We Rode the Wind: Recollections of Native American Life

During the nineteenth century, many Indian nations lived on the Great Plains of North America. Most nations were made up of separate groups, or tribes. Each tribe had its own distinct history, language, and customs. But no matter how different the Plains Indians were from one another, they all were true to the traditions of their ancestors. Older people counseled the young about living in harmony with nature. Tribes took from the land only what they needed for their daily lives. In sacred rituals, the people thanked the Great Spirit for the abundance of the earth. We Rode the Wind, a collection of Native American literature, focuses on Indian life on the Plains before the region was changed by the white settlers. Many of these writings are autobiographical, while others relate the legends, traditions, and histories of the Plains Indians. All the works portray the richness of Indian culture.