The book High Elk's Treasure is about a Native American teenager who lives on a present day reservation. One day, his horse, that is part of his family's small herd, runs off just before a storm. The boy, Joe, and his sister, Marie, take shelter in their great-grandfather's cave. In the cave, Joe finds an old artifact. The next day, Joe finds his horse, Star, on the wild horse preserve. She is being lassoed by horse theives. Joe rescues Star and heads home. One of the horse thieves later comes to Joe's home and has a surprise for his family. He is their relative! In the next few days, archaeologists come to see the artifact. It is a painting of the Battle of Little Big Horn. Also, when they are there, the High Elks' pregnant mare gives birth to a stallion, insuring a larger herd for the High Elk family. The colt is named Otakahe, Lakota for "beginning".
I think that the theme of High Elk's Treasure is that someting bad can turn around to be something wonderful. If it wasn't for Joe getting angry about letting Star escape, he would have never have found the parfleche. If the horse catchers didn't come and lasso Star, Howard would have never found his family. The mood of High Elk's Treasure is somewhat relaxed. There isn't any jaw dropping suspense, and even thrilling. The main idea of High Elk's Treasure is finding out what the artifact is, and getting Star back. High Elk's Treasure is set in a present day Indian reservation.
The characters in High Elk's Treasure are all very different. There are different categories that each character fits into. These are Opposites, Clichés, and Family Similarities.
OPPOSITES:
- Grandma High Elk and Marlene High Elk. Grandma High Elk still believes in old curses and superstitions, and speaks only in Lakota to her grandchildren. However, her daughter-in-law, Marlene, who is also Joe's mother, takes a different view. She is more relaxed about the Native American part of her family. She has a job, takes care of her kids, just like a regular mom these days.
- Martin and Howard, the two horse thieves. Martin is a mean, violent, lawless man, who beat Howard up. Howard, on the other hand, is different. He seems like a man caught between a rock and a hard place, but he wants to do good deeds.
- Star and Sungwiye, the two horses. Star acts just like a little kid. She gets confused and excited very easily. She ignored the bit when she realized she was going home the stormy afternoon. Then, when she fell, she was carried by the current, and ran off to the opposite bank. But, on the preserve, she acts tough by snorting, and slashing her hooves. This is more grown-up behavior. Sungwiye is an old mare, and because she is old, she is wise. She sensed the storm before it came, and found shelter in the stable. She also was very independent in giving birth to Otakahe.
CLICHES
- Marie, the little sister. She is the typical little sister. She worries and nags. She cries when she bleeds because a little branch scrapes her. Also, a younger sibling can have a good idea, like to take off your only pair of shoes when it is raining.
- Mr. Blue Shield is the run-of-the-mill helpful neighbor. He assists Joe in finding Star, and is a good friend of the High Elk family. He has a family of his own, but still finds the time to socialize.
- William, Joe's father. He is incredibly like a dad in a 1950's sitcom. He knows how to solve problems; he is smart, understanding, and rational. He also loves his family more than anything. He talks sense into his children, but in a charming way. You can just imagine him in a suit, with perfect hair and a winning smile shouting "Honey, I'm home!'.
FAMILY SIMILARITIES
- Joe and High Elk. Even though they lived in different times, they have many of the same characteristics. They share a love for horses. This is shown by the risk High Elk took to get horse feed, and the things Joe did to get Star safely home. Joe stood up to horse thieves, and High Elk stole food, and was shot in the leg. Also, they love their history and their culture. Joe loves being a Native American, and spent a lot of time in his great-grandfather's cave as a boy. High Elk treasured the artifact given to him, and hid it safely in his cave. Just as genes are passed on, so are personalities and other things. I mean, who hasn't been compared to one of their relatives?
By Aleurina Claybird