Indian Child Life

In Short

Therese O. Deming’s collection of vignette stories offers a quiet, observational window into the daily lives, play, and traditions of Native American children from various tribes, including the Pueblo, Chippeway, Sioux, and Navajo. Through brief, clear narratives, the book depicts young boys and girls interacting with their families, learning fundamental wilderness skills, tending domestic animals, and playing games. Its enduring quality lies in its straightforward, sympathetic portrayal of childhood universally defined by curiosity, misadventure, and family warmth, presented alongside specific cultural practices and environmental settings of early Native communities.

The Story

The narrative unfolds as a series of distinct snapshots across various tribal communities, illustrating how young children grow, play, and learn within their natural environments. In the initial tales, daily routines are frequently interrupted by playful or troublesome animals. An Arickara mother packs her infant onto a dog-drawn travois, only for the dog to bolt after a jackrabbit, tumbling the baby harmlessly into the sagebrush. Among the Pueblo, a hunter brings home an orphaned bear cub to his son, Tan-tsi-day. The child and the cub share bowls of porridge and get into mischief together, spilling dried berries and breaking herb jars until the mother steps in to restore order.

As the children grow older, their activities shift toward community responsibilities and seasonal tasks. Chippeway boys assist their elders during the spring maple sugar harvest, monitoring birch-bark troughs, watching out for sap-stealing bears, and spending summer afternoons playing water games in canoes. Assiniboin children embrace the winter by fashioning sleds out of buffalo ribs to slide down snowy hills, turning accidental tumbles into communal laughter. Meanwhile, Cochiti children living in cliffside dwellings practice archery to hunt wild turkeys while keeping watch for rival tribes alongside their tame foxes.

Each tribe’s environment shapes the lessons the children receive from their parents and elders. A Crow chief gently guides his young son in using a tiny bow, celebrating the boy's very first marksmanship success when he shoots a curious magpie near their tepees. Navajo and Ponca boys take on the heavy responsibility of herding sheep and picketing horses, remaining alert to threats from wild predators like bears and wolves, while still finding time to target prairie dogs with arrows.

The collection concludes with portrayals of children mimicking adult roles and encountering traditional lore. Little Sioux boys dress in full costume to perform an earnest war dance to the rhythm of a grandfather's tom-tom, hoping to impress the watching girls. Elsewhere, Pueblo children who doubt their mothers' warnings about bedtime monsters are thoroughly frightened by a phantom figure rattling through the night—unaware that a helpful village elder has disguised himself as the legendary water spirit to teach them a lesson about listening to their parents.

How It Unfolds

A bumpy start on the trail An Arickara infant is tossed into the sagebrush when the family dog breaks rank to chase a wild jackrabbit across the plains.

Mischief with a bear cub Tan-tsi-day forms a close bond with an orphaned bear cub, leading to shared meals, broken earthenware jars, and eventual discipline from his mother.

Seasonal work and play Chippeway and Assiniboin children navigate the turning seasons, gathering maple sap in birch-bark buckets, playing canoe games, and sledding down hills on buffalo ribs.

Learning the hunter's bow A Crow chief takes his young son outside the village to teach him basic archery, celebrating the boy's first successful shot at an inquisitive magpie.

Guarding the livestock Navajo and Ponca youths ride ponies and herd livestock, taking care to secure horses for the night and keep a sharp eye out for bears.

Imitating the elders Sioux boys don ceremonial regalia to dance for the village, while Pueblo children learn respect for rules after a disguised elder poses as a mythical water spirit.

The People

• Tan-tsi-day is a young Pueblo boy who receives a captured bear cub from his father. He wants a constant playmate, but his desire to share treats leads to broken jars and mess, teaching him the boundaries set by his mother.
• Tan-tsi-day's Mother wants to maintain an orderly home and keep her family fed. She balances patience with firm discipline, punishing the pet bear when it acts greedily and switching it when it breaks her storage vessels.
• The Crow Hunter and His Son share a relationship built on mentorship. The father wants his son to become a brave, capable hunter who can provide for the tribe; the boy wants to make his parents proud, achieving his first milestone by hitting a target bird.
• Hodgska is a young Crow boy taking a journey to visit his grandfather. He wants to prove his growing maturity by shooting game along the trail, but despite his careful silence, he arrives empty-handed yet safely escorted by his mother.
• Little Bird is a Navajo shepherd boy responsible for guarding his family's sheep. He wants to fulfill his duties on his pony, but his youth and weariness occasionally overtake him, leading to narrow escapes from lurking predators.

In Its Own Voice

"The baby of our story was having a lovely time with his dolly and so his mother thought she would just drop back and have a little chat with another Indian mother while the baby was good."

When an Arickara mother briefly steps away, her baby's carriage dog chases a jackrabbit.

"When the next meal-time came, she just brought enough of the good porridge for her TAN-TSI-DAY, and made that naughty bear eat with the puppies."

A Pueblo mother devises a practical punishment after a pet bear cub eats her son's meal.

"At night, when they lie awake in their little beds, the children hear the wild geese talking to one another as they fly over the village."

A Winnebago mother explains the seasonal passage of time to her listening children.

What It's Really About

Underneath its simple vignettes of daily play, the book focuses on the gentle integration of children into the functional rhythm of tribal life. It demonstrates how work, play, and education are seamlessly intertwined within these Native communities. Rather than relying on rigid formal instruction, the children learn respect for nature, livestock management, self-reliance, and physical endurance through direct experience and parental guidance. The stories emphasize the shared universal traits of childhood—curiosity, affection for pets, testing boundaries, and imitating adults—while detailing the unique cultural traditions, geography, and survival skills specific to each distinct North American tribe.

Why Read It Today

Readers who appreciate classic, period children's literature will find this collection to be a charming historical artifact. Written in clear, accessible prose, it presents a surprisingly warm view of familial affection, community safety, and childhood innocence. The narrative captures the textures of historical Native life—from birch-bark craft to cliff dwellings—with an gentle focus on human-animal companionship that will appeal to younger readers and historical fiction enthusiasts alike.

However, modern readers should approach the text with an awareness of its era. Written at the turn of the twentieth century by a non-Native author, the language reflects period conventions, including the consistent use of terms like "squaw" and "red brothers," as well as simplified, generalized portrayals of diverse tribal practices. Despite these dated editorial choices, the core of the work remains remarkably free of overt hostility, choosing instead to portray Native parents as loving, attentive, and deeply invested in the growth and happiness of their children.

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