Who Really Saved Laura Ingalls: Soldat du Chene or a Soldat du Chien?

Was the frontier family of Charles Ingalls saved by a "tree" or a "dog?" Is it possible that children's author Laura Ingalls Wilder misnamed one of her most memorable Little House on the Prairie characters? She described the noble, Osage Indian chief who persuaded his people to avoid a confrontation with settlers on Indian land in 1871. The early, imprecise blending of cultures and languages on the Kansas prairie combined to create a linguistic misnomer.

This book offers dramatic supporting material about the role and significance of protective "dog soldiers" to the Plains Indian warrior society. It includes two quotations from a speech Mrs. Wilder gave in 1937 pertaining to the writing of Little House on the Prairie. The book should appeal to older students, adult fans of the series, and those interested in historical information about Plains Indians.