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Author Biography:

When I was growing up — as a person of mixed American Indian and European ethnic heritage, who, more than anything else, loved to read — I rarely encountered Native American fictional characters with whom I could identify.

The native peoples I read about in books always seemed to be performing rather dull crafts -- sort of like earnest Boy Scouts -- or riding around on ponies bareback, whooping it up. On the other hand, tests of courage regularly presented themselves, and those guys always ultimately passed with flying colors -- and never even bragged about doing so. In short, they weren't like anybody I knew, and I didn't think I'd get along with them very well... or vice versa. More... (© Scholastic; )