VISIONS OF THE PEOPLE: A Pictorial History...

VISIONS OF THE PEOPLE: A Pictorial History of Plains Indian Life edited by Evan F. Maurer (University of Washington Press: $35; 298 pp., paperback original). The catalogue from an exhibit that will travel to Minneapolis, St. Louis and Omaha this year, “Visions of the People” combines scholarly but readable essays with sumptuous illustrations. The artifacts, which range from engraved needles and small beaded cases to tepees and painted buffalo robes, reveal the richness and diversity of Plains Indian culture. It’s difficult to understand how the European settlers could dismiss the creators of these exquisite works as savages.