They began their days as wandering buffalo hunters; yet the Indians imprisoned at Fort Marion who are the subject of this book were the first exponents of the Contemporary school of Indian art. As a part of their youthful education on the Great Plains, they were taught to draw and paint figures. This is not to say that they were professional artists of even devotees of "art." Plains drawing was not self-conscious; it was woven into the fabric of the daily life of every Plainsman. This book presents drawings selected from 847 extant pieces of art done by twenty-six Plains Indian warriors under unique circumstances.