American Indian Stories

“Impressions of an Indian Childhood” is divided into seven short chapters that portray Zitkála-Šá’s youth on a Dakota Sioux reservation. In “Mother,” Zitkála-Šá describes her respect for her mother. She notes her mother’s physical strength as she carries water from a nearby river and her emotional strength as she calls the “paleface” White settlers a “sham” and urges her daughter not to be fooled by them (4). Her mother also tells stories about Zitkála-Šá’s sister and uncle who died of disease when the White settlers forced them to move camps.

“Legends” describes Zitkála-Šá’s interest in hearing legends told by the reservation’s elders. She is excited when some of the older people are invited to her mother’s home one night and she hears some legends. However, she falls asleep before she hears the legend she is most excited about, one concerning the magic power of a woman’s facial tattoos. In “Beadwork” Zitkála-Šá observes her mother making beaded patterns on moccasins. Zitkála-Šá practices making patterns on scrap cloth. She describes how afterward she would run free playing with other children.

“The Coffee-Making” tells the story of an elderly man who visits Zitkála-Šá’s home while her mother is away.