Young Veronica stands in the middle of two different roads. On the one side is her Lakota community and the "good red road" she has walked down since she was a child. With her family and tribe, she cherishes tradition, legacy, and heritage.
On the other side is the black asphalt road of the outside world. At her Catholic boarding school, she and the other children are isolated from their Lakota identity and forced to learn a different, meaner way of life. While the Lakota teach that everything is connected, outside culture dictates that she must rely only on herself.
As Veronica ponders which road to choose, the reservation is changing around her. It's 1973, the Wounded Knee Occupation has begun, and many Lakota are protesting. These events put even more pressure on Veronica to choose her identity, and the young girl's turmoil will end with a daring escape and a surprise decision.
This new fictionalized memoir captures the life of Veronica New Holy-Jones. As she recounts listening to her grandfather's tales, riding over the plains on her horse, and participating in ceremonies and celebrations, she shows both the joys and the trials of reservation life.
About the Author: Veronica New Holy-Jones grew up on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and attended Catholic boarding school. As a young woman, she struggled to understand and retain her identity as a member of the Lakota tribe. She observed that Lakota culture was often at odds with the outside way of viewing things. The Lakota valued cooperation and generosity, while those traits were seen as weaknesses by those outside the tribe. .
Ms. New Holy-Jones studied education and special education at Oglala Lakota College and taught at various reservation schools, ending her teaching career at Oglala Lakota College. She hopes her work will provoke discussions about identity, legacy, tradition, and culture. .
She wrote Wounded Memories with contributions by Richard M. Jones and illustrations by Jon LeBoeuf.
