaging tales of Abenaki Indian children and their dogs. Long ago, canines were thought of not just as animals, but as important members of the family, and were given names that epitomized their value and loyalty to their owners. As in Flying with Eagle, Racing the Great Bear (BridgeWater, 1993) and Native American Animal Stories (Fulcrum, 1992), Bruchac fills these short stories with details of daily life and symbolic explanations, but the bonds between dogs and humans will be familiar to today's young people. The homes he describes are welcoming and warm and readers will identify with the people. A full-page pen-and-ink drawing accompanies each selection”
Bruchac, Joseph. 1995. Dog People: Native Dog Stories. Golden, Colorado: Fulcrum Publishing. ISBN 1-55591-228-1.
2. Plot summary
10,000 years ago in a place we know today as New England between Lake Champlain and the Connecticut River the Abenaki Indians lived; they called it Ndakinna (Our Land). Life is good, food is plentiful and the Abenaki are helped by “their most faithful friends, their dogs.” These are the stories, separate yet intertwined, of six children and their dog companions; Azeban (Raccoon), Awasosis (Little Bear), Kwaniwibid (Long Tooth), Mikwe (Squirrel), Moosis (Little Moose), and Soksemo (Good Nose). Whether hunting, visiting with friends and family, or escaping certain death these dogs remain by the sides of their human friends, sharing in the adventure whatever that may be.
3. Critical analysis
Author, storyteller and Abenaki Indian Joseph Bruchac takes us back 10,000 years to a time when the Abenaki people called themselves the “Only People.” Bruchac’s flowing narrative makes the characters, both human and dog, come to life. His emphasis on the very different personalites, hopes, and dreams of each character lets the reader see them as individuals not as generic “Indians”; brave and smiling Hummingbird companion to Awasosi, tall, lanky, and curious Muskrat companion to Kwaniwibid, persevering hunter Keeps-Following-the Trail and his companion Soksemo, Sweetgrass Girl who loves stories and her companion Moosis, Rabbit Stick the pest who secretly admires Sweetgrass Girl and his companion Mikwe, and Cedar Girl who often visits from the village of the Salmon People and her companion Azeban. Although the stories are from thousands of years ago many cultural markers can be found in the six stories; respect for elders, the importance of friends and family, and the use of storytelling to keep the tribe’s history alive. Tradition and respect for all creatures is also emphasized; “Remember, only hunt when you need food for your people. Always say thanks to the animals that you hunt and you will always have success. That is the way we hunt.” Food is highlighted in the form of hunting and fishing; salmon, caribou, deer, and the hare are all important in sustaining the Abenakis. Leisure takes the form of time spent with family and friends around the fire in the large wigwam, built to hold everyone in the village, listening to the stories of Stands-in-a-Hole. At the beginning of each story is a full page black and white sketch by Cherokee painter and pipemaker Murv Jacob. The illustrations; the children running with their dogs, Keeps-Following-the-Trail hunting white hares with Soksemo, Muskrat and Kwaniwibid fighting a giant white bear, resemble ancient wood cuts and add to the long-ago flavor of the stories. Bruchac incorporates Abenaki words and phrases throughout the stories and provides a glossary in the back of the book for translation. Children 8-12 will enjoy reading these stories of long ago and will surely find someone to identify with in the many different characters presented.
4. Review excerpts
School Library Journal: “Grade 3-6 Five highly readable, engaging tales of Abenaki Indian children and their dogs. Long ago, canines were thought of not just as animals, but as important members of the family, and were given names that epitomized their value and loyalty to their owners. As in Flying with Eagle, Racing the Great Bear (BridgeWater, 1993) and Native American Animal Stories (Fulcrum, 1992), Bruchac fills these short stories with details of daily life and symbolic explanations, but the bonds between dogs and humans will be familiar to today's young people. The homes he describes are welcoming and warm and readers will identify with the people. A full-page pen-and-ink drawing accompanies each selection”
Midwest Book Review: “In Dog People: Native Dog Stories, the voice of an Abenaki storyteller takes children back 10,000 years to the days when children and dogs had especially close relationships. In these Native American adventure stories, children and dogs together must use their wits to survive the dangers of the natural world. Young readers will meet muskrat, and his dog, Kwaniwibid, who cannot resist folowing bear tracks deep into the woods. They will find out what happens to Cedar Girl and her dog, Azeban, when they try to outwit a stranger. And then follow Sweetgrass Girl and her dog, Moosis, on their journey to find her lost parents. The line drawings and illustrations of Murv Jacob provide a perfect visual counterpoint to Joseph Bruchac's engaging stories.”
5. Connections
Reader’s Advisory suggestions for those who enjoyed Dog People: Native Dog Stories:
Keepers of the Animals: Native American Stories and Wildlife Activities for Children by Michael J. Caduto and Joseph Bruchac
Native American Animal Stories by Joseph Bruchac
Between Earth & Sky: Legends of Native American Sacred Places by Joseph Bruchac
The Journey of Tunuri and the Blue Deer: A Huichol Indian Story by James Endredy
Reader’s Advisory suggestions for those who enjoyed Dog People: Native Dog Stories:
Keepers of the Animals: Native American Stories and Wildlife Activities for Children by Michael J. Caduto and Joseph Bruchac
Native American Animal Stories by Joseph Bruchac
Between Earth & Sky: Legends of Native American Sacred Places by Joseph Bruchac
The Journey of Tunuri and the Blue Deer: A Huichol Indian Story by James Endredy
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