The Ghost and Lone Warrior: An Arapaho Legend

by C.J. Taylor

Crippled in an accident and left behind by his hunting party, Lone Warrior must overcome hunger, cold, pain, and despair to survive. But most terrifying of all his trials is the appearance of a skeleton-ghost arisen from the grave. That Lone Warrior can still remember to express his gratitude to the animal he must kill to survive, and that he does not allow fear to diminish his dignity, makes him an ideal hero.

Genres: Picture Books

24 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1991

Reviews

[Camila]

Loved the art and flow of this very short story. The legend sounds interesting, but not too keen on the Lone Warrior staying behind while his friends died. I get that his ancestral ghost was trying to do what is best for the Lone Warrior and his tribe, but it pains me since there was a small chance he could have helped save his friends :/

[Carley Moisio]

This book was about a tribe going hunting and the Lone Warrior fell and hurt his ankle. He was left behind and a ghost came and saved him after his tribe all died. He is now the leader of his village because of his strength and courage.
I would use this in the classroom when we discuss different cultures around the world. I would also align it with a history lesson.

[Judy]

An Arapaho tale
When one of my nieces was four years old, she spotted this cover and chose this book for her bedtime reading. She was fascinated by the 'bone man,' a term she consistently preferred to 'skeleton.' We'd usually read it twice, and then she'd go back and stare at the pictures, intrigued by the whole story. It was very different from the stories we usually read.

According to the notes at the back of the book, this is a retelling of the legend, "The Lame Warrior and the Skeleton" from a book by D. Brown.

[Mathew]

I thought a short, well-told retelling of an Arapaho tale. The story is of how Lone Warrior was singled out to be the leader of his tribe. The author has gone to lengths here to demystify the native american myth and attempts to give a truer representation of this tribe in particular. The oil paintings are rich in terms of the landscape but I thought greater detail on the people would have helped. Short histories of the Arapaho people at the back show an attempt to break Westernised stereotypes.

[Breanna Shofner]

The Ghost and Lone Warrior is a story about a North American Indian who is outed by his leader. He must overcome obstacles to survive in his journey alone. Lone Warrior becomes a hero for his efforts because he does not let the fear of a ghost bother him.

I would also use this book in an American Indian Unit as a tool for students to use. They could also use this book as inspiration for an art project. It has wonderful oil paintings throughout.

[Devi Henn]

This would be a great multicultural integration for students. You could talk about what it may be like for the character to be left alone, what might it feel like for him? Why might Lone Warrior still express gratitude to the animal(s) he must kill to survive? This would be an interesting topic with students to see how they would feel if they had to survive like Lone Warrior.

[Cheyenne Turnbull]

This is the story of Lone Warrior, who was part of a tribe of Plains people. On a hunting trip, he slipped and hurt himself. His people went on without him, leaving him to fend for himself for many days. Soon he was visited by a spirit, who told him that he was the one who made him fall, and that it was to test his courage. Lone Warrior would then go on to become chief of his tribe.

If I were to use this for a lesson, I would have students do a journal entry in which they would discuss a time in which they dealt with something hard, how they overcame the struggle, and what the reward was.