At her best, Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House on the Prairie books offer a door for readers to walk through to get the full picture of the world the Ingalls were  living in. She may not tell you everything in the books (and in some cases, she tells you very little), but ideally she leaves you wanting more. For instance: Who were the Native Americans living alongside the Ingalls? What were buffalo wolves? Do they still exist? In this episode, we’re going to try and paint a bigger picture for you. Imagine you are standing in the doorway of any one of Laura’s Little Houses. You’re looking outside. What might you actually be seeing?

Go Deeper:
More on the buffalo slaughtering of the 19th century
Learn more about the US Dakota War of 1862
Little War on the Prairie (This American Life ep 479), featuring Gwen Westerman
Mni Sota Makoce: Land of the Dakota by Gwen Westerman and Bruce White
Dr. Chris Wells’ work
Dr. Flannery Burke’s work