Life of Black Hawk, or Ma-Ka-Tai-Me-She-Kia-Kiak

Gr 9 Up—This historically significant autobiography provides insight into Native American life and culture during the late 1700s and early 1800s, specifically the changes being experienced by the Sauk people, their land, and their way of life. Opening with the plaintive notes of a Native American melody, Michael Lackey introduces the book's background and goes on to narrate this account of the Sauk warrior, Black Hawk (Ma-Ka-Tai-Me-She-Kia-Kiak), in an engaging manner that is appropriately matter-of-fact, defiant, or poignant. Dictated to interpreter Antoine LeClair in 1833, Black Hawk, then 67 years old, reflected on his life before the arrival of the Europeans and events of the ensuing years. The greater part of this autobiography focuses on Black Hawk's leadership role in Sauk resistance to the ever-increasing encroachment onto, and seizing of, Sauk land by the Europeans and early Americans. Black Hawk chronicles the treachery, deceit, misunderstandings, and numerous violent encounters in vivid detail. He also tells of Sauk collaboration and conflict with other Native American tribes. Listeners will gain an understanding and appreciation of the political circumstances, land and resource struggles, and the reasoning behind Black Hawk's resistance. The war he waged against American settlers became known as the Black Hawk War of 1832. This early Native American autobiography is an invaluable resource.—Mary Olounye, formerly at Shaker Heights Public Library, OH