Passed down through family members, I found these true life experiences told from a Native American point of view enlightening.
Tell us About Yourselves.
I, George Gilland, was born on Valentine’s Day in 1942, and grew up on ranches in the “West River Country” of the Dakotas. I’ve been involved in ranching and farming for most of my life. I am a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, and I raised prize-winning cattle on the Reservation for more than 30 years. I have been president of the Lakota Ranchers Association for over 20 years, and treasurer of the American Indian Livestock Association. I have several grand championship trophies for breeding Red Galloway and Blonde Aquitaine cattle, and a few for hard riding in Team Penning in area rodeos. I learned to speak Lakota as a child from my father and uncles.
I have collaborated in several writing projects with my cousin Sharon Rasmussen. We received a cultural grant from the Standing Rock Tribe to support our writing, and we are both members of the Western Writers of America. Sharon spent her early years on the family farm that had been her grandmother’s original Indian homestead allotment and she attended the same schools as her mother and grandmother. She has worked as a technical writer, feature writer, editor, and publications manager for more than 40 years for a variety of government agencies and nonprofits in the Washington, DC area. She has a B.A. from Wesleyan University and an M.Ed. from George Mason University.
What do you like doing in your spare time?
I am retired from ranching and am currently living in Lemmon, SD. I especially enjoy the dances held at the Senior Center, where I also play cards and Bingo with other “old cowboys.” The Bingo and cards are just for fun with friends, not for money. Since moving back to South Dakota from Texas, I have taken several road trips around the area to visit friends. I keep writing and have recently been working on some new short stories and an autobiography.
Do you have hobbies?
How did you get started in them? I have always enjoyed horseback riding – it was a necessary part of my life as rancher – but since retiring it’s not so easy to keep a horse in town, so now I walk several miles a day for exercise to keep fit. I like all kinds of dancing, especially country dancing when there is a live band.
Are you an avid reader?
I enjoy reading tasteful books about the history of The West, and fortunately there are many good authors in that category, some of whom I am proud to call friends. Bill Markley, a dear friend of mine, does a great job on research and tells a story more real than some. Far too many authors in the past just wanted to glorify people like Custer and didn’t tell any of their stories from the Native Americans’ point of view. Another thing that ruins a book for me is when it’s not authentic; I just don’t care much for fiction – and there’s more than a few of these so-called “cowboy poets” who couldn’t tell you which end of the horse to put the bridle on. I think anyone can be a good storyteller if you write your own truth.
What inspired you to write your first book?
I had written down a few stories for my son and daughter when they were little. My cousin Sharon was writing down stories for family as well. We met up at a family reunion and began to exchange and read each other’s stories. At some point, we realized we were writing similar stories and each of us could add different parts of the larger story that would add up to a novel. We did base the stories on true happenings, and we tried to get the dates and details right. Sharon researched documents at the National Archives that helped authenticate the stories, so they came to life.
How do you decide on the title of a book?
We tried to figure out something significant about the story that would draw in the reader. The central events of the first book literally took place along the trail to Thunder Hawk. The second book picked up with the main character coming back home after World War I.
Have you developed a specific writing style and why?
I try to tell a story as I remember the way it was told to me by my father and other elders in my family. I try to use words and expressions that they would have used 100 years ago. Both Sharon and I believe in letting the characters speak for themselves.
How much of your books is realistic and experiences based on someone you know, or events in your life?
I tried to base all that we wrote about in the books on true happenings. Most of the events in the books were told to me or to Sharon over many years by different family members. I like to be real with a story and not doctored up like most Hollywood movies. My dad was born in 1889 and grew up on the reservation when it was still Dakota Territory. He always contended that the natives got along with the cowboys in early times, and they worked together, not shooting each other like in wild west movies. The way he told it was that the cowboys were Indians, and the Indians were cowboys, too.
How do you want others to see you or remember you? Is it important to you?
First and foremost, I hope they remember me as a father, brother, and son. I hope they remember me as a patriot who served my country, even when it wasn’t the popular thing to do. As a man who worked hard, but thoroughly enjoyed his life and as an authentic cattleman – not a “Hollywood cowboy” or just another man with cows. As someone who inherited some amazing boots to fill and did his best every day to live up to lessons and principles passed on to me by my elders and heroes. Any job worth doing is worth doing right – and there’s never any shame in a hard day’s work. Treat everyone fairly, and with respect; you don’t look down your nose at anyone, but you don’t put up with anyone looking down their nose at you either. Always be willing to help your neighbors, and remember that it’s OK to ask for help yourself too when you could use it. All of my best memories came from adventures I never set out to take; it’s important to stay open to new experiences. I hope folks will know I did my best to tell good stories, stories that were as true and real as I could make them.
Do you have a blog or website viewers can visit for updates, events and special offers?
Our books are available in a variety of formats through Amazon and other booksellers.
Along the Trail to THUNDER HAWK – https://tinyurl.com/2s3n3my7
The Road Back to THUNDER HAWK – https://tinyurl.com/2p95xj4r