Zitkala-Sa (1876-1938) was a Dakota Indian. The years of her carefree childhood with her tribe, as well as the traumatic experiences in a boarding school, are the subject of her 1921 published book "American Indian Stories," among other narratives. Her first book, "Old Indian Legends," was published as early as 1901 and includes a cycle of stories about Iktomi, the Spider Man. "Red Bird Sings" contains the complete texts of the two books published by Zitkala-Sa, along with additional writings by her.