Overview

Dorothy Downs spent many years learning how one special Miccosukee girl was given the gift of becoming an artist. This inspiring story tells how the beauties of the Everglades are measured into the sewn bands of colored cloth and patchwork rainbow design that have become world famous. In the story young Sally Osceola learns how to sew the colors of sky and earth while making a cape and skirt that she will wear to honor Breathmaker at the traditional yearly Green Corn Dance. Even though she was only ten years old in the 1920s, Sally knew she would one day sew a rainbow. Breathmaker told her she would sew like the women of her Panther Clan, and so she did. Thanks to Dorothy Downs, writer and illustrator, Sally's story is honestly put into words and pictures that beautifully express the heartfelt traditions of the Miccosukee people.

Full Product Details

9781515439097

Table of Contents

Reviews

For many decades Dorothy Downs has maintained a close relationship with the Miccosukee Indians of Florida. She agrees with tribal elders who are concerned that Indian youngsters are losing cultural knowledge-- especially the teaching of Breathmaker, the creator of life. Downs explores the broad spectrum of Miccosukee beliefs through the life experiences of Sally, a fictional ten-year-old girl, who lived in an camp on the edge of the Everglades in the 1920s. The work is uniquely illustrated by Downs .Although intended primarily for younger readers, Canoe Back in Time is an excellent primer for anyone interested in learning more about the Miccosukee people. Harry A. Kersey, Jr. Author of Buffalo Tiger: A Life in the Everglades The fictional story Canoe Back in Time touches on true cultural relationships between mothers and daughters. I can see how the author developed a story of a Miccosukee mother and her daughter, Sally. And I appreciate the passage about my father Buffalo Tiger and the strong values he was taught, including manners, respect for elders and family and other tribal members. This book would be a good introduction for school children, Indian and non-Indian. Hopefully, it will gain the young people's interest in how different the Miccosukee ways are from non-Miccosukees. I also like the fact that the green corn dance is mentioned; it is an integral part of the Miccosukee tradition, culture, and preservation. Lee Tiger, son of Buffalo Tiger

Author Information

Dorothy Downs, an art historian and artist, was Curatorial Consultant to the Native American Art Collection at the Lowe Art Museum of the University of Miami. She is the author of Art of the Florida Seminole and Miccosukee Indians, and a book for children, Patchwork: Seminole and Miccosukee Art and Activities. She has written and produced the WLRN PBS television documentary Patterns of Power, about the Seminole and Miccosukee women who sew patchwork designs and fashion. Like Sally Osceola and another Dorothy in Oz, Dorothy Downs appreciates the joyful attraction of rainbows. Dorothy Downs, an art historian and artist, was Curatorial Consultant to the Native American Art Collection at the Lowe Art Museum of the University of Miami. She is the author of Art of the Florida Seminole and Miccosukee Indians, and a book for children, Patchwork: Seminole and Miccosukee Art and Activities. She has written and produced the WLRN PBS television documentary Patterns of Power, about the Seminole and Miccosukee women who sew patchwork designs and fashion. Like Sally Osceola and another Dorothy in Oz, Dorothy Downs appreciates the joyful attraction of rainbows.

Tab Content 6

Countries Available