Great Plains Studies, Center for
Date of this Version
2013
Citation
Great Plains Quarterly 33:2 (Spring 2013)
Abstract
The Woman Who Loved Mankind is a collection of the life stories of Lillian Bullshows Hogan, a Crow elder who lived from 1905 (perhaps as early as 1902) to 2003. After individual introductions by Barbara Loeb and Mardell Hogan Plainfeather, Hogan’s daughter, Hogan’s stories begin with “When I Was Born” and end with “I Feel Proud.” In between, she recounts how she was named, her memories as a young child, the stories of her elders, her experiences at boarding school, and the destructive effects of alcohol within her family. We hear about her husbands and children, while simultaneously learning about Crow traditions and the ways in which Hogan, throughout her life, wove together the ways of her elders and the ways of the non-Indian culture that surrounded her. She speaks of her grandchildren, the honors she has received (Lady Bird Johnson, for example, visited her home in 1964), and through these honors the names she was able to make and give to her grandchildren. As readers experience early reservation life, they learn about poverty, reservation politics, gender roles, women’s work, Crow families, Crow traditions, and relationships between Crows and non-Indians.
Comments
© 2013 Center for Great Plains Studies, University of Nebraska