Canoe Back in Time

by Dorothy Downs

Overview

Dorothy Downs spent many years learning how one special Miccosukee girl was given the gift of becoming an artist. This inspiring story tells how the beauties of the Everglades are measured into the sewn bands of colored cloth and patchwork rainbow design that have become world famous.

In the story young Sally Osceola learns how to sew the colors of sky and earth while making a cape and skirt that she will wear to honor Breathmaker at the traditional yearly Green Corn Dance. Even though she was only ten years old in the 1920s, Sally knew she would one day sew a rainbow. Breathmaker told her she would sew like the women of her Panther Clan, and so she did.

Thanks to Dorothy Downs, writer and illustrator, Sally’s story is honestly put into words and pictures that beautifully express the heartfelt traditions of the Miccosukee people.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781515417095
Publisher:	Wilder Publications
Publication date:	10/10/2017
Pages:	70
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.18(d)
Age Range:	6 - 12 Years

About the Author

Dorothy Downs, an art historian and artist, was Curatorial Consultant to the Native American Art Collection at the Lowe Art Museum of the University of Miami. She is the author of Art of the Florida Seminole and Miccosukee Indians, and a book for children,
Patchwork: Seminole and Miccosukee Art and Activities. She has written and produced the WLRN PBS television documentary
Patterns of Power, about the Seminole and Miccosukee women who sew patchwork designs and fashion. Like Sally Osceola and another Dorothy in Oz, Dorothy Downs appreciates the joyful attraction of rainbows.

Dorothy Downs, an art historian and artist, was Curatorial Consultant to the Native American Art Collection at the Lowe Art Museum of the University of Miami. She is the author of Art of the Florida Seminole and Miccosukee Indians, and a book for children,
Patchwork: Seminole and Miccosukee Art and Activities. She has written and produced the WLRN PBS television documentary

Table of Contents

Dedication/Map

x Author’s Note

x About Illustrations

x Let’s Canoe Back in Time

x Today is the Day

x Busy Life in Panther Clan Camp

xx Go Outside and Learn

xx Company Coming

xx Grandma is a Healer

xx Daytime Playtime

xx Firelight Nights

xx Night Time is Story Time

xx Green Corn Dance

xx To Learn More

/Acknowledgements

xx Author Bio

Editorial Reviews

For many decades Dorothy Downs has maintained a close relationship with the Miccosukee Indians of Florida. She agrees with tribal elders who are concerned that Indian youngsters are losing cultural knowledge-- especially the teaching of Breathmaker, the creator of life. Downs explores the broad spectrum of Miccosukee beliefs through the life experiences of Sally, a fictional ten-year-old girl, who lived in an camp on the edge of the Everglades in the 1920s. The work is uniquely illustrated by Downs .Although intended primarily for younger readers, Canoe Back in Time is an excellent primer for anyone interested in learning more about the Miccosukee people.

Harry A. Kersey, Jr.

Author of Buffalo Tiger: A Life in the Everglades

The fictional story Canoe Back in Time touches on true cultural relationships between mothers and daughters. I can see how the author developed a story of a Miccosukee mother and her daughter, Sally. And I appreciate the passage about my father Buffalo Tiger and the strong values he was taught, including manners, respect for elders and family and other tribal members.

This book would be a good introduction for school children, Indian and non-Indian. Hopefully, it will gain the young people’s interest in how different the Miccosukee ways are from non-Miccosukees. I also like the fact that the green corn dance is mentioned; it is an integral part of the Miccosukee tradition, culture, and preservation.

Lee Tiger, son of Buffalo Tiger

From the Publisher