Buffalo Bird Woman, a Hidatsa Indian born about 1839, was an expert
gardener. Following centuries-old methods, she and the women of her
family raised huge crops of corn, squash, beans, and sunflowers on the
rich bottomlands of the Missouri River in what is now North Dakota. When
she was young, her fields were near Like-a-fishhook, the earth-lodge
village that the Hidatsa shared with the Mandan and Arikara. When she
grew older, the families of the three tribes moved to individual
allotments on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation.
In Buffalo Bird Woman's Garden, first published in 1917, anthropologist
Gilbert L. Wilson transcribed the words of this remarkable woman, whose
advice today's gardeners can still follow. She describes a year of
activities, from preparing and planting the fields through cultivating,
harvesting, and storing foods. She gives recipes for cooking typical
Hidatsa dishes. And she tells of the stories, songs, and ceremonies that
were essential to a bountiful harvest.
A new introduction by anthropologist and ethnobotanist Jeffery R. Hanson
describes the Hidatsa people's ecologically sound methods of gardening
and Wilson's work with this traditional gardener.
Praise for Buffalo Bird Woman's Garden:
"A gem of a book useful for today's gardener." --Organic Gardener
"One of the best gardening books around." --City Pages
"Every gardener and agricultural scientist should find gems of practical
wisdom in these pages, borne from an age-old tradition when sustainable
agricultural practices . . . made the difference in sustaining life.
Fascinating!" --Foster's Botanical & Herb Review
"Historical photographs and diagrams of farming techniques, along with
actual recipes and Hidatsa vegetable varieties, make this gem of a book
useful for today'' gardener." --Organic Gardening
