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Crazy Horse's Vision


Illustration by S D Nelson, from Crazy Horse's Vision.
Our children and we have been greatly enjoying a picture book, written by Joseph Bruchac and illustrated by S D Nelson, called Crazy Horse's Vision.


It tells the story of a young Lakota boy named Curly who, after a brutal betrayal by the white men, sets out alone to experience a vision - something he should not have done without the aid of an experienced shaman.


After days of fasting and seeing nothing, finally he sees a man on a horse, who tells him, "Keep nothing for yourself."


He does not know the meaning of this vision, and it is some time before he learns it, but the boy becomes the famous warrior Crazy Horse - and the story is a wonderful tale of courage, silence and spiritual quest.


The illustrations for the book are by the Lakota (Sioux) artist and writer, S D (Stephen) Nelson, and are done in the traditional ledger book style of the Plains Indians.


The ledger book style of the Plains Indians, by S D Nelson.


I contacted Stephen Nelson through his wonderful website, S D Nelson, and he was kind enough to reply to me.


I told him how much the story resonated with our family - particularly the line, "Keep nothing for yourself," which could equally come from a Buddhist text - and the powerful style and colors of his illustrations, which really are quite exceptional.


I would strongly recommend reading Crazy Horse's Vision, whether you have children or not. It is a beautiful book.

Crazy Horse's Vision, cover - click for Amazon link.
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Comments

  1. Jan MarieMay 21, 2012

    Wonderful review - interestingly, we Orthodox are not to attempt great (or even small) spiritual feats without the aid of an experienced spiritual father - and they are rare now. Thank you Alexander!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Alexander StuartMay 22, 2012

    Thank you, Jan. The importance of following a shaman to guide you through spiritual experiences is important in many cultures. In this book, Crazy Horse becomes the man he was destined to be, despite not following the prescribed path.

    I remember enjoying the experienced of Carlos Castaneda with his shaman, Don Juan, in The Teachings of Don Juan and many other books by Castaneda.

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