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What is a Ledger
Book? It is a collection of ledger
drawings depicting the life, loves,
battles, and adventures of a Plains Indian
Warrior in the 1800's.
With the introduction of the horse into
the plains of North America, the
indigenous cultures changed their
traditional life styles and became more
mobile. This mobility lead to other
changes such as raiding raiding. It had
been traditional in many plains cultures
to keep personal records of events and
accomplishments. These were usually drawn
on hides. With horse mobility and new
white neighbors, the plains Indian warrior
found himself with new materials: pencils,
paints and paper, usually in the form of
ledger books. This availability of
materials gave the warrior/artists more
freedom in recording their deeds and
adventures. These books of pictorial
records were considered books of "Power"
and the more illustrations of deeded the
more power they contained. They were
treated as medicine bundles and passed
down though the female line.
The carefully recorded drawing of raids,
murders, thefts, loves, hunting, and other
occurrences in the life of a plains
warrior were so carefully kept, that when
some of these fellows were captured by the
military, these ledger books were used as
evidence in court. Many of the
warrior/artists were put in military jails
because of this evidence. While in jail,
they continued to draw. The military wives
were taken with these
charming drawings of military life and
commissioned the artists to draw more and
gave them supplies.
As an artist I enjoy drawing in this
primitive style. I think it is an
especially timely way to illustrate the
adventures of Coyote and the other creator
figures from the Native American folklore.
I am sure that Coyote, the Great Coyote of
myth, would have had a very fat ledger
book of all his exploits.
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..........................................To
veiw my Current "Special Internet
show"
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Coyote Brings Horses
The Buffalo Warriors
Coyote and the Ducks
Coyote's Star Loves
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