Steve Friesen – författare

From April to November 1935 in Belgium, fifteen Lakotas enacted their culture on a world stage. Wearing beaded moccasins and eagle-feather headdresses, they set up tepees, danced, and demonstrated marksmanship and horse taming for the twenty million visitors to the Brussels International Exposition, a grand event similar to a world's fair. The performers then turned homeward, leaving behind 57 pieces of Lakota culture that they had used in the exposition, ranging from costumery to weaponry. In Lakota Performers in Europe, author Steve Friesen tells the story of these artifacts, forgotten until recently, and of the Lakota performers who used them. The 1935 exposition marked a culmination of more than a century of European travel by American Indian performers, and of Europeans' fascination with Native culture, fanned in part by William F. 'Buffalo Bill' Cody's Wild West from the late 1800s through 1913. Although European newspaper reports often stereotyped Native performers as 'savages,' American Indians were drawn to participate by the opportunity to practice traditional aspects of their culture, earn better wages, and see the world. When the organizers of the 1935 exposition wanted to include an American Indian village, Sam Lone Bear, Thomas and Sallie Stabber, Joe Little Moon, and other Lakotas were eager to participate. By doing this, they were able to preserve their culture and influence European attitudes toward it. Friesen narrates these Lakotas' experiences abroad. In the process, he also tells the tale of collector François Chladiuk, who acquired the Lakotas' artifacts in 2004. More than 300 color and black-and-white photographs document the collection of items used by the performers during the exposition. Friesen portrays a time when American Indians - who would not long after return to Europe as allies and liberators in military garb - appeared on the international stage as ambassadors of the American West. Lakota Performers in Europe offers a complex view of a vibrant culture practiced and preserved against tremendous odds.

Silver Medal Winner for the 2024 Will Rogers MedallionFinalist for the 2024 Colorado Book Award Galloping Gourmet explores an unfamiliar side of a familiar character in American history, William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody. In this entertaining narrative Steve Friesen explores the evolving role of eating and drinking in Buffalo Bill’s life (1846–1917). Friesen starts with Buffalo Bill’s culinary roots on the American Plains, eating simple foods such as cornbread, fried “yellow-legged” chicken, and hardtack. Buffalo Bill discovered gourmet dining while leading buffalo-hunting expeditions and scouting. As his fame increased, so did his desire and opportunities for fine dining: his early show business career allowed him to dine at some of the best restaurants in the country.Friesen examines the creation of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show in 1883, in which Cody introduced his diverse cast of employees to dining that equaled America’s best restaurants. One newspaper reporter observed that “Colonel Cody displays no more care about anything than the proper feeding of horse and man.” Cody opened the first Mexican restaurant east of the Mississippi and introduced American foodways to Europe. Equally comfortable eating around a campfire on the plains or at Delmonico’s in New York City, he also dined with leading celebrities of his day. In the final section Friesen addresses the controversies surrounding Cody’s drinking, his death, and his ongoing culinary legacy. Galloping Gourmet includes an appendix of more than thirty annotated period recipes.

A vivid exploration of the 1719 Hans Herr House, a cornerstone of Mennonite heritage in Pennsylvania. A Modest Mennonite Home by Steve Friesen offers a vivid exploration of the 1719 Hans Herr House, a cornerstone of Mennonite heritage in Pennsylvania. Through detailed chapters, Friesen traces the journey of the Herr family from their Anabaptist roots in Europe, through the trials of migration, to their settlement in the New World. The book delves into the construction and architecture of Christian Herr’s stone house, revealing how its sturdy walls and simple design reflect both the faith and practicality of its builders.Readers are guided through the daily rhythms of early Mennonite life—market trips, farming, and the use of household spaces like the stube, kammer, and cellar. Friesen’s narrative brings to life the modest furnishings and the spiritual devotion that shaped the home, including its role as a place of worship and print culture. The surrounding landscape, described as “the most charming,” is depicted in its agricultural richness and connection to the community.The book also chronicles the transformation of the Herr House into a museum, preserving its legacy for future generations. With personal reflections from Andrew Wyeth, whose family ties to the house add emotional depth, A Modest Mennonite Home is both a historical account and a celebration of enduring values—simplicity, faith, and resilience. This richly illustrated volume invites readers to step inside a world where home and heritage are inseparable.