Recent Review of The Seven Commandments of the Sacred Buffalo Calf Woman by Martin High Bear

By Mary Lou Mills | 01 May 2025

The Seven Commandments of the Sacred Buffalo Calf Woman is the biography of the Lakota medicine man and spiritual leader Martin High Bear. As the oldest son in his family, Martin High Bear spent his early years living with his grandparents to learn their ways. He was educated through third grade in his tribal school, consequently, his English grammar was limited. There were no other children for him to play with. He listened to the elders and played with the animals. One of the legends he learned from his grandparents was about the arrival of the White Buffalo Calf Pipe, the sacred pipe used in their healing ceremonies. The pipe was presented to the Teton Sioux tribe by the Sacred Buffalo Calf Woman. When she presented the pipe, she gave the seven commandments.

My favorite part of this book was learning history from a Native American perspective. I have much respect for the man that Martin High Bear was and for his teachings. He traveled all over to teach and to heal. He was unprejudiced and cared for people of all colors, red, white, black, and yellow.

I rate The Seven Commandments of the Sacred Buffalo Calf Woman 4 out of 5 stars. The message is one that everyone should hear. The content and the messages were excellent. I took one point off for the errors. The most difficult part for me was to distinguish what to call an error for the sake of critiquing this book. The grammar throughout the book indicated his Lakota background and his lack of instruction in English grammar. I wouldn’t want to change the voice of this book.

I recommend this book to everyone. It would be especially helpful for teachers of American History. The seven commandments can be compared to the 10 commandments of the Bible. They teach a gracious and genuine lifestyle. 

Photo of Martin High Bear