Carma Foley

Linda Waggoner has written a well researched, interesting account of the life of Ho-Chunk actress Lilian M. St. Cyr also know as Red Wing. Ms. Waggoner takes us on a journey through time starting with Ms. St. Cyr's beginnings at the Winnebago Reservation, her education at the Carlisle Industrial School, and to her rise of stardom in the motion picture industry. Her relationship with and marriage to James Young Johnson AKA "Young Deer" is filled with intrigue, twists and turns. The couple re-invent themselves for the silver screen and Wild West shows. Later in life "Red Wing" moves to New York and finds herself a respected elder of the Indian community in a sea of change. This book is another example of history that is not taught in schools and many in Native American communities are unaware of. Thank you Ms. Waggoner for bringing this history to our collective attention. Well done.