DVD Review: Prey

Prey
(DVD Prey)

Prey is an original TV-movie made for the Hulu streaming service in 2022 and later released to DVD in 2023, which serves as a prequel to the long-running series of “Predator” films that began with the eponymous Arnold Schwarzenegger film “Predator” in 1987. In all of the Predator films, single representatives of a technologically-superior hunter/warrior alien species are dropped off to hunt and kill one or more humans in an exotic location. In the original Predator, it was a Central American jungle, in Predator 2 it was the mean streets of Los Angeles.

 

The Predator is always armed with high-tech equipment, both for hunting tasks but also for repairing its own injuries if needed. And if they’re successful in their kills, they take heads and spines as trophies.

In Prey, the setting is the Great Plains and mountain region of the United States, but all the way back in the 1800s. And the prey being hunted is a combination of Comanche warriors and French trappers. the central character in Prey is Naru (played by Amber Midthunder), a young woman who has trained for the warrior arts but who isn’t allowed to join the men in hunts. Her self-taught skills are put to the test when the alien Predator pretty much wipes out most of the men in her tribe’s hunting party.

 

This film is extremely atmospheric and the quality of the production easily rivals the earlier feature films in the series. The focus on the Native American culture in the film is a refreshing change of pace — the film features a large Native American cast, and using your DVD player’s special menus, you can choose to view the movie with either a spoken English or spoken Comanche soundtrack. Longtime fans of the Predator franchise will find several nice “Easter eggs” connecting Prey to films set later in the continuity.

 

Prey is an excellent addition to the Predator series. I highly recommend this one! One note: Many of the action sequences in this film, especially in the final 20 minutes, are very dark — you may have to adjust your screen’s settings to make out all the details.

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try all of the other Predator films, especially the 1987 original, which set the benchmark by which all the others are measured. Personally, my favorite is Predator 2 with Danny Glover.)

 

( Internet Movie Database entry for this film ) | ( official Prey web site )

 

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

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Book Review: Red Bird Sings by Gina Capaldi and Q.L. Pierce

Red Bird Sings: The Story of Zitkala-Sa, Native American Author, Musician and Activist
adapted by Gina Capaldi and Q.L. Pierce, with illustrations by Gina Capaldi (j Biography Zitkala-Sa)

When Zitkala-Sa was 8 years old, over her mother’s objections she left the Yankton reservation with a group of Quaker Missionaries who were recruiting students for the White’s Manual Labor Institute in Indiana. She loved learning how to read and write, she craved learning music and violin–she excelled at the opportunities available to her at the school. But she also saw that even though the Quakers were well-meaning, they were blind to the true needs of Indian children. They didn’t see the harm in taking the children’s language and traditions from them. After she spent three years with the Quakers, she came home to find she felt she no longer fit in with her family and neighbors. She was loyal to the Yankton ways yet felt she no longer belonged, so she returned to the Quaker school. After her years of being a student at White’s Manual Labor Institute and continuing at Earlham College, she went on to teach at Carlisle Indian Industrial School and also published articles in magazines and books. She became an accomplished musician and orator who spoke out for her people. Even though her “English” education made her feel separate from her traditions and culture and family, she made it her goal to use these skills to help enlighten Anglo society to the story of her people.

 

Red Bird Sings is a collection of essays previously written and published by Zitkala Sa, edited and illustrated by Gina Capaldi, an award winning illustrator and author of children’s non-fiction. Even though the essays are said to be “semi-autobiographical”, they are put together in such a way that one really feels the torment of the young Zitkala-Sa—how can she negotiate her interests in learning the Anglo ways even as she realizes that her talents are pulling her away from her family and her roots?

 

Awards for Red Bird Sings: Gold Medal- Carter G. Woodson Award, National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS); Gold Medal, Moon Beam Award-Independent Publisher; Eureka! Honor Book, California Reading Association (CRA); Amelia Bloomer Book List-American Library Association (ALA); California Reading Association Booklist (CRA); SCBWI 2011 RAM Grant; California Readers 2013 California Collections: Elementary and Middle Grade lists.

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try American Indian Stories by Zitkala-Sa, Voices of the People by Joseph Bruchac, Finish the Fight: The Brave and Revolutionary Women Who Fought for the Right to Vote by Veronica Chambers or Stolen Words by Melanie Florence. Also, online: “Old Indian Legends” by Zitkala-Sa, Illustrated by Angel De Cora, a Winnebago painter, illustrator, Native American rights advocate, and teacher at Carlisle Indian School.)

 

( Wikipedia entry for Zitkala-Sa ) | ( official Gina Capaldi web site )

 

Recommended by Carrie K.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

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New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!

Book Review: We Had a Little Real Estate Problem by Kliph Nesteroff

We Had a Little Real Estate Problem: The Unheralded Story of Native Americans in Comedy

by Kliph Nesteroff (970.1 Nes)

 

During Native American Heritage Month in November (also known as National American Indian History Month and National American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month) I started reading this collection of present-time vignettes and documented history on the role and experiences of indigenous American Indians in comedy culture and humor traditions. The subtitle is “The Unheralded Story of Native Americans & Comedy.” As fascinating as it is, and having been unaware of most of it, it is an equally tragic and disheartening story. Yet, it is unfailingly hopeful and inspiring, too. You have no doubt heard of Will Rogers, and possibly Charlie Hill and Alexander Posey, or Williams & Ree. There are many other Native/First Peoples comedians, both amateur and professional, who are or were out there doing their thing — including native/Native Nebraskan Larry Omaha! This extensively researched and well-crafted work explores the day-to-day struggles and successes of a variety of funny, smart, adaptable, determined Native Americans who aspire to be the next (long overdue) Will Rogers or simply to be recognized as a great comedian first of all and indigenous person second.

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try The 1491s comedy troupe, Native American Comedy Slam (LOLflix series on Youtube), Will Rogers: A Biography by Ben Yagoda, or The Comedians: Drunks, Thieves, Scoundrels, and the History of American Comedy by Kliph Nesteroff.)

 

( publisher’s official We Had a Little Real Estate Problem web page ) | ( official Kliph Nesteroff Twitter feed )

 

Recommended by Becky W.C.
Walt Branch Library

 

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New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!

Book Review: Redbone: The True Story of a Native American Rock Band by Christian Staebler (2nd review)

Redbone: The True Story of a Native American Rock Band

by Christian Staebler, Sonia Paoloni, and Thibault Balaly (YA PB Staebler)

 

If you know the songs “Witch Queen of New Orleans” and “Come and Get Your Love”, you probably want to read this. Especially if you like graphic novels and American culture and history. An English translation of the original French, this volume is divided into chapters, much like individual issues of a comicbook series. It recounts the history of Pat and Lolly Vegas, American Indian musicians from California, and how they came to form the rock/native band Redbone. Thanks go to Jimmy [Jimi] Hendrix for the group’s name. Oh, and, the Brothers Vasquez [AKA Vegas] helped open the doors to commercial success for The Doors! The setting is contemporary, wherein surviving brother Patrick is visiting with his children and they start asking him to repeat stories of “the old days”. The content touches on their musical journey as a sibling duo and on into the group years but also their all-too-familiar challenges of identity and equality as Native people in modern America. Frustratingly, Redbone enjoyed much more fame in Europe than the U.S. but, gladly, they have left a considerable body of work behind. And gave the world an earworm tune that most recently was refreshed in pop culture consciousness in the movie “Guardians of the Galaxy”. p.s. I’m not crazy about the artwork but it is evident that the entire production team feels great respect and appreciation for the Redbone legacy.

 

( publisher’s official Redbone book web site ) | ( English translation of official Christian Staebler French language web site ) | ( semi-official Redbone band history site )

 

See also: Caitlin L.’s review of Redbone in the August 2021 Staff Recommendations here on BookGuide!

 

Recommended by Becky W.C.
Walt Branch Library

 

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New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!

Book Review: Rez Dogs by Joseph Bruchac

Rez Dogs

by Joseph Bruchac (j Bruchac)

 

When Malian went to visit her grandparents on the reservation, she didn’t expect to get stuck there because of the pandemic. She misses her parents, but she is glad to be able to help her grandparents. She shows them how to video-chat and they tell her stories, and when a local dog show up at her door, she knows he has come to protect them.

 

The story is told in verse and is an enjoyable read, combining current events with traditional storytelling. It tells of how Malian’s community has responded to adversity in the past and how they continue caring for one another today.

 

Joseph Bruchac is a highly acclaimed children’s book author, poet, novelist, and storyteller, as well as a scholar of Native American culture. He has authored many books for children and adults.

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try A Boy Called Slow: The True Story of Sitting Bull, also by Joseph Bruchac, Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids by Cynthia Leitich Smith, Grow: A Novel in Verse by Juanita Havill, Sugar Falls : a residential school story by David Robertson, or The Barren Grounds by David Robertson.)

 

( publisher’s official Rez Dogs web page ) | ( official Joseph Bruchac web site )

 

Recommended by Carrie K.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

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New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!

Book Review: Five Little Indians by Michelle Good

As we celebrate Indigenous People's Day, we share an appropriate book review...

Five Little Indians
by Michelle Good (Good)

 

In Five Little Indians, Michelle Good, a Cree writer and a member of the Red Pheasant Cree Nation in Saskatchewan, braids together the true stories of five fictional Residential School Survivors. At times humorous, often sobering, and always engrossing, this tale of five young people who struggled and survived their childhood experiences in Indian Residential Schools, drew me in, and left me with a better understanding of the repercussions of the childhood trauma on individuals, their families, and their friends.

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try I Am Not A Number by Jenny Kay Dupuis & Kathy Kacer, Sugar Falls by David A. Robertson, Seven Fallen Feathers by Tanya Talaga, Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese or Good Friday on the Rez by David Bunnell.)

 

( publisher’s official Five Little Indians web page ) | ( official Michelle Good web site )

 

See Carrie K.'s brand-new online booklist Indigenous Authors Write About Residential Schools here on BookGuide! #indigenouspeoplesday

Recommended by Carrie K.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

Have you read or listened to this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!

Book Review: Redbone: The True Story of a Native American Rock Band by Christian Staebler

Redbone: The True Story of a Native American Rock Band

by Christian Staebler (YA PB (Graphic Novel) Staebler)

 

This gorgeously illustrated graphic novel tells the story of 60s and 70s era rock band Redbone, best known for their hit “Come and Get Your Love.” The story follows the beginnings of the band, the heyday and all the different, varied artists they worked with throughout their career up to their involvement in various indigenous rights activities. The book is quick informative read and good for anyone interested in a music or First Nations history read.

[ publisher’s official Redbone book web site ] | [ English translation of official Christian Staebler French language web site ] [ semi-official Redbone band history site ]

 

Recommended by Caitlin L.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Services

 

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New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!

#NotYourPrincess edited by Lisa Charleyboy and Mary Beth Leatherdale

#NotYourPrincess: Voices of Native American Women
edited by Lisa Charleyboy and Mary Beth Leatherdale [j 970.1 Not]

This book is for the young Native American woman who would like to see more of herself in print. It touches upon the stereotypes we have about Native American women and busts them. The poetry, short essays, and visual art are each thoughtfully placed for maximum impact. I would caution a reader to take their time and read pieces multiple times to absorb everything the authors are trying to impart with us. My favorite poem is “The Things We Taught Our Daughters” by Helen Knott. Aside from teaching us about some of the patterns that have perpetuated violence in our history, this book is critical because it also features role models (the authors and protagonists themselves) from many tribes around the continent. I would gift this to a young woman of color, even from another racial or ethnic background, because it reminds the reader that they have the strength they need inside themselves. I mean to say that those who do not have mainstream princess stories published about them yet *do* have incredible stories to tell, and I hope we continue to see more books and other works of art created by the folks who have historically been pushed too far into the sidelines.

[ publisher’s official #NotYourPrincess web site ]

Recommended by Naomi S.
Eiseley and Williams Branch Libraries and the Bookmobile

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New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
by Sherman Alexie [YA Alexie]

The hype surrounding this book is enormous. Now I am not usually the type of person who buys into it necessarily, but I am more than willing to see what the buzz is about. Arnold "Junior" Spirit lives on a reservation with his parents and sister. Arnold is often picked on and considered an outcast among the "rez" because he was born with water on the brain, causing him health problems and brain damage. But those are the least of his issues when he chooses to leave the rez and attend an all white school twenty-two miles away. This decision makes Junior even more of an outcast, but the budding cartoonist continues on, wanting to escape the never ending circle of alcoholism and drug use the prevails among his reservation. Throughout the novel Junior deals with issues regarding death, the loss of a friendship, wanting to belong, and the desire to become something more than just a poor indian. With an original voice, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian i s a strong book about a young man breaking free from tradition. I did like this book and thought that Junior's voice was original and strong. However, I did find the book as a whole a bit simplistic in areas and strongly lacking in emotion. With the issues that are brought into Junior's life I thought I would have a better perception of him by the end of the novel, however Junior seemed to have grown little, and maintained a similar stance throughout. The book is an engaging read and I can understand the popularity of this book and Sherman Alexie as an author. This is the perfect step up for those who enjoyed The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, and are now looking for a more mature, highschool aged protagonist. -- recommended by Wyatt P. - Gere Branch Library

[Also available in Audio Playaway format.]

[ publisher's official Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian web site ] | [ official Sherman Alexie web site ] 

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New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

And the winner is...

The title selected for the 2010 One Book - One Lincoln -- by popular public vote -- is Joe Starita's I Am a Man!

To see resources related to the topics and themes of I Am a Man, along with lists of discussion groups and special event programming for this year, visit our 2010 One Book - One Lincoln page.

You can also sign up to be notified by e-mail about all new developments regarding One Book -- One Lincoln. You can become a fan of One Book - One Lincoln on Facebook by "liking" the One Book Facebook group. We also encourage you to stop by the One Book -- One Lincoln Blog, where you can leave comments about the book selections and the entire One Book process in response to posted discussion topics.

Ishi in Two Worlds

Ishi in Two Worlds: A Biography of the Last Wild Indian in North America
by Theodora Kroeber [970.3 K91i]

Theodora Kroeber, wife of famed anthropologist Alfred Kroeber, tells a touching story of Ishi, the last Yana/Yahi Indian. Starving and near exhaustion from being chased by white Indian hunters, Ishi is found near a corral on a ranch. The sheriff turned him over to Kroeber who proceeded to unravel Ishi's past and that of the last of his people. He and Ishi became great friends. After a trip to Washington he was also taken to heart by the American public. Ishi taught Kroeber to use a bow and arrow like his forefathers did and provided Kroeber with a mountain of knowledge on his California tribe. Ishi died while in Kroeber's care and monuments to him can be found throughout the area. A truly touching biography. -- recommended by Rayma S. - South Branch Library

[ Publisher's page for the book ] [ Wikipedia entry on Theodora Kroeber ]

Have you read this one? What did you think?

Ten (or more) new reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide web site. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog over the course of the entire month.