As published in MultiCultural Review Page 84, Volume 18, Number 4, Winter 2009
Walking Bull, Gilbert, and Sally Moore, Rocks Not Happy in Sacks. Hot Springs, S.D.: RedGravel Ink, 2008/2009. unp. Illus. by Tom Novak.
ISBN 978-1-57579-357-7.
Within this small, short, and ever-so-sweet story of a man whose dog helps him find a place in the sun for some neglected rocks is a kernel of simple truth that speaks volumes about complex Lakota cosmology from an insider’s view. The essence of the story, that rocks are people too, translates for a child’s view the notion of wowaunshila, the sacred quality of showing compassion for all of Creation, and one of the seven laws of the Lakota. Even—or more precisely, especially—the rocks have a special place in Creation and role in Lakota tradition. They were a wonderful choice by Gilbert to show how (even those) seemingly inanimate things possess spirit and should therefore be respected and treated well.
The fact that as adults we may sometimes forget our teachings is touched on lightly and shows how our lesson’s reminders may often come to us from unexpected places. In this case they come from Gilbert’s dog, Gimo, with the extraordinary sensory perceptions that dogs are wont to feel and tell Gilbert that the rocks are not happy packed away in a darkened shed.
Novak’s wonderful black-and-white illustrations are the perfect complement to this simple and essential story. They enable the young reader to envision just what is happening, and they show a gentle man, his helpful dog, and the young boy, who is probably a relative, all working to address the situation together. The artist’s delightful renditions are so true to form that the images could almost be photographs, and they are no doubt instructive to young readers who can see accurate renditions of true Lakota people depicted in them. This is a critical activity in educating non-Lakota readers, and, even more important, it is vital in providing characters that young Lakota readers can identify with who are so often lacking or misrepresented in illustrations and stories.
Moore has done well to collaborate with Walking Bull in creating a fine and insightful story that adults and children alike can learn from and enjoy. Further, she has helped create a literary place for a Lakota man with a compelling Native perspective. Walking Bull was awicasa wakan, or sacred man, a thoughtful, gentle man raised within a strong, primary tradition of Lakota culture. His instructive story is like the thunder eggs in the book itself, simple and plain on the outside but a beautiful creation inside. We are fortunate to have this small story he has shared with us and can only lament the fact that still today there are so few truly Native stories like this that exist in publication.
Janeen Antoine (Sicangu Lakota)
Berkeley, Calif | 
