Dibaajimowinan and Aadizookaanag

Reviewed By: Patricia Arnold

REVIEW

Authority: The only information given about the author is that her name is Paula Giese. The copyright date is listed as 1995 with the last update being done on 1/1/97. This site is not maintained because of the author’s death in the summer of 1997. There is a brief description of how the author became affiliated with Karen Strom at the University of Massachusetts however there are no credentials given for her either. Originally the site was part of the University of Massachusetts, and then it was moved and affiliated with Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College. After the author’s death, the family kept the site on the web, but it was not maintained. Karen Strom became involved again, and the site is now part of her personal site. Ms. Strom is in the process of trying to update the site because it has become so popular. Accuracy: Most of the information on this site seems to be reliable, based on the assumption that Paula Giese was a Native American and she researched the contents, but again there are no documented sources to prove this. A great majority of the information contained here was new to me, so a comparison to prior knowledge was not possible. Currency: Because of the death of the creator, there have been few modifications since it was created in 1995. Content: There are over 300 links contained within this site with various types of information, true stories, tragic, humorous, legends, myths, tall tales, picture stories, biographies of Native American authors and many more. But because this site is not maintained, many of the links are dead. Since most of the information is just links to other sources, it is very difficult to determine if the information is unique or duplicated. The stories are very interesting, since most Native American history is considered sacred, and seldom published for people outside the tribe. Objectivity: This site was written by a Native American, I assume, and because of this fact it is most definitely written from a Native American’s perspective. There is a link to seek monetary support for this site, which is now maintained by an individual, Karen Strom. Also present on this site is one link which takes the viewer to a source to purchase books about Native American literature. Design and Appearance: Very bright and colorful, almost to a fault. The blue background is very pretty, but it makes reading a very difficult task. Some pages have various colors of texts, which is also difficult to read. The writing style is good, and very easy to read. Access: There are no special requirements to view this site, and it is free but it is a little unstable because of the fact that no one is maintaining it. Conclusion: This site seems very valid, and useful in researching Native American stories, however there is no proof to validate this. .