Buffy Sainte-Marie - Native North-American Child An Odyssey 12" Vinyl LP Album

The Essential Buffy Sainte-Marie Collection

Album cover of 'Native North-American Child: An Odyssey' by Buffy Sainte-Marie. The cover has a bold red background, with Buffy seated in a poised yet powerful stance, holding a curved bow. She wears a long-sleeved dress with an intricate pattern and dark lace gloves. Draped over her lap is a large painted hide, adorned with indigenous-style imagery of warriors on horseback, engaged in battle, depicted in earthy tones of ochre, brown, and green. The album title is positioned in the upper left in white serif font, while Buffy Sainte-Marie’s name is in the top right. The Vanguard Records logo and catalog number appear at the bottom left.

Buffy Sainte-Marie's compilation album "Native North American Child: An Odyssey" is a powerful collection of her work highlighting Indigenous struggles and resilience. Her lyrics boldly critique colonialism while her music ranges from poignant folk to touches of country. This album serves as both a potent introduction to her work and a testament to her unwavering advocacy.

"Native North American Child: An Odyssey" Album Description:

Buffy Sainte-Marie's music has always been a powerful vehicle for her voice as an artist and an advocate for Indigenous rights. Released in 1974, the compilation album "Native North American Child: An Odyssey" serves as a potent reminder of this, encapsulating some of her most poignant songs from her time with Vanguard Records.

Themes of Heritage and Struggle

The album's title track, "Native North American Child," is a stirring lament for the injustices faced by Indigenous peoples in North America. Sainte-Marie's lyrics are unflinching, painting a vivid picture of displacement, cultural erosion, and systemic oppression. Other tracks, like "My Country 'Tis of Thy People You're Dying" and "Now That the Buffalo's Gone," continue this unflinching critique of colonialism and its devastating impact.

Musical Journey

While Sainte-Marie is known for her folk roots, "Native North American Child: An Odysse" reveals the diversity of her musical expression. Songs like "Soldier Blue" incorporate elements of country music, while the haunting "Little Wheel Spin and Spin" showcases her mastery of understated vocal delivery. Even amongst the tracks focused on heavy themes, Sainte-Marie offers moments of beauty and resilience with songs like "He's an Indian Cowboy in the Rodeo".

A Retrospective

As a compilation album, "Native North American Child: An Odysse" offers listeners a retrospective of Sainte-Marie's impactful work during her Vanguard years. For new listeners, it serves as a powerful introduction to her artistry. For longtime fans, it acts as a reminder of both those essential works and her steadfast dedication to bringing Indigenous voices and experiences to the forefront.

Music Genre:

Psych-Folk 
Trivia:  All songs composed by Buffy Sainte-Marie

Album Production:

Photography Werner Stoy

Record Label & Catalognr:

Vanguard VSD-79340

Vinyl Record Format:

12" Vinyl LP Record 

Year and Country:

1974, Recorded in the USA, Printed in the USA

Complete Track Listing of: BUFFY SAINTE-MARIE NATIVE NORTH-AMERICAN CHILD AN ODYSSEY
    Side One:
  1. Now That The Buffalo's Gone
  2. Isketayo Sewow
  3. He's an Indian Cowboy in the Rodeo
  4. Poppies
  5. It's My Way
  6. Moonshot
    Side Two:
  1. Soldier Blue
  2. Way, way, way
  3. The Piney Wood Hills
  4. My Country 'tis of Thy People
  5. Native North American Child
  6. Little Wheel Spin and Spin

Buffy Sainte-Marie - Native North-American Child An Odyssey High Resolution & Quality Photos

Front Cover Photo Of Buffy Sainte-Marie - Native North-American Child An Odyssey
Album cover of 'Native North-American Child: An Odyssey' by Buffy Sainte-Marie. The cover has a bold red background, with Buffy seated in a poised yet powerful stance, holding a curved bow. She wears a long-sleeved dress with an intricate pattern and dark lace gloves. Draped over her lap is a large painted hide, adorned with indigenous-style imagery of warriors on horseback, engaged in battle, depicted in earthy tones of ochre, brown, and green. The album title is positioned in the upper left in white serif font, while Buffy Sainte-Marie’s name is in the top right. The Vanguard Records logo and catalog number appear at the bottom left.

The album cover of Native North-American Child: An Odyssey by Buffy Sainte-Marie is an arresting visual, drenched in deep, unapologetic red. At the center, Buffy Sainte-Marie sits gracefully, holding a curved bow, her gaze steady, confident, yet inviting. She wears a long, flowing dress, muted in tone, its delicate pattern adding texture, and her hands are adorned with dark lace gloves, a blend of elegance and raw, untamed spirit.

Most strikingly, draped over her lap is a large painted hide, a stunning artifact of indigenous storytelling. The hide is illustrated with an intricate battle scene—warriors on horseback, their spears raised, their headdresses flowing. The figures are painted in earthy hues of ochre, green, and burnt orange, evoking the power of oral traditions made visual.

The typography is clean, classical, yet firm—white serif letters spell out the album title in the upper left: Native North-American Child: An Odyssey. Buffy Sainte-Marie’s name, in the same font, sits in the top right, standing distinct yet harmonious against the striking red. In the lower left, the Vanguard Records logo and catalog number ground the piece in its era, a nod to its archival weight.

Photo Of The Back Cover Buffy Sainte-Marie - Native North-American Child An Odyssey
Back cover of 'Native North-American Child: An Odyssey' by Buffy Sainte-Marie. A black-and-white photograph of Buffy dominates the right side, where she gazes softly into the camera, her long, dark hair cascading over her shoulders. Her hand rests gently against her chin in a pensive yet serene pose. The left side contains the album's tracklist, printed in a clean, serif font, detailing both sides of the record. The Vanguard Records logo appears in the upper right corner, along with production credits and copyright information at the bottom.

The back cover of Native North-American Child: An Odyssey by Buffy Sainte-Marie is a study in quiet strength and timeless artistry. Rendered in stark black and white, the right side is dominated by a close-up portrait of Buffy, her long, flowing hair framing her face. Her expression is contemplative, gentle yet unwavering, with eyes that seem to hold stories beyond the scope of the album. Her left hand rests near her chin, fingers lightly curled, a gesture of reflection or quiet thoughtfulness.

On the left side, the album’s tracklist is presented in a clean serif font, detailing both Side One and Side Two of the record. The titles, such as Now That The Buffalo’s Gone and My Country ‘Tis of Thy People You’re Dying, speak to her signature blend of activism and poetic lyricism. Production credits line the bottom, acknowledging the musicians and engineers who helped craft the album’s sound.

Above, the Vanguard Records logo sits in the upper right corner, marking this as part of a larger legacy of folk and protest music. The entire composition exudes a sense of intimacy and power—both a personal statement and a historical document of Indigenous resistance and musical innovation.

Close up of record's label Buffy Sainte-Marie - Native North-American Child An Odyssey Side One:
Close-up of the record label for Side One of 'Native North-American Child: An Odyssey' by Buffy Sainte-Marie. The label is rich with earthy tones of swirling orange, brown, and yellow, featuring a marbled texture. 'Vanguard' is emblazoned in bold, white capital letters across the top. The album title and artist’s name are printed in black, centered below. The tracklist for Side One, including six songs, is arranged neatly in a structured format. The label also contains small silhouetted figures of a horse and rider in each corner, adding a touch of traditional iconography. The words 'Recordings for the Connoisseur' curve along the bottom edge.

This close-up of Side One’s label from Native North-American Child: An Odyssey by Buffy Sainte-Marie is a visual feast of warm, organic hues—swirling marbled shades of deep ochre, burnt orange, and golden yellow. The texture of the background evokes a sense of movement, like wind-swept sand or flowing paint, grounding the album in an earth-toned aesthetic.

At the top, "Vanguard" is emblazoned in large, bold white capital letters, standing out prominently against the backdrop. Below it, centered in sharp black text, are Buffy Sainte-Marie’s name and the album title, Native North-American Child: An Odyssey, reinforcing the album’s identity with clarity and weight.

The tracklist for Side One is printed in a clean, structured font, featuring six songs, including the politically charged opener Now That The Buffalo’s Gone and the evocative Moonshot. Each title is paired with its respective duration, ensuring a balanced, legible layout.

Adding to the design’s character, small silhouetted images of a horse and rider appear in opposite corners, subtly referencing Indigenous and Western visual motifs. The bottom curve of the label carries the phrase Recordings for the Connoisseur, a nod to Vanguard’s reputation for high-quality folk and protest music recordings.

VANGUARD VSD-79340

FEATURED BUFFY SAINTE-MARIE VINYL RECORDS

BUFFY SAINTE-MARIE - Fire & Fleet & Candlelight 12" Vinyl LP Album

Thumbnail of BUFFY SAINTE-MARIE - Fire & Fleet & Candlelight 12" Vinyl LP Album album front cover

Vanguard VSD-79250 , 1967 , USA

"Fire & Fleet & Candlelight" is the fourth album by Cree singer and songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie.

Learn more

BUFFY SAINTE-MARIE - Native North-American Child An Odyssey 12" Vinyl LP Album

Thumbnail of BUFFY SAINTE-MARIE - Native North-American Child An Odyssey 12" Vinyl LP Album album front cover

Vanguard VSD-79340 , 1974 , USA

"Native North American Child: An Odyssey" is the 1974 compilation album released after Buffy Sainte-Marie's departure from Vanguard Records.

Learn more

BUFFY SAINTE-MARIE - Quiet Places 12" Vinyl LP Album

Thumbnail of BUFFY SAINTE-MARIE - Quiet Places 12" Vinyl LP Album album front cover

Vanguard 519060 , 1973 , France

"Buffy Sainte-Marie" (born Beverly Sainte-Marie, February 20, 1941) is an Academy Award-winning Canadian First Nations musician, composer, visual artist, educator and social activist.

Learn more