Black Eagle Child: The Facepaint Narratives

Destined to become a classic of Native American literature, Black Eagle Child uses a rich mix of verse, prose narrative, and letters to tell Edgar Bearchild's journey to adulthood, from his childhood delight in Jell-O to his induction into the faith of his elders. Seamlessly mixing tribal memory and the comic events of Bearchild's life, Young Bear's story excels at startling, absurdist juxtapositions of the ancient and modern, expresses bemusement and anger at the strange ways of whites, and tells of the strength and vision that come from his Native tradition.