EAGLE DRUM

Louis Pierre is a Native-American, nine-year-old boy. Like many kids his age, Louis enjoys Little League and basketball, but he is above all a dancer. Louis learned traditional Native-American dancing from his grandfather, Pat, who believes that dancing is an essential part of their heritage. Talking about a time when traditional dancing was discouraged by US government officials, Pat says: ``Those were some bad times...when your culture is taken away like that, you lose your self-esteem.'' Now Native-American culture is being rejuvenated by young dancers like Louis. At powwows Louis competes. This year, he will try grass dancing—a recently popularized, fluid form of movement. He lovingly designs and helps to make his costume, and he and his family travel to the large, intertribal powwow. After watching the other contests, Louis then prepares for his own. He wins second place for his interpretation of the grass dance and gets ten dollars plus recognition for his talent and effort. Louis looks forward to many more years of dancing on the powwow trail. (A partial list of powwows that take place in US and Canada is included.) A superb photo-essay from newcomer Crum, although the spectacular sound and motion of Native-American dance can't be captured in words. (Nonfiction. 6-11)