Bear Dancer: The Story of a Ute Girl

by Thelma Hatch Wyss

After being captured by Cheyenne warriors and turned into a slave, Elk Girl, sister of Ute chief Ouray, is finally saved by white soldier and returned to her people where she sadly discover that the majority of her tribe has been diminished by new settlers in this touching story set in the mid-1800s and based on the real life of an Ute girl.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Childrens, Fiction

192 pages, Hardcover

First published September 27, 2005

About the author

Thelma Hatch Wyss lives in Salt Lake City, Utah. She is married. She is the author of Here at the Scenic-Vu Motel, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults; Ten Miles from Winnemucca, a Junior Library Guild Selection and a Bank Street College Best Book of the Year; and on the McElderry list, Bear Dancer: The Story of a Ute Girl, which won the Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association Regional Book Award and was on the New York Public Library's "100 Titles for Reading and Sharing" list. She has one married son with two children.

Reviews

[Morgan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sterotypes present throughout. Although white people are presented early on as the enemy encroaching on Ute lands, the author still manages to cast the surrounding native tribes as savages and present the few white characters as really good people. Elk Girl is a "white man's Indian"-- she literally refers to herself at one point in the book as a White Indian. It's more of a captivity narrative than anything else, and the narrative itself is not well written. Don't bother reading this book.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

preread for Ambleside Online year 5.

[Jennifer Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a cool book and you learn some history
From my 10 year old son

[Tristyn Page · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was very good because of the difference in it.In the story Bear Dancer, there is a young girl that loves in the Rocky Mountains. One day she is taken and traded between Indian tribes for 4 years. Finally she is sold to her worst enemy , the white people. These people are different from others, they are kind and give her things. But, this is not her home. She makes her way across the mountains and hitches a ride with a nice man who brings her to a boom town. From there she waits for and escort to her home. For the rest of that summer she rides with 2 others in search of the Utes. At last she finds them and is reunited with her family. The plot was very engaging because Elk Girl was weaving between two different cultures in North America. The characters where very realistic because they had surprises and because this story was a true story. The style of this book was made for a young child but it still was a interesting read for a young adult. The theme was lost and abused. The point of view was third person which I usually don't read but I liked. The setting of Bear Dancer was in the Rocky Mountains in the late 1800's. I would recommend this book to people who like Indians and historical fiction.

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one, but then, I am very interested in the history of the American Indian and the how North America changed quickly and forever with the advent of the white settlers. It follows a young Ute girl (based on the true story of Elk Tooth Dress) who is first kidnapped by a rival tribe, then at one point taken by white settlers, and then her effort to return home, only to find her home largely destroyed. I appreciated the way that the book portrayed what it was like to be an American Indian, and included details about warring tribes and also the way much of the history played out. The book shows "good" and "bad" settlers, and is written from the perspective of the girl. I think this is a great story for end of 4th grade or even better 5th and 6th, because it portrays the complexity of the time, and this would be a great book to read in conjunction with a study of American Indians. I say older because an older child could get the most out of this, and it would be great to prompt discussions. There was such a variety of characters and interests at the time...like real life!

[Cinnamon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick, yet stirring read. Based on the true story of the Ute girl, Elk Tooth Dress.
The Ute Indians lived in the area of the Rocky Mountains for many years before Whites arrived and destroyed their tribe and culture and took their land through treaties. Elk Girl's story takes place at the end of the Ute's freedom. Elk Girl is the sister of one the tribe's leader, a man who has seen what Whites will do and tries to warn the rest of the tribe. But they all feel like the mountains will protect them. Elk Girl finds out the hard way that the mountains can't always protect her when she is kidnapped by Cheyenne warriors and taken back to be a slave. She spends several years as a slave to first a Cheyenne woman, then an Arapahoe warrior. In this time, she sees how these tribes have been destroyed by their growing reliance on Whites. But her view is changed when a White man rescues her from captivity and helps to return her to her people.

A good read aloud for an upper elementary class studying Indian culture.

[Ccl Children's · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a fictionalized account of two years in the life of Elk Tooth Dress, later known as Susan Johnson. She was a member of the Tabeguache Ute tribe, who made their home in Colorado's Rocky Mountains. She was kidnapped in 1861 by a band of Cheyenne hunters. This book follows the next two years of her life, until she is returned home. Some of the alliances in this story surprised me. I visited the Rocky Mountains and the lovely area around the Gunnison River over the summer, so it was enjoyable to be able to revisit it through this book. --ML

Read Across the USA state: Colorado

Find it in our catalog: http://catalog.ccls.org/search~S1?/aW...

[Destri Vias · Rating 3 out of 5]

Elk tooth dress lived in the Shining mountains with the Ute tribe. Until one day she is captured by the Cheyenne they eventually sold her to the Arapahos to be a slave. After about two years she escapes and goes back to her tribe to find that they have to leave the mountains and live on a reservation.
The plot in this book was ok but no the best, I think because it was written for a younger grade. The charters were easy to believe and realistic. This book Was backed on a true story and the them was to never give up. It was a chapter book but I think it was rushed and it could have been explained more.this boo was n first person and I liked it because I could understand it.
I would recommend this book for someone who likes short Native American books

[Nitrorockets · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is author writes mostly for young adults and has won two ALA award for others books. This book is meant for young readers, between 8-12 years old, which makes it a quick read. I enjoyed the book so much that I can't believe how fast it went.She did a beautiful job writing about, Cutshutchous, or Elk Tooth Dress, Chief Ouray's sister. To hear her love of the mountains, those mountains, you can feel the connection. She takes you back to the time in Elk Girl's life when she was 15 and follows her through the course of a few years.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elk Girl was a member of the Ute tribe and lived in the 1860's. The story is based on her life and begins when she is kidnapped at age 10 and forced into slavery by the Arapahoes. She is rescued by a white soldier and lives with a "white" pioneer family for another year. She is finally returned home to her village to find them riddled with small-pox and starving. As an adult, Elk girl (Susan Johnson, her married name)was instrumental in dealing with treaties and a hostage crisis in 1879. only 192 pp. 4-6 grade.

[Buffer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of a Ute named Elk Girl. Based on Chief Ourays sister. She is taken by Cheyenne Indians and must be their slave for a while. She is then sold to the Arapahoes and is their slave. Then a white soldier saves her. His wife takes care of her and lets her live with them. She teaches Elk Girl english. Elk Girl runs away to go home and people help her along the way. They all want her to help Chief Ouray give up their land. A great story.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

In late 19th cent. CO, Elk Girl, sister of chief Ouray, is made a slave by Cheyenne and Arapaho, rescued by white “enemies” and returned to a greatly changed Ute tribe.

Not as emotionally involving as I like, but engaging and interesting topic. Based on real person, but fictionalized.

[es. · Rating 2 out of 5]

An okay book, but it felt very superficial. I wasn't able to relate to Elk Girl at all, although I did feel sympathy for her throughout the book. Things felt rushed and barely described. It definitely felt like a young YA book, like around 12-14 or so?

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1860 a Ute girl becomes slave to first the Cheyenne and then the Arapaho before she escapes to freedom.

[Noelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a j fiction book, but it grabbed me by the heart.

[Hailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was AMAZING!!!!!! I loved it sooooooo much. It was a great story about a Ute girl and her hardships.

[Courtney Lund · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is about the old tribes i would suggest to everyone

[H.M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was thoroughly depressing, but well written. And it was too short!

[Lisa Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again, read for my daughters book club at school. Very good subtle teachings of why we should not be predjudice. Good for 4th-6th. I also enjoyed it.

[Brandon McGee · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good book and has some interesting history. I have seen similar stories about Native Americans. It is sad some of the stuff they went through.

[Carly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I would have liked it more had I known at the beginning it was based on a true story. Short enough I would read it again to like it this time.

[Benji · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't really like it but I got a better sense of what slavery and indians were like.

[Kandyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. 4th grade students can use for the "Utah" read.