Charles Eastman, whose Sioux name was Ohiyesa (pronounced Oh hee' yay suh), was a Native American author, doctor and reformer who also helped to establish the Boy Scouts of America. His autobiographical Indian Boyhood, popular in Boy Scout programs, is a 1902 recollection of life growing up among the Sioux.

In Burning Fence, acclaimed novelist Craig Lesley turns his keen eye toward two difficult fathers and an alcohol-damaged Indian foster child, Craig's own "son," Wade. Abandoned by his shell-shocked father, Rudell, Craig grew up with his stepfather, Vern, a tough, controlling railroader. When events turned nasty, Craig, his mother, and his baby sister fled on the night train and arrived at an Indian reservation where his mother found work.