Neither Wolf Nor Dog: On Forgotten Roads with an Indian Elder #1

By Kent Nerburn

Intro shares of Neither Wolf Nor Dog (I switched to an online free copy no longer available, mid-reading, which would be better to read firsthand instead of a white European American chick summarizing a white guy's narration of the indigenous Lakota elder he'd taken days of tape recording to get the below, perfectly orated answer to every racist's comebacks for why an oppressed people don't just "pick themselves up by their bootstraps", etc.) being passed from hands of prisoners amongst themselves and children to other kids from different states to understand where the other comes from, and has in common. Same with people from different countries, like Maoris likening the story to their own loss of native lands, and it has also changed the mind of an Army Corps Engineer to support the modification of a damming diversion project. Kent Nerburn decides to share his work with an Ojibwe man who'd come to his place to look at some scaffolding he's selling in MN, and when the man calls him some weeks later, he confides how people always wondered why he's so sad. After reading his book, he'd figured out why, and was able to share with his fam, everyone happy now, and he wanting to share this with him, and being his bro, thanking him.

Nerburn is happy to've been able to republish the book so as to reach even more people on paying homage to the "earthborn wisdom" of Native Americans he'd known. He notes not having met either native nor non-native having anger and sadness, and guilt on what'd been done to the former. Due to we inheriting the erf, we must help heal what tragedy our ancestors helped capitalize from, and the earth remembers. This book shares the recollection of the characters who deal with the memory as inheritors of the lands which the people can't silence the "whispers in the wind".

Both sides on the cultural divide search for healing and redemption, reaching across the divide to become sis' and bros, finally seeing all humans as 1 fam, allowing to allow people to view each other in peace and respect, like the buffalo to Kent. He notes the meaning is about faith in common humanity by showing and being met with, the conclusion being everyone wanting to save this delicate earth, and move beyond the pain, tears, and memories of the past for a more optimistic future. -'02

Sitting Bull's quoted regarding joining "minds" to consider what lives they can build for the children. Kent'd come up with the idea for this book on a motor bike ride many yrs before whilst going to N.D. He rides through and sees a "shelter" for a historical marker, so he stops and sees an "irregular boulder" behind an enclosed fence with a plaque stating the Lakota held these buffalo rock as sacred. Kent could see through the fence where the ancient craftsman'd chipped carefully to enhance the boulder's resemblance to a buffalo, it understandable why the Lakota kept them in high regard.

Kent notes at other points in his life, he'd've logged this moment away as another piece of Native culture learned, but he's changed since after having many living experiences among them, chatting, playing hoops, being a pallbearer, and watching as they respected, "chided", and fought with each other, Kent becomes apart of their daily life. Due to this, when he sees the buffalo boulder, he also understood how a piece of earth had been enclosed behind a fence, like a wild animal. Kent notes how the standing belief of natives reduced to a sign as a roadside attraction for well-meaning "intellectual" absorbing for the American public. He sees the metaphor: "the spirit of the land, the spirit of a people, named, framed", and "jailed" inside a fence.

Another act Kent notices is someone'd left a few broken ciggys as a sacred gift of tobacco on top of the buffalo boulder, which the Lakota sees as homage to Wankan Tanka, the Creator which is incarnated in all stone. This rock is alive, and a "spiritual presence". Kent vows to attempt to understand the "sacred presence of the land", and felt an obligation to share the people he'd grown to know. He acknowledges the difficulty in trusting white writers misrepresenting natives, and only hopes to be judged on what he does. His goal is to share the story of Dan, which per request, Kent changed certain details to protect him, but the thoughts are Dan's, and any error, Kent's responsibility.

Dan's like the buffalo boulder, "rough-hewn", but with "deep spirituality for those who have the eyes to see". Kent's wish is to have unity between native and nonnative, sharing this earth. Kent ends with how this books is an attempt to honor Dan and his people like the tobacco left atop the boulder, he hoping it's taken in the spirit he has offered it. - '94

Kent picks up his phone and a woman confirms his ID, then mentions her g/pa wants to speak with him, since he saw his Red Road books, which'd had a split effect on the Native American community, some seeing more pain and spiraling whilst others loved them. The g/daugh. states her g/pa doesn't want to speak over the phone, Kent understanding this being somewhat common, and so attempts to make sure the man wasn't mad at him before accepting the odd request to go see him on the quite distant res he lived. Kent's experience with Native Americans he'd met left him with an honor of merely being around them, helping protect the land "well-intentioned" wh. people inflict. Kent hesitantly agrees, conflicted with his decision, but wanting to uphold his promise to himself to take these opp's when they show.

The g/dau. gives the instructions to contact her g/pa when he came there, and hangs up. Several months pass before he starts his journey, and as he drives through the prairies and farmland, thinks how alien it must feel for natives when they leave the res, his map marking them vaguely in gray, small squares with dashes around them. When he arrives at the res, it's right after sunset, and the lady native clerk, whilst suspicious, gives Kent directions when asked, and upon arriving after a zaggy path, he's greeted by a friendly dog. When the door opens and Ken IDs himself, the cadence of answer sounds of humor and grace.

Dan leads Kent inside, his manner so indifferently welcoming it confused Kent as he sees his space and tells of the dog, Fatback showing up 1 day, and not leaving. When they sit and Dan gives him coffee, he goes into his Red Road books, a 78 yr old man with a twinkle in his eye, 1 clouded. Dan gets a sense of the kind of wh. boi Kent is, since he isn't appropriating or trying to fanboy natives, and also acknowledging whilst he loved natives he also loved his own wh. culture, which Dan thinks necessary if one's to be a good person. Kent waits patiently for the man to state his point, 1st pointing out a photo of his dead g/son, then quickly adds he wanted Kent to help him write his difficult story.

Dan shows him some of what he had in mind as for how Kent could help him, reading a couple pages and seeing a sound, thoughtful writer. Kent makes an unfortunate comment after accepting the task of helping Dan feel like the work he's aiming for could interest wh. people, as well. Dan states he's going to bed after Kent apologizes for his ignorant comment, and before Kent leaves with the papers, turns out a few of his lights for him. When Kent returns to his motel room, he feels guilty for taking the notes without permission, but does begin working on Dan's goal, and finishes a rough 1st ch. before passing out.

Kent returns to the house after 7am, and sees another car, waiting by his motorcycle til a young woman walks out, gesturing to him to come inside. He sees Dan at his table with his breakies and places his notes on the table near him. Dan has his g/dau., Wenonah read his work and by the end, commends Kent for making him sound like he graduated the revered Haskell college, which is what he was aiming for.

Kent now has boxes of notes plus odds and ends consisting of news clippings and the like, which he didn't know the meaning for his having them. After some months of constructing a few more chapters, he is apprehensive as to whether they'd impress, and if he was making it sound too much in his own narrative. Kent hears laughing coming from inside Dan's home. When he's greeted by Dan he acts as if Kent'd been absent for minutes.

3 other old fellas, but not as much as Dan, were at the table playing cards, and it was smoky with cig smoke, TV blasting. They regard Kent good-naturedly, but he not being included. Then, after he's asked whether he played cards, and he didn't, Dan requests Kent pick a page and read. Kent chooses a particular well-crafted pack, his only edits being for grammar, and minor moving of a minimum of words.

Dan's notes speak of regarding his Grandfathers and one speaking of not trusting white men, and the other offering a hand of peace. He shares how many of his people don't want anyone to share about their own, and prefer hiding, due to the past they would attempt peace, and would continue to be destroyed by them. He continues how there isn't anywhere left to hide, white men controlling the air and water they breathed and drank, and comes around them for good or not, and even if minimal in numbers, they were strong of heart, and perhaps would be heard this time. He goes on to state how he thought the red and the white must meet again soon before it's too late, otherwise either way, their time would be over, and he wanted to believe the opposite.

Dan believes the Creator didn't put them there to be destroyed and forgotten. They're apart of "the great circle of creation". He states, if he stayed quiet, 1 of their own would be silenced. So, he chooses to speak, and if he sounds angry thru his words sometimes, to forgive him, due to his mind holding much anger.

Anyone who sees the tears of their agonized children and g/mthrs would be angered, and his heart had difficulty stopping his anger to absolve of those who'd put his hardship upon their young and elders, but the land is teacher and says to forgive. If mtns can forgive mining, and cover slashes with new grass, shouldn't he be able to do the same with "kindness and understanding"? If forests can continue after "the murder" of her children and rise with beauty, he also should be able to continue on after the murder of his people and raise his heart toward the sun, but it's not easy being "great as a mtn or" forest, but it's also why creator gives us teachers, and due to being older now, he looked to those who teach him lessons rather than comprehend the mens ways. He's expected to be patient, and he can't change what's done already, and only hope to change what would happen.

They suggest allowing grass to sprout over their scars and bloom flowers on their wounds. He allows if others believe these words are incorrect, to fix it, and if he's done rightly, may others hear and keep it close to them. When someone can say the same as he, but better, he'll give them lead, but he's old and can't wait, so he'll speak and not be silent again. When Kent finishes, the men at the table start asking if he'd written it, and if he's writing a book, Dan acknowledging the piece is alright, while 1 says it's "damn good", and another uncertain, then getting up to leave, the other 2 following, but cracking jokes and lightly laughing as they exit.

Kent asks if he'd done something, but Dan denies this, and asks to hears the piece again, Ken obliging. It sounds odd in the smoke-filled room with playing cards, Dan seeing Kent's confusion and declaring K didn't understand, and to return the next morning with tobacco and he'd show him. Next morning there's foggy wet, heavy air, and a semi was idling by the motel. Kent is hoping he'll receive some sense of gratefulness from Dan for his putting his time and money into this, and a better sense of energy and want to drive forward with the project, rather than guttural sounds, nods, and people around and leaving for no apparent reason.

Kent then reminds himself what an Ojibwe man he respected and was a tribal leader, telling his college students about "Indian time" meaning when they're ready to oblige, but whilst Dan is on Indian time, Kent was on the clock of paycheck town. Kent gets ready, and heads out to see Dan, this time greeted with Dan's g/dau making his breakies which consisted of bacon, the grease poured in oatmeal, she familiarly offering some and calling him "Nerburn". He requests a rasher of bacon and coffee, which he is happy her brew isn't as strong as Dan's. Dan asks after the tobacco and Kent said he'd decided to wait to give it to him yest, since feeling it hadn't been a good time, Dan indifferent and his g/dau looking at Kent from the corner of her eye til he'd noticed.

Outside someone's telling Fatback to stop barking unceremoniously, and then 3 car doors close before the same 3 card players enter. The 1 who hadn't liked yesterday's reading jokes with Wenonah and then Dan offers Kent to give them the tobacco he'd brought. Kent offers the man the tobacco and explains the reason he's there, and'd accept his input if he had any. A long silence, and the man states Dan had his cooperation if he chose.

Grover and Dan then walk outside and talk as another fella turns on the TV, Wen giving Kent toast as the 2 speak in Lakota outside, Ken unable to tell the tone of the exchange. When Dan comes inside, he relates to Kent to come outside, Grover saying he'd written it too white. Kent's confused due to his minimal changes, Dan's response to motion him outside. Grover's seated on the stoop not looking at Kent, and says it sounded fake, "like movie Indians", and when Nerb relates not getting it, he's again surprised with Grover's familiarity with him, and requests Dan share a story about a NY woman they'd met.

Dan sits on an old car seat and relates how the woman had come to hear how Indians talked for a white savior movie for Indians. The woman was dressed like she was on Jurassic Park safari garb. Her clothes seemed more expensive than his car, and she acted like she was scared to get dirty, so would be quite careful before walking or sitting. She asks qs and the other fellas stay silent, not trusting her, Dan offering books, 1 being Nerburn's, and the lady getting more unnerved by the group's silence after asking her qs, which Dan thought was amusing.

The woman skims thru the books and states it wasn't what she was after, due to they sounding "flat and uninteresting". This stuck with Dan, since these were real people's voices she was dismissing. She was after a stereotype of an Indian. Dan tells her she's probably looking for Greenwich Village Indians, the 1's who are apart of the Iroquois Confederation and gave speeches more.

She seems glad to leave, since Grover kept clearing his throat, she thinking he'd spit or something, but he merely repetitively doing it, Dan almost busting a gut to keep a straight face. Grover next tries to tell why the writing is good and bad, so uses his cig as example, how Indians see tobacco as sacred and he's sitting smoking 1 Kent had given him, Kent not getting it, yet. Grover asks if Kent thought the cig he was smoking was sacred, providing it isn't but the pack he'd given him was, because he'd given it without being asked. So, like Indians, sometimes they're sacred and sometimes not, Kent can't let Dan sway him, and needs to show both sides, so he had to be clever.

Kent isn't getting it still, so Grover uses Fatback as an example, explaining after they watched her settle and lay down, Kent'd write all he'd seen in order to show how she'd acted. Kent's getting annoyed for feeling how he'd felt plenty of times before with Indians, unappreciated for the work he'd put in, and nothing being enough. Then, Dan speaks up, saying he probably did want it to sound white, which satisfies Grover, then Dan admits they'd have to write it the Indian way, Kent being interrupted mid-protest as Dan hands over Kent's instruction to Grover, who tells Kent to nix the speeches, since Dan always made speeches, and to focus on writing the rest, like Fatback's process before laying down. Before going in, Grover states Kent should merely write the story as seen.

It takes some time for Kent to get over Grover's dismissal of his hard work, but then asks Dan when he returns in the morning, feeling a bit exposed when he sees Dan's burning sweetgrass, and saying he'd done it for him. Kent then learns Dan had burnt all his notes, coaxing Kent to participate throwing in the sweetgrass, since he'd need the help for their redirected project. Kent waits some time, then asks what Dan's plan is, he now expecting to write what Dan said as he spouts. He expected Dan was happy to be rid of his old thoughts, and so now empty again, Kent is the empty box he'd fill once more.

Dan is smoking a pipe on the porch, which he offers to Kent, who has always wanted to smoke with Indians, but felt it improper, due to feeling like he should take a backseat to being offered anything by natives. When Dan offers twice, Kent takes some puffs, and returns it, Dan smoking and stating Kent isn't a believable liar. Dan elaborates when Kent admits he didn't know when he'd lied, Dan clarifying, it hadn't been something he'd said, but can also be told through silence, a good or coward's lie, when seeing something disliked, and not saying so. Dan goes on to state how he'd seen Kent's displeasure when he'd burnt his notes, and Grover's input, stating not to have it happen again.

After disassembling the pipe with ritual, Dan tells how it's sacred they'd shared tobacco, and Kent had promised to not lie again, which'd be difficult since he didn't think he'd lied, but the smoke/tobacc. helps to look for the truth harder. When Grover had taken the tobacco from Kent, he'd agreed to stop bs-ing and help, since it's a promise he'd made to the Creator. Grover knew he hadn't said things either of them liked, but he'd promised the truth. This explanation makes Kent feel like his past thoughts had been too self serving, Dan relating how the same issue had come when Indians'd made promises with the white men, which was a promise to the Great Spirit, Tanka, but the white men'd been making deals, instead.

So, Indians couldn't understand how white men kept breaking all their promises, and how Indians could never break their promises. Dan also notes how even the religion white men peddled is partly acceptable due to Indians sharing similar rituals, but most didn't need a priest to implement them, and it didn't cheapen them for being more private, since they're to the Creator. So when the white men made promises on the Bible, the Indians took them seriously, but like church, it seemed to be important only some days, and the rest of the time meant nothing. Kent takes his words soberly, not angered any longer.

Dan notes how he's good, and how the 2 peoples are usually on all sides, but the 2 were so different, despite Indians thinking they could all live together. Dan explains how he spoke to Kent with the voice his grandfather's taught him as he's just as able to speak to Grover for himself, Dan then offering to show Kent something, and required to take Fatback, who Kent puts in the truck bed. Dan's demeanor'd changed when Kent started driving, a sense of purpose blooming where sadness was before. They follow barely declarable roads up toward a hill.

When Kent parks and Dan gets out and does another ritual, singing and setting tobacco to the wind in 4 directions, Fatback joins him as Kent stays back, not wanting to intrude, until Dan invites him closer to be taught. After Kent sits down per order, he starts using his audio recorder as Dan starts speaking. dan decides to share how Indians'd actually lost the land. Despite elders foretelling of white men coming, they were still surprised. Before they'd only dealt with other Indians from other tribes, and they'd decide whether to allow them to pass through their land, not because they owned it, but due to fam being buried there or were frequented for hunting.

The creator'd given it to them, and it's where their sacred stories take place and had sacred places on it. So, when people came to ask permission to pass, they'd allow it, because the animals knew them, their ceremonies were there, and they'd see seasons pass there, everyone knowing it's their land, so whilst not being allowed to hunt or disturb sacred areas, they could pass through. Indians didn't believe they owned the land, it's part of them, they had no concept of ownership of land. It'd be like owning your grandmother.

So, when white people came, they only wanted to pass through, they being strange, but a part of the Creator's plan, it not being their right to control them, the Indians simply living. The white folk promise to do no damage, the Indians thought they'd come and go, but the white people were constantly searching. Next, white people came back with wagons, and started shooting buffalo, the Indians still not minding, since they knew they had to eat. Soon though, they're shooting animals for sport and leaving them in the waters.

White people are making heavier paths, coming through like a river through the lands. Indians hand't seen the type of action white people were used to before, since Indians saw the earth being alive, 1 doesn't move a stone to change her or kill an animal to take from her, there's supposed to be respect, and white people aren't showing it. They cut trees down, were heavy on the land, loud, and acted like wild people. Indians attempted to stay out of their way, but were getting angry for making hunting more difficult, taking food from their children's mouths, but the Indian's reasoned the white people were on small paths, and the Indians were free.

They wanted to leave them alone, but the young men were angrier, and they wanted their rifles. What confused the Indians was when white people began asking for the land, Indians not knowing how to respond, they not wanting this, it seeming wrong to take money for land to the Creator and their grandparents and ancestors. Then a new thing they didn't understand happened, they were told they didn't belong there anymore, since a chief in Washington said the land was his and he said the Indians couldn't live there anymore. The Indians thought the white people were mentally deranged, and the elders warned to be careful, since they're dangerous, but most Indians laughed, at least according to the elders who'd told Dan this when he was young.

So, when other white people came along sticking flags in the ground, and stating where they'd started to where the flag was, they now owned the land, the Indians thought they were crazy, since it was like shooting an arrow into the sky and saying 1 owned the sky as far as the arrow made it in the air. So what was really occurring, was the white people were referring to property as Indians referred to the land. People from Europe wanted property of their own so they could live and farm, when they'd been working for other people in Europe who'd claimed all the property and took everything raised on it, so these people don't ever have anything, because they don't have property, and they wanted this the most, which's why America as a new country meant they could get property of their own. So, whilst perhaps Europe at 1 time had also been land, it'd changed to property and no 1 remembered.

If people didn't have property, they didn't have much control over their lives, since anyone who had the paper saying they owned land meant they could do anything they wanted on it. So the people who came from Europe believed this, and thought they could come overseas and do it here, but Indians didn't get this, knowing only they belonged to the land, but white people wanted to own it. Also, white people's religion doesn't come from the land, it's carried with them, and white people didn't get Indians religion is on the land. White religion could carry their cup and piece of bread anywhere for a priest to make sacred and didn't understand Indians found the land sacred because it's where they are, and sacred things happened there, the spirits speaking to them there.

Due to the difference in communication, neither side understood each other, and Indians got washed back upon each other as white people became like an ocean washing them off their land. (Best way to understand the meaning of #Landback, but I'm sure Xtians and patriots can feign righteous ignorance, somehow.) Indians couldn't agree how to best react, some wanting to defend themselves, some running, chiefs suggesting making deals, and some people seeing it as the Creator's way of changing to new ways. White people were everywhere, killing animals and leaving them to rot, building trains, not letting Indians hunt, and their drink and blankets driving them crazy, then being placed in pens, the worst thing being white people not listening, making promises, and not listening to Indians trying to explain. At first, the sacred lands are given to the Indians, but then taken away when white people wanted them, which's what happened at the Black Hills.

Then white people said they could have land to hunt and fish on but took it away, or made it smaller or sent them elsewhere. Then white people said Indians could always hunt and fish on the lands they'd taken from them, but new people said they couldn't do this either. White people did what Indians didn't know could happen, being killed without killing them, turning land into pieces of paper, and bags of flour and blankets, telling Indians it's enough as they took the places the spirits spoke to Indians and gave them bags of flour. To the natives, the land is alive, and everyone's mother, she spoke to them, and when she's mad, she'd give difficult winters, and had to do good for her, and all creatures, because they're everyone's siblings, and if treated well, mother'd be proud.

For white people the land isn't living, it's a "stage", building things to make other things happen. White people knew water, trees, and dirt are important, but not like fam, their roles to aid humanity survive, people supposed to make the land grow fruit, which is what white people's god told them. So, how could 2 people talk, and believe each had a God who told them different things about the land, they couldn't and hadn't. The white people had more strength, and had more people, and so their way won.

They took the land, and made it into property, and now natives mother is quiet, but they still listen for her. Dan wonders if she sent disease and terrible winters when she's mad, and no good to her, what'll she send when she talks back? White people better hope their god is correct. Kent is effected by Dan's telling, not once looking over at him, Dan getting up and walking along the ridge with Fatback.

Kent doesn't talk about their exchange for a few days, thinking Dan'd say more when he's ready. Kent agrees with Grover's advice, now though, Dan had the gift to speak, Kent merely needing to be available to catch him. Dan lives like Fatback, doing as he desired without announcing it first, so Kent could be talking to Dan and watch him get up and go to bed or watch TV, and sometimes it made sense or wasn't obvious to Kent for the change. Dan worked according to an inner prompt, and so the days pass like this.

It's an at ease lifestyle, and Kent noted how frail Dan actually is, and the strength he called to enliven himself, came as he needed, but the action is a drain to sometime zoning out and into an uneasy sleep. When Kent asks him a q in his revery, he sensed his responses were bringing him back from far off, so kept himself busy when Dan slept. 1 day during 1 of these times of quiet reflection as Dan snoozed, Wen drove up, motioning for Kent to walk over. She states how Kent didn't have to wait, Dan wouldn't be offended if he left, Kent replying he felt it was disrespectful when he falls asleep.

Wen reassures it's no issue, but the Indian way, when here, you're here, and when gone, you're gone, which isn't a problem, as long as when you're truly here, you're here. She clarifies how since Dan respected Kent, he'd understand, and Kent can do as he pleased. Kent feels he out to wait anyways, saying he'd feel at ease more, this putting a smile on her face as she walks inside, stating she was going to start Dan's dinner. When the door slams behind her, Dan wakes, he shares a joke with her in their language, then sees Kent and calls him in, comparing Kent's actions to how FB came to him.

As Kent notices his good mood, he asks if Dan minded being called an Indian rather than Native American. Dan acknowledges how it's how he desc'd himself, but many of his people were bothered by it, not liking the name being a mistake. They believed it takes away their identity and pride. Kent agrees it seems fair, but Dan continues how they still had their own names in their language which usually translated to First People, in some way and how'd people accept this, it being instead allowed to refer to them as Indians.

Kent states how Indians seem to accept a certain level of injustice when Dan asks if it revealed anything about his people. Mostly, Dan reveals, his people are easy going about names. 2 type they didn't like is when people used the name of Indians for team names, if they accepted a fake name, leave it for them, don't use it. Don't stick it on beer or ice cream cartons, to embarrass them and make Indians look foolish, and disguise it as an honor, they'll decide this.

Dan becomes irritated, continuing how this was always how it'd been with white people, they couldn't leave Indians to do as they must, and be who they are. 1st they're told who they are, then told how they should be, and now they're told how to take it when someone defines them a particular way instead of asking Indians, no 2 listening when they speak, anyways. Every individual knew how they wished to see them, and be allowed to think it, and if they speak out, they're called troublemakers. Dan reminds when some Indians wanted to be referred as Native American, and whilst more dignified, America is made up by an Italian, and so still wasn't accurate a name for them so still isn't real, like Indian isn't real for them.

Dan makes the example of if someone took over the country, decided to call it Greenland, and they'd now be Native Greenlanders, for honor, would anyone feel respected? Imagine then someone asking whether you preferred 1 fake name over the other fake name, neither even being in their language, and if some of their people wanted to be called Native American and some Indian, the people should oblige (like with the coveted pronouns). Dan also says it should be a bit uncomfy not knowing which, since it's how they felt since Columbus came. Dan requests for a map from Wen and she provides a National Geographic, Dan asking Kent where Indians came from, Ken eventually putting how no 1 knew where, but it's said they came through the Bering Straits, Dan clarifying it is known, the Creator putting them here, and it scared them (white people), to think natives knew in their hearts, and with ancestors stories, but they can't prove it.

If they say they're the 1st People, the 1's from the land, an archeologist comes and says they came "through Alaska", make certain natives emigrated too, just they'd been there earlier. If they say they're from there, an anthropologist (not like the 1 from December's Child, at least 1 existed) come and say it's a myth (Dec.'s Child has creation stories as well haha), so when the natives say they're part of a tribe, they're asked for proof. When they say their stories are proof, it isn't enough, it should be in writing, but those were written by white people or Indians who worked for them, and made mistakes (I wonder what Dan would say about Dec's Child..). What about those Indian people who's tribes were destroyed and don't exist now, would you say those people aren't Indians, since they aren't members of a tribe recognized by the gov't?

Dan asks Kent if he understood, they carried false names, are told their own history says the 1 they knew is incorrect, and then gov't attempts to make rules about who they are, and who can be 1 of them. Kent can only add how said it was, Dan agreeing, since at 1 point the gov't made it ok for white people to move onto their land and claim it was theirs. Lots of white people moved to their land, then claim they're Indian to get a piece of the treaty payments. Also they had many intermarriages, as well as rapes, so no 1 knew who was Indian anymore or the meaning.

Wen warns her gramps to take it easy or he'll have a heart attack, but Dan waves it off, makes certain Kent is getting everything, the tape recorder still running. Dan states how confusing this can get, the Europeans did succeed in exterminating them, with guns, laws, all types of censuses, and regulations to confuse who they are. They mixed them up with white people, taking their language away, the kids to residential schools keeping them from learning the old culture, "herded" them to rez's, and rewarded the Indians who acted like white people, creating a generation of Indians not knowing who they are. Dan states how they were still currently at war, but not against America or the people, but still defending who they are, so it's a war to them, since if they didn't fight for who they are, they'll be destroyed: by false ideas, phony Indians with good intentions from people who think they're helping by making them act like white people.

Wen attempts to stop Dan, but he wants to complete his thought. Dan considers whether Kent'd heard white people claim to be part black or Mexican, definitely not, but people do with Indians, normally a grandmother, or g-grandmother, never a grandfather, no 1 wants an Indian man in their ancestors, he could've had a tomahawk. People wanted the "old blanket Indian woman", who teaches her wisdom. They're never a Potawatami or Chiracahua or Tlingit, it's normally Cherokee, seeming more romantic, Dan guessed he'd met a hundy white people saying they thought they had a Cherokee grandmother, and they genuinely believe it, wanting it so much to be true, they make themselves believe.

Most leave it there, but some grow their hair and put them in braids, others go to powwows. Then they may take a class from a fake medicine man and then a new Indian is born, soon spewing Indian philosophy and confusing the idea of Indian even more. For so many years America hoped to massacre them, and now they're "the only group" they're attempting to be part of, Dan supposing it's due to white people realizing Indians had "something...real" and lived how Creator intended, and knew white people'd ruined it, so to say they're part Indian, it's similar to getting some of what Indians have. Wen not long after mother hens over her grandfather, sensing this explanation had spent him, Kent getting the picture, and announcing he'd return the next day, she looking relieved and caressing Dan's hair as he zones out placidly.

Kent takes a few weeks to return, the weather going autumn, and Kent'd become transfixed by the atmosphere, Dan taking him to the same hilltop nearly every day, but wouldn't speak, merely enjoying the view as Fatback snorted around them. Sometimes Dan'd mention having memories with his father he couldn't share, or other times singing a song undertone. Soon, Kent got a puzzling compliment from Dan about he seeming to be able to look farther. then another day, states Kent seemed to be getting better with quiet, Kent sensing Dan's about to say something significant since they're on the hill. Dan starts with how Indians learned through silence, 1st watch, then act.

After being set into continuing, Dan agrees white peoples way was opposite, they learned by talking and rewarded their kids for being the most talkative in school, and at parties everything spoke, as in work with meetings and everyones meant to interrupt each other, and claim it's problem-solving, but to Indians it sounded like people saying whatever came to mind, and then pushing it into something which made sense. This is why Indians use it on white people, staying silent to bring out nerves, the need to fill a room with sound, so they speak quickly without knowing what'll come out. Dan says the elders state it's the best way to handle white people. Stay quiet to make them talk and then say too much, which'll show their hearts and knew they're true meaning, which'll in turn show them how to respond.

Dan recollects how as a chid, a teacher'd get annoyed when he took time to think of an answer (this actually being an Instagram story about teaching young kids, all kids take longer than a min, but eventually can come to an answer), but eventually Dan states they'd thought he was dumb. Dan knew the teacher merely wanted him to talk, it not mattering what he said, but Dan felt it disrespectful, so he was labeled slow. Dan sees the same attitude from teachers toward his great grandkids, since they also didn't speak all the time. Kent offers how it's similar to the settlers not liking the empty land, Dan perceptibly pleased with this understanding.

Dan continues how white people were nervous around Indians due to they liking to argue, not allowing people to finish thoughts, and announcing, "Well, I think...". Indians find this disrespectful, and dumb, wanting to wait for people to finish, even if he doesn't like what's said, he may stop listening, but he wouldn't interrupt. Only if important would he announce opposing anyone's view, otherwise'd be silent and walk away. Dan also recognized most white people wouldn't be satisfied with this, usually wanting an opinion on their opinion and won't let go until convincing the other party of their side.

People don't succeed in making their pint by trying to keep talking at someone about their side, words like seeds and need silence to grow. There are plenty of voices in the environment besides their own, after all, and Indians are taught to mimic the earth, and in order to hear her, 1 must be quiet. Dan asks what Kent thinks of during their quietude, returning with how he'd listen for all the voices on the wind. Kent gently has Dan explain more, he hearing a bird and knowing by its call it was telling another it'd rain soon.

Dan also knew the weather'd get cooler (which it doesn't always do, for smarty shmarmies.), and hearing other parts of nature, everything speaking to Dan. He points to where a green patch on another hill was, Kent slowly seeing something moving, and Dan stating it's pispiza or prairie dogs, which allowed for rain to make the grass greener, which brought larger animals to feed, which they could then hunt. Dan states of having learned all this from his grandfathers who he still hears the bones of in the ground, Dan seeing how Ken didn't seem to believe him, but goes on how he had a gift of hearing where the dead was buried, speaking in an ancient language, Dan refers to how his grandmother had this as well, Dan getting a feeling like a shiver and told to always listen, which's why he went to the hill, he could hear his ancestors. Kent declares how he'd believe Dan due to having an experience with peyote many years earlier and'd heard the nature around him, as well as sensing the dead in the ground, not having spoken of it very often.

Dan next shows what he meant and kneels down, closing his eyes and placing hands on knees, after a few seconds, Fatback coming through the grass, Dan offering to show him call Fatback again without saying anything aloud, Kent tempted, but not wanting to turn this into a white man anthro project, and keeps to the advice to merely record, not participate, stating to Fatback's good hearing, making Dan chuckle and then stating they should leave for lunch. Dan offers they head to Grover's for baloney sammies, Kent agreeing, having warmed to him despite he not trusting him, knowing he'd taken on the roll to protect Dan and keep Kent on the right path of a "good heart". This was Kent's first view of the rez, since Dan lived near the highway. The homes are set far from the road, half mile apart from each other.

Some bungalows lacked doors with blankets draped at the front or doors hanging by a hinge. Kent also notices half finished projects on some properties, the only finished task seeming to be the laundry lines in the back, Kent struggling with whether to ask about why they'd want to live in what middle class people saw as "squalor", and wrote off to meaning low self esteem, and laziness. Dan could tell by Kent's look and mentions how it bothered him, Kent admitting this, and Dan joking how Kent needed to work faster, Dan being old, Kent smiling at his crack, and stating being white man's time, which gets a giggle from Dan. He points out another half built car broken in a yard, and asks what Kent sees, he saying junk, and how they didn't clean the land they respected, Dan mentioning how Indians saw white peoples cities the same way, noting just because they still used the ramps and buildings, doesn't mean they wouldn't see them as trash as soon as they wanted to make something bigger, which by comparison, a car in a yard doesn't take bulldozers or the amount of clean up a ramp or building would, Indians seeing it all as trash all the time, as opposed to by white people's flippant whim (these are my own words, mind).

Indians are still using the broken down cars, like Dan's being used by Fatback, Indians used to use all parts of the buffalo, they using machines the same way, it eventually returning to the earth anyways (like the video game, Rust). Kent tries pushing Dan this time, stating cars aren't buffalo, and after Dan claimed it's the same, and Kent calls it b.s., Dan pouring out how white people's attitude of possessions is b.s., how all white people centered their lives on owning things, and the ads claiming new was better, which made what you had no good. White people are taught "this is mine, that is yours... don't touch that, it doesn't belong to you", taught to keep away from what you don't own, not from respect. For Indians, in the past they didn't have to lock doors, people allowed to come in for food, but didn't steal anything for respect.

White people built fences and learn if their neighbors shrub is over their yard, and don't give anything unless getting something, all economical. Kent writes this off as being America, Dan agreeing and how too many Indians are adopting it instead of the shared ways, and how next to bravery, generosity was most important. Dan asks if Kent remembered how much better it'd be when good people believed they should give rather than receive. Dan continues how Indians didn't gauge people by being rich or poor, they didn't know of it, since when times were good, everyone was rich, and when bad, all was poor, they measured by sharing.

Kent doesn't see the connection to the dead cars, Dan saying he was getting there, but Kent'd interrupted. Dan continues on how some Indians gain more money, but keep it and still live simply for how odd it felt to own possessions. Things were important when needed, but when not, lost importance. When asked to describe what Kent saw again, he speaks of a dirt bike a kid must've lost or left, Dan saying teachers reacted the same toward his great grandson when he left a book and he told them how he hadn't needed it, but they wanting him to have a bag and to keep his papers and everything with him.

Dan compares how white people wanted big houses not to live in, but store all they've collected. When Kent mentions the buffalo and dead cars again, Dan states he knew what Ken was up to, and states how Indians made use of the things as they needed it, and would allow earth to reclaim them when they didn't, which made him proud of the sitting cars because their ways hadn't died yet. Dan relates how Indians lived the same as when they'd used earthware and skeletons of buffalo, but the items had changed and what they left took longer for earth to absorb. It came back to possessions, Kent upset by it not being tidy, like how Indians saw big shopping centers being trash but white people happy because they're well swept.

Indians don't have much and left what they didn't need or want anymore. The way white people are "trained" is to be impressed by how big a house is owned and how many possessions one had. When they reach Grover's trailer on a treeless hill, it's well kept and without a dead car, Dan stating the sad state of affairs when a rez Indian "lost his culture", laughing. Grover is sitting on his couch watching a black and white cowboy show and not turning when Dan steps in.

Dan asks loudly why he didn't have a dead car out front, and Grover states not having a dog, the 2 sharing a loud laugh. Kent takes the seat offered as Dan heads for the fridge and gets the sammie makings, and brings it back to the table, he and Grover constructing their sammies as Grover turns the TV up as Kent wants to lower it. Kent asks how they could watch the Italian playing Indians and cowboy heroes, Grover and Dan saying it's nostalgic from childhood how Indians would cheer on the cowboys in movie houses back then, even enjoying John Wayne. Kent'd heard this response from other elder Indians, booing the Indians on screen and cheering the cowboys like white kids, not feeling the Indians onscreen were like themselves.

Grover states how other things bothered him and this type didn't seem worth it. Dan states it bothered him more now than in the past, since there were few white kids, and those who were there were nearly as poor as them, so seen as the same, and the scene onscreen not representing them in real life. When Dan and Grover hear how white people spoke of Indians in the city though, it was so dumb, the movies started making them angry. Dan shares how the whole persona'd begun with Buffalo Bill's Wild West show going across the states to show off real Indians right after Custer.

Sitting Bull even became a part of the act, which Dan couldn't figure out why he would. Considering how where Dan and Grover lived, and seeing planes heading to either coast and not caring the Indians were in the middle seemed to be how white people liked it, at least like the NY woman who only drop in to get something from them, a new version of the same type. She'd most likely write her script copying a wise Indian speech and not care they speak differently in private settings, the movie reflecting white saviorism, but become more wise by applying Indian wisdom to their white lives. After Grover says how he'd have go watch for the lady's movie on TV, Dan states how that's the issue, her trite shit'd be seen by whites and Indian kids misrepresenting Indians once more, and Kent better not write like this, Grover stating intently, and unlike the NY woman almost weeing herself, Kent states he peed in the toilet, Dan correcting this by saying he should be peeing on the earth, always.

Kent began getting into his own head about his staying morally right and still feeling like the anthropologist peeping on the natives from the outside. Kent couldn't help but come back to the image Dan'd brought up with the plane's passing overhead, Kent thinking about his experience being a passenger in 1, and wondering about the people below, living in the middle America, and he now down where the little collection of lights'd be seen from above. Kent then thought how far away he felt from the high frenetic antics, like the TV show hosts doing bits on his motel TV, and comparing how Dan'd always experienced what seemed the slower life compared to the city, and the energy being a completely different experience from the middle America hearing voices on the wind, type of life. Then Kent begins noting all the contradicting directions he's getting from Grover and Dan and comparing them to the type of requests he'd get from editors, and publishers wanting Dan to sound wiser and nicer.

Ken's now questioning whether Dan's playing with him, due to the delivery of the buffalo story, and he's ready to end this, and go home to his fam, since he's getting short on cash and didn't know if any of this'd even get picked up by a publisher (sure, white boy). Due to feeling so judged, and uncertain he's also the butt of private jokes, Kent thinks it's time he went home, and'd write Dan a note, so he didn't have a choice, but to read it. He also considers how Dan's words were only important to "a few Indianophiles", and Indians, so it wasn't an enormously important project they couldn't pick up later, unless Dan found a ghostwriter they didn't have to judge the character of so often through the process, and Kent still felt his efforts were under-appreciated. As he attempts to write his letter though, he tries to turn the TV off for distraction and instead switches to a ball game, where he sees 3 fat, white guys appropriate Indian culture, which successfully has him choose to still meet Dan the next day.

Kent had come to the conclusion by morning, he'd meet Dan, but then head home to his fam, service his truck, and put the book in order after Dan clarified where he wanted to go with the ultimate goal of the book, then Kent'd return with a better formatted story. When he reaches Dan's home, Wen meets him at the door to relay Dan wouldn't be back for awhile, taking a short trip, Kent going off on her because he hadn't said anything the day before, which would've saved him a night in the motel, but Dan hadn't said they'd meet today, and Wen states this evenly and how they hadn't asked for his ancestor's blankets with smallpox or their mini malls and highways, and were tired of considering what an outsiders belief of importance coming first, didn't matter to them, since they'd decided to come, they weren't asked to stay (sounds like what Hawaii is going through with U.S., right now, we're occupying them, as well to this day). When Kent makes a retort, she goes inside and he continues his rant, and when she comes back out, shows him a pic of her grandfather in a wool U.S. soldier uniform as a boy, he having been put through the horror of a residential school. When his father tries to have him returned to them, he's arrested for complaining.

Wen shows Kent a pic of a boarding house where he grandfather endured teeth pulling by a dentist without novocain for teeth which "didn't look right", and another punishment for wetting the bed which involved fishing line and a poor child's member, Dan no longer bent to the white man's wants. Kent retreats to his truck, properly privilege-smacked. When Kent makes it to the highway, the truck finally succumbs to it's possible gasket issues, and when he reaches another little rez town, a little fella on a bicycle motions him to follow, and he's led to an auto shop. The kid goes in, and a huge man follows, when looking under the hood, he announces the truck's death tag, and hadn't heard of the Nissan model.

Kent was giving up hope when the man opens his garage and gestures for Kent to move his truck forward, other little townie boys push the back, and when Kent succeeds to aim the truck in, pushing from the driver's side, the man called Jumbo states he'd looked up the model and could fix it. After leaving his keys and getting his bag, he doesn't know how long or how much, but he agrees to check in, and then sees Dan waiting with Grover in his car, they having sammies ready with Fatback. After Dan makes a joke about seeing Kent's smoke signals from his dying truck, which had them come by, he obliges Kent and asks Jumbo an est. for the car being fixed, Jumbo giving the same answer of unknown, and Kent should've gotten a Chevy. As Kent is being driven along on Dan's trip, he mourns what he thinks is the last he'll see of his truck, and'd be destined to ride home on a Greyhound with squalling babies for 24 hours (1st world issues, where's your grandmammy or pappy to tell you at least you got your dick ass home. You didn't have to walk or die on the side of the road like they did when they were young, but they picked themselves up by their bootstraps and revived themselves and got back right before dindin).

Grover jokes whilst reassuring Jumbo'd either fix it or let him know otherwise, and Kent needed to unwind, which he knew was accurate. As Grover drove slowly along, and chatted to Dan in Lakota, Kent falls asleep, and when waking, they're stopping at a truck stop for food. Grover and Kent find a booth as Dan fetches water for Fatback, and meets them at the table, bothered by what looked like a hippie fam, Dan mentioning it, then going quiet, Kent asking what was wrong instead of letting Dan's bothered feelings settle. Dan relinquishes with not wanting to have to speak to the fam, noting their wannabe Indian accessories usually meaning they were trying to be Indian and would make opportunity to say something to him, so he looked down when it seemed they were readying to leave.

Grover didn't have the same issue as Dan, since he kept a crew cut, but Dan grew his hair long, so normally got noticed. After explaining further how Indians used to usually feel sorry for the lost white children showing their freedom by growing their hair, but then thinking Indians were like them, they began to try and ingratiate themselves in the Indian lifestyle for not knowing themselves, and their own culture. So, when they see white people come to their powwows wearing eagle feathers and dancing in the grand entry, not knowing the reason for what they're doing, it didn't equal they're point of respecting Indian culture, Kent asking why they weren't set straight, if they were doing something wrong, and Dan states it isn't their way to interject if someone has the "right heart" to do what they will, they should be allowed. Dan relaxes when the fam leaves without accosting him, and he focuses ranting about yuppies next, rather than the more sore spot of sacred Indian things being sold to the white people who spent loads on their turquoise jewelry and dreamcatchers.

Yuppies are much more oily than the hippies, Dan admits, since yuppies are in it for the cash, and whilst awkward when being asked to take a pic, most Indian oblige because the people asking usually have good hearts, but it's still strange when they wanted to be Indian. Grover pipes in with how he thought it was fine when Indians are invited to speak to classes, and teach white people about dreamcatchers, which Dan acquiesces, but not to the point where people think they can buy a culture for a nickel or go to powwows giving them credibility. When they get back on the road, they continue driving in silence, which Kent hadn't experienced since childhood, and brought back quietude. When it seems Dan and Grover sense Kent's calm, they start singing in Lakota, the song coming out of them like it's part of them and the land.

Kent began to get emotional, also hearing the emotion from the 2 men, Kent connecting to the layers of emotion the singing had helped surface. When Dan and Grover stop singing, Dan states he's about to give a difficult talk, since it spoke against his people, which he didn't like doing, but is necessary, since some were harming their people, and not respecting what they were taught. Dan refers to those who sold things which were sacred, specifically Indians selling their culture to white people. Those who use an Indian name, and charge white people money for a ceremony, or give sweats or pipe ceremonies to them.

Dan's even heard of selling naming and peyote ceremonies, or telling the stories which shouldn't be shared, which is wrong for Indians to take part in, and knew it, but don't care for some reason. Dan clarifies he's not referring to Indian's sharing their culture, he's talking about Indians selling their sacred truths of their ancestors. Sharing dances and telling legends "...can help people", believing white people are able to relate to them better this way. Dan referred to Indians who sell their birthright for money to make people feel like Indians.

Dan recognized how white people's need to consume meant gaining everything physical and spiritual, and it's how white people are currently regarding Indians, wanting to consume them spiritually. Dan regards how before, white people wanted Indians to be like white people, now it's about becoming Indians. If white people are meant to become white Indians, Creator will have it occur in time, Indians can't give what's theirs, since they'd lose who they are, it no longer holding value. So, Indians who are selling the sacred ways, even when making up ceremonies, are killing their own people, not holding dear which has the most value.

When something's sacred, there isn't a price, if it's purchasable, isn't sacred. Once it's sold, for good reason or not, one is taking something "sacred and making it ordinary". Indians can't sacrifice what's sacred, for them, since not having much now, everything they have left in their hearts, and ceremonies, since the land's gone, being sold by false Indians who were made chiefs by white people (presumingly talking about Presidents), and sacred objects are gone after being collected by anthropologists who put them in museums, and now Indians are selling ceremonies to make cash. When those are gone, they'll have only their hears, and without ceremonies, their hearts won't speak, effectively becoming like the white man who's scared to say the word "God" aloud, and tries buying sacred ceremonies from other people.

Indians'll have the same hungry hearts and silence on their mouths. Dan doesn't want this for them, he wants them to have something which didn't have a price, since if they didn't, his unborn g/kids'd already be dead. Dan completes his thoughts and turns back around in his seat, having said it all in a whisper, they continuing the drive in silence with the sky darkening. When Kent wakes again, it's morning and he notes Grover must've driven for awhile, they parked "more westerly" on a rise, having heard earlier in the dawn Grover and Dan exiting the vehicle with Fatback, and choosing to snooze longer.

Kent sees Dan squatting in front of the car watching the sunrise as Grover brews some coffee over a fire, motioning for Kent to come collect a cup. Other cars and tents were parked below them with some wearing their "feathered costumes". As Kent watches the local powwow setting up, he asks Grover if this is their trip goal, he referring him to Dan, so he asks, and Dan gestures to view toward the horizon, saying this is what his people cared for, their mother, the earth. Kent responds with the "place" being lovely, and Dan clarifies the term "place" was white "talk", she being alive, and we "standing on her", and also being a "part of her".

Kent's interpretation of Dan's specification rounding to a similar way men like to dismiss women, writing Dan's way of describing the land as he being more philosophical in the morning, seeing hills doing this to Dan. Kent's advised to sense the earth's breathing, and stop focusing on where they're headed, and forget his "white man ideas", Kent affirming he was trying to do this (any other guy would say Kent is whining or whinging, gender war, anyone? Anyone?). Dan notes how he knew Kent was still focusing on his truck, which wouldn't help him learn anything quicker, and either way, Kent'd find a way home, so right now he should "[l]isten to the earth", since it'd only be exactly like this moment for 1 day, today. Kent affirms his understanding, but states he also missed his fam, and would feel better setting a frame around their plans, Dan asking if Kent knew where water flowed when on the ground, Kent stating, to the lowest areas.

Dan's example leads to the answer of their trip taking as long as it would. Dan continues about how the world isn't an accident, and when he has Kent approach closer, he declares how Kent and he were given a task by the Creator, and Kent needed to do his part correctly. Kent considers how he doesn't want to mess this up with another white man trying to help an Indian and doing harm instead, but Dan'd asked for his help specifically, and it had Kent flash to how weary of a people he'd been in contact with once strong and now asking for help from the descendant of those who didn't show the Indians mercy, but shot their women and children as the men asked for help and got killed or tortured for it. Dan waited for Ken to respond, and when he does, he confirms he'd help, but also wants forgiveness for what white people have done to the Indian culture.

Dan acknowledges he believed Kent wanted to help, but doesn't know if he's good or bad, but thought he was good, and needed to stop worrying unnecessarily, and listen and see what the Creator wanted of him. Grover fetches a big object wrapped in a multi-colored blanket, and brings it over to set it on the ground in front of them. Dan instructs Kent sit down nearby, and watched as the two men unwrapped a drum made from a hollowed tree trunk, Grover setting it up on homemade posts. Dan places tobacco on the posts and head of the drum, next taking out a padded stick, Grover doing the same, his covered in beads.

A breeze blows the tobacco around them, after which Dan starts a beat, and Grover follows, Dan 1st to begin singing with Grover joining after. They sang for about 5 minutes until ending abruptly, Dan walking off as Grover rewrapped everything with the same reverence. When Grover places the drum back in the trunk, and gestures for Kent to refill his coffee, Kent inquires guardedly if he could know what the song meant, Grover saying Dan'd made it for him, so obliges in revealing the lyrics which start with, My heart is filled with anger. As Kent asks how Dan'd written the song for him, Dan himself answers, having walked up behind Kent whilst the 2 chatted, and confides how his grandfathers had given him the song while he'd been on the hill, saying someone'd come.

After Dan next burns some sweet grass, he stating it's time Kent understood the reason he was telling him everything, Kent buoyed by how Dan'd referred to him as "little brother". Dan shares how he had the gift to see from the white man's perspective, his pop noting this to him during his time at boarding school, and to stay on the good path, so he could navigate the gift properly for his people. Before, when Dan thought he wanted to speak, he was patient and stayed quiet, reading and writing to bid til the right time, since white people have cycles of hating and then loving Indians, right now it being to love them, which was good, but some of Dan's people thought this'd change again. They thought white people'd be angry about casinos, and keeping their land pure.

So, eventually white people will want what they have, and turn on Indians again, but others believed this time was different, and white people really understand this time, thinking white people knew they were lost, and wanted help to discover their way, which's why Dan started talking and taking notes all those years, waiting for the day for Kent to be able to help him use them, Dan offering all his notes to the Creator as a gift. Indians don't talk to white people often, due to white people not listening or hearing what they wanted, and making promises only to break them, which's why they warn their kids of being wary of talking to wasichu, due to using their words against them. This was a wise lesson, but not a good 1, since it doesn't serve them not to speak, but they'd also learned not to trust white people, which isn't something Indians wanted to learn, white people "forced" them. White people didn't at 1st know what to think of Indians when they'd first met them, devils or pure, not even knowing if they were people at all (reminder of POC, glorious readers?), but still welcomed on their land, and given food and smoked with them, and taught their ways.

Indians were trusting white people's goodness in their hearts, so attempted to share, and despite this, white people didn't trust in kind, no matter how much they were given, they wanted more. For the Spanish, it was gold, the French, furs, the English, land, and still there's always something else wanted. Indians then saw in white people's eyes they aren't being heard, and so Indians learned to be quiet. Dan clarifies when he looked in Kent's eyes he saw something there he wanted to go away, which isn't bad, seeing Kent's fam, which's good, but some was his truck, which isn't good, it's a waste of his heart, and some could be greed, which Dan wasn't sure about, but knew he wanted it to go away, all of it, at least for now, it needing to all leave him, since Dan speaking isn't easy, he not a leader, and some Indians'd be mad, whilst others will understand he's doing this for the grandchildren and respect him for it.

Kent must help because Dan had reached out, and if he was scared or "too small" it was too late, since he's already there. Dan then burns sage, which bad spirits don't like, filling them with fear and making them leave, Grover sharing this as Dan did this and Grover instructing it's important Kent listen. Dan continues to say he had a bit more to share, and having called Kent to come, his people not doing this in the "old days", merely waiting for white people to come, since they don't know "what to do with the white" people, some Indians wanting to fight, whilst others wanted to live with them, and no one knew what was correct. The white people did horrible things to them, and lied and took their land, killing them, and not listening when they tried talking.

Now white people are here and Indians can't make them leave even if they wanted, since there's a reason white people took their land, and the Creator knew, the Indians only able to do what's best, and talking to Kent is best. Which's why Dan is "welcoming" him, like his people before him, and they destroyed the welcome with crosses, disease, whiskey, and guns. So, Dan is now welcoming Kent as a single person, having "called" him to his house, and Kent answering the call, so he offers his hand in welcome. When Dan clasps Kent's hand, it's with the weight of a promise, holding it for longer than he was comfy with, but couldn't escape from. Dan then says he welcomes Kent to their land.

They didn't go to the nearby powwow, and as Grover and Dan discuss the plan in front of the car, it's concluded the trip'd go in a different direction. 1st Kent needed a phone to call his fam, so Grover takes a shortcut through the plains, which seems to be making Fatback carsick, and Kent q'ing their route, fortunately Dan soon needing a bathroom break, so the 2 exiting the car. Grover states how they're headed for a road in the distance, and Kent's response q's how he could assume he'd find it without hitting a pothole first, Grover replying how just because they aren't on a paved street with houses nearby doesn't mean he didn't know Indian land, they weren't in the middle of an ocean. Kent believed the landscape did look oceanic with the waving grasses, and then wonders aloud if Dan was alright for taking so long, Grover stating he was fine, since he liked to stay places sometimes for a bit, so Kent goes looking and finds him squatting and watching something in the distance.

Dan points out a buffalo, tatanka, which Kent thought was a bush or tree at first. Dan states tatanka hadn't wanted him to see him yet, which has Kent ask if he thought the animal'd somehow clouded his mind. Dan compares it to how lizards do it, tatanka knew Kent's type of eyesight tracked movement, like animals would, and knew things, like when to stay still so it can watch them as well. Kent goes on, trying to gauge whether Dan meant the buffalo had mystical powers or talking of powerful intuition skill, which allowed the buffalo to sense whether to fear them.

Dan next gauges whether Kent'd ever had a dog or cat, he confirming he'd at 1 time had 1 each, and how he could tell the differences between the 2 animals from each other, and others of their own kind, Dan then saying how it's the same idea for buffalo, they're different from other animals. Kent states he'd dealt with no buffalo before, and Dan responds how his people had, giving them food, clothes, shelter, and nearly everything they required to live. They lived among buffalo like siblings, and knew them better than Dan knew his dog and cat, and he was telling Kent buffalo "have power". Dan accepts Kent's apology for his q'ing since he knew it's how white people learn, and states they can return to the car.

As Dan struggles to see as they head back, Kent asks how he'd seen the buffalo with his bad eye in the distance, Dan stating he'd shown himself to him. Grover was stretched out on his car hood, and asks if Kent'd saved Dan, he replying it was a close one for Dan almost turning into a buffalo, Grover glad he hadn't for not fitting in the car. Next, Kent watches an exchange between Fatback and Dan when he sees her worrying between her paw pad at a burr, Dan making a tsk tsk sound, which prompts Fatback to lay on her back as he dug the burr out. She licks his hand before licking her paw, Dan getting her in the car, and this reminding Kent of Grover's advice to watch Fatback for his book.

They travel over the hills nearly all afternoon, Dan mentioning there's faint tracks in the areas Grover's driving, otherwise he wouldn't know where to go, Kent uncertain if he's kidding, but they continue on til night falls. When Grover locates a road, and follows it, Kent gets more comfy, which Dan calls out, Kent rationalizing roads had better chances of leading to phones, but Grover happily supplies this isn't necessarily the case for Indian land, America had phone lines and electric lines, their land people still sharing, and when someone visits, it's due to actually wanting to visit, which is why the guest is honored, Dan stating Kent should think more on "freedom and honor". Kent readies the tape recorder for Dan's latest addition of oration, not as attentive, but still following instruction. The reason white people fail to understand Indians is due to Indian people finding honor most important whilst white people focus on freedom, which's why white people listen to black people more than Indians, black people also want freedom (this not to say black people aren't oppressed similarly, but in this case, I can see the correlation), and white people felt guilty about helping to take it from black people.

The Indians, though have always had freedom, and when Kent's people fled their homelands to find freedom in America because people at the top made having it a commodity, the system still stuck in their heads when finally away from it, so now Americans worry about freedom for how little they have, and must guard against others taking it. White people couldn't understand Indian ways from the start, looking for "the person at the top", and fences which kept them safe, showed how much land they had, how far the gov't went, their world made of cages, and thought Indians world was, as well. Elder Indians knew this from the start, saying white people "live in a world of cages", and if they're not careful, they'd have Indians do the same. Indians began noticing after this, everything looked like cages: fences, land cut into little squares.

Next came the gov'e to keep the cages safe, the gov't itself also a bunch of cages: laws saying what 1 couldn't do, and only free inside 1's cage, which then had the person wondering why they weren't happier, and don't feel free. Indians hadn't ever felt this, since they were already free, and don't have "cages of laws or land", believing in honor. To Indians, white people looked like the blind walking, knowing they weren't on the right path upon bumping into the edges of the cage, and "the guide was inside", not outside: honor; Indians felt it more important to know right from wrong. They look to the animals and saw what's right: how deer trick large animals, and bear running their young to make them strong, "without mercy".

Buffalo stand still until understanding -- each "animal had wisdom", which Indians attempted to learn. They learn how they got along, and raised young, and would copy, they wouldn't copy "what was wrong", always choosing only the right. This search kept Indians on the "good path", no rules or fences, honoring themselves and fam, and wanting people to say how they're good for being brave like the bear or "clean as the fox". Indians didn't yearn for freedom for already having it, they only seeking honor, which's duty.

People "who sought freedom" are "running from duty", which makes them weak. Freedom's important only when someone's attempting to put 1 in chains. Indians didn't have chains so didn't need freedom. Dan stops to make sure Kent understood his people brought a world where they "saw everything in terms of freedom", which Indians didn't need, so had no use for white people, only being able to take it all away, and give it back in the "form of cages".

So, when white people gave back Indians some land, they did so in allotment form, returning it in squares, and saying they could be ranchers and farmers, which Indians didn't want to do all the time, only when required, they didn't need to be told (sounds like Joe Rogan, hunts for his meat, and doesn't need to be told to not kill animals and shop at a grocer). So, when they didn't farm, white people got mad, and refused to understand, saying they gave them land and to be farmers, and they didn't do anything, and to Indians all they'd done was give them a cage of their own. Similar to putting an animal from the woods into a house with a fence, it not giving the animal freedom, since it strips the animal of his honor, due to if he accepts it, he's no longer free. This is what white people did to Indians, accept the cage or die, taking their honor and giving their freedom, which even white people knew wasn't freedom, it's only freedom for living in 1's own "locked cage".

Dan thought white people were jealous of Indians, religion fucking white people up, otherwise they'd have lived like Indians from the start of stepping foot on their land. They knew Indians were correct, wearing Indian's clothes, eating their food, learning to hunt like them, and when fighting the English, fighting like Indians. White people's real intention of coming to Indian land was to be like them, but white people got afraid and built cages they'd just fled from. If they'd listened to the Indians instead of attempting to convert and kill them, what a country it'd be.

Grover shows approval with Dan's oration, which makes Dan proud, he offering next to speak on language, this an area which bothered him, and the old ones advise to focus on taking away burdens. Dan asks if Kent spoke another language, which he said 2, but badly, Dan stating Kent knew how hard it is, then. Dan then asks if Kent'd like to read contracts in either language, he replying to the negative. Dan continues with whether Kent's like to have someone he didn't trust explain what was in the contract to him, he ofc replying no, Dan able to relate how this is what white people did with them, and had bribed or threatened Indians to sign, and after, if anything in it helped the Indians, it was changed by lawyers for the gov't or taken to court where judges "made them mean whatever the gov't wanted".

Since Kent knew enough about the treaties injustices, Dan refocuses on another subj, recollecting how he didn't learn English until he went to school and was forced. They were walked into classrooms, and speaking in English, was expected them to learn as it was used. As Dan sat and listened to all the words the teacher could say without having to stop for an hour, and not even move her hands, he also began to realize 1 can say the same thing many ways, and what's important to Indians is saying something the best way. Dan demonstrates how this works, but 1st notes how he doesn't mind this process much until it's used to hurt people.

For instance, battles being a victory when white people won, but a massacre when they didn't, the results being the same for either side: kids losing parents whether they're Indian or white. When Dan considers, he doesn't truly know what a massacre is, sounding like dead women and babies getting their throats cut, which if is correct, white people massacred more than Indians, but he doesn't hear about white massacres being mentioned. This way of speaking makes it seem Indians killing is uglier and their people worse than white people. Another misused word: uprising -- used whenever Indians could no longer tolerate what was being done to them and attempted to get their rights, which if is the case white people should call the Revolutionary War one, but it isn't called this, and why not?

Gov't was taking their freedom, and they stood up against it, but decide to call it a revolution, like the earth turned to a better direction. Dan considers how it'd make more sense if textbooks stated how Indians were kept down again, rather than saying "Indians rose up again". This is how the English language is used on Indians, instead of guns. Or using the word "warpath", white people "formed an army", but Indians defending their fams "went on the warpath", also mentioning terms like "blood-thirsty and savage".

Dan acknowledges how Kent must think those things from the old days don't matter anymore, but it's still prevalent. Dan states how his great grandson told him what he'd learned in school regarding American civilization stopping at the frontier, and how Dan was disgusted by the idea civilization exists only "where the white men reached". So, everything on the other side of their border "was uncivilized", but Indians were on the other side, and they had gov'ts, and laws, and people better behaved than the ones who'd entered their lands. Whenever white people mention the frontier, it's like saying Indians don't matter.

Dan looked up what frontier truly meant: "the edge between the known and the unknown", which they're teaching Indian and white kids of a history which shows Indian people a part of a large, dangerous, "empty space on the other side" of a "line where people had laws and culture", like there're lions, snakes, and Indians, and they're all the same, an unknown which makes the land dangerous. This is the story most white people don't see, talking about Indian land like the wild, empty space, whilst Indians saw it as always full. White people talk about civilization like Indians didn't have it, only due to Indians not attempting to move "big chairs and wooden chests across the desert in a cart". The way white people claim America began starts with ships docking in Mass and Virginia, the people coming ashore and making their way over large empty landscapes "full of danger".

When white people got to the plains, they made the path easier for more white people to follow, which allowed for the easy access to fill up the land, and so history was about how white people filled up land, and what occurred whilst filling it. This makes kids see the past like white people, like they were the 1's who were on the boats and covered wagons, which isn't how it was for Indians, they seeing it as "a big land where people lived everywhere". Then, people came from the East from overseas, whilst others came from the South, and started pushing Indians, then more came down rivers from the North, and everyone was fighting each other, all wanting something from the Indians: fur, gold, or land, and would take it or made Indians sell it to them. They had guns, and so killed them if they didn't believe God was Jesus who lived in a desert overseas, white people not leaving Indians alone.

Soon, the gov't did the trick with the flag, saying they owned all between where they were, and the flag is stuck in the ground, which left Indians to get pushed on top of each other to fight for land to hunt on. This made the Indians have to start making deals with white people, since there wasn't enough food, and losing the land their ancestors were buried, and getting "pushed into little ponds of land", Indians like fish, at 1st swimming in the sea, and then sent to little ponds. To Indians, American history is how the sea turned into little ponds, and whether those'll be taken, as well. It's not to do with the 13 colonies and covered wagons, Indians land was taken from every direction, so when white people use words like civilization and frontier, it's merely words which put big ideas into shapes, and the big ideas behind the shapes "are weapons", which take Indians past from them.

Dan sees many areas Indians'd gone wrong with Kent's people, 1 was in not seeing the "big ideas" underneath the terms used, not recognizing whit people must name everything to make it exist, so naming Indians savage, made them so, and naming where Indians lived the wild, made it seem a dangerous place, which then made Indians what they were in white peoples minds, and they still doing this whilst not knowing it's happening (for some, this is becoming reminiscent of narcissism symptoms). Dan hopes white people learn to be more conscious with their words, since Indian kids don't know the old language very well, and learning English is giving the wrong ideas to some words, which in turn gives all kids the wrong view of the world. When Dan was a boy, he was told by an old man to look at words like "beautiful stones", lift each 1 and understand it from all sides before using it, which'd help him respect the word. White people have so many words, they lack respect for them the way they should, there's always more, so white people spew them out without contemplation.

White people should be careful with word usage, they're like stones, and whilst "beautiful", if spoken without care, they can hurt people. Dan states he's finished his thoughts, having made the whole speech with his eyes closed, Grover again showing approval, and stating Kent should feel honored he's hearing Dan's words, since he hadn't spoken similarly in quite awhile, Kent silently thinking how Wen'd said similar regarding how much they respected Dan without saying so, and they wanted Kent to do the same, which he felt he was. Kent states he'd have Dan's words heard, and then asks how he'd begun to speak on these topics, Dan obliging with an explanation. When he was a boy, an old man, who was wakan looked at his eye, and told him he could see in a special way.

The old man continues on how Dan'd 1 Indian eye, and 1 white, and told Dan's pop he must learn to see with both, and told Dan to use the gift. So, Dan's pop advised he always watch, even if he's ridiculed, keep watching til he learned to see with both eyes. Dan is sad when going to white school, crying every night, and ashamed since he's a boy, and shouldn't. In the summer, when he's home, Dan confesses to his grandmother of crying a lot, and didn't know why, saying he isn't brave like the other boys.

Dan's grandmother tells him he's wrong, some people felt more pain, so others could be brave, and Dan could be 1 of the special ones. She said he's smart, and to learn to speak, it'll be good for him. So, Dan tries to learn, most kids scared to try for the teacher hitting them for saying the wrong words, so thought it safer to stay quiet. Dan tells his teacher he wants to learn to speak, so she gives him a book on Lincoln and 1 on Rome, tasking him to learn a whole speech once a week, and he'd say it to her after school.

Dan's intimidated by how many words are in the speeches, but he tries, and for the words he didn't know, he made musical sound similar to the sound of the word, and the teacher accepted it. When an elder heard Dan speak, he told him of Indian speakers, and this gift being a good one. After this, Dan learned how to see with both types of eyes, hearing the sounds in the words of Indian speeches, and noting the similarities in white speeches, which expanded to hearing the nature between the words, and spaces, which he then was able to use upon hearing animals, and could learn to speak by reading the speeches in books, and ever since, hadn't been scared to speak. He learned and studied words, watching with both Indian and white eye, speaking both in English and Indian, and honoring his gift.

Dan qs Kent on what his gift is, which Kent isn't prepared for, not knowing offhand. Dan states it's Kent's ability to be honest, hearing people, and not having "to sit in the center of a house". Dan continues by clarifying how Kent is a coward though, due to being scared of others getting mad, which he'd learned from Wen, saying it's how 1 could get Kent to do anything, which made him uncomfy for hearing how accurate a description they'd deduced, making him laugh nervously, and states so. Kent asks how Dan could see it with such depth, Dan's answer being it's 1 of the skills his people'd developed to survive.

Dan warns Kent people'd be mad with what he's writing, they'd also be mad at Dan, but he didn't care, since he isn't a coward, and Kent states how harshly this sounded. Dan continues for him to be allowed to finish his thought, and says Kent mustn't be scared, since there's a good type of being mad, and Kent has it, which comes from seeing with clarity, which Dan had, as well. This is the anger the Old Ones spoke to him about, and Kent must learn to control it, after which it can be useful. There's "bad anger", as well, which's the type where people are only after what they want in the way they want.

It's selfish anger, the type kids have, which 1 "can't" back out of, since then 1'd be a coward, Dan making sure Kent understood, which he affirms. Dan is glad, since if Kent can stop being scared of other peoples "bad anger", he'd be able to use his gift better. Grover helps clarify by adding Kent's assignment is to write what he sees and hears, he being "a keeper of the fire" (like me! I got tasked with being a cycle breaker, as well!), Dan nodding in agreement, saying keepers of fire can't show cowardice, due to carrying the light. They could soon see signs of humanity, and when Grover passes 2 white when herding cattle, Grover comforts how Kent'd feel at home in the white town they're heading toward, they'd be able to eat, and he'll be able to use a phone.

Kent learns what Grover meant upon seeing the town not being like the rez towns, but the white equivalent, with water tower and church steeple, this 1 of the better placed homestead towns with the help of the Dawes Act of 1887. The town itself is also upkept the way he expected, proper signage for shops, homes in the designated area, people conducting business with the proper etiquette. It "was a farm country town", old men with pickups telling each other tales in the town cafe. They park at a cafe generically named, "Cafe. Homemade pies", and Dan acts like a tourist at the place, Kent seeing the nondescript outside of the cafe, housing a bar-like dimness within, and when they sit, all 3 order coffee which has Kent wishing for Grover's blend.

An Indian couple walk in next, looking decently drunk, Grover and Dan ignoring them. The waitress ends the couple's stay when asking if they had money, and wouldn't give them the requested coffee until seeing it, so they leave angrily. Other white men at stools start looking at Dan and Grover, and "prairie n" word, comes, which Dan ignores, and states how alcohol'd been bad for his people, making them "crazy", and it'd been "a test the Creator gave" them, Dan having tried it many years ago, and Grover stating he still attends AA. Dan states how Indians are "weak for alcohol", like white people were "weak for owning things", which is simultaneously a gift, weaknesses making people "stand up to" themselves.

The waitress comes back with Grover and Dan's pie, and Kent's soup, which he's impressed by the same gasoline multi-color sheen the coffee shared, whilst Grover shows satisfaction with his choice of pie. Dan continues about how alchie hadn't been Indians real issue, it was how it'd allowed Indians let it make them into victims. When Kent generalizes of being a victim being an American pastime, it has Dan state how it's the white people's way to blame others not taking responsibility for what isn't going right in their lives. Indians don't require this way, not opting for a social worker or gov't professional to tell them what's wrong, only needing "the Great Spirit for strength".

Dan is so worked up, he hasn't touched his pie, Grover swiping it, since he knew Dan was on a roll, and the white men are starting to notice them again. Another way to get to the Indians heads was planting the idea they were victims by social workers, it being a "bad truth", not helping them to get on a good path, but pointing out how their lives are different to white people, and seemingly in a lacking way. If there's a select amount of things they can learn from white people, this is fine, but it shouldn't mean they need to change everything to then want the same exact wants as white people, which shouldn't have them looking at Indians like just due to they not having everything the same as white people made Indians "victims". It gives too much power to the white people's ideals over Indians way, both should be able to live the way they thought best, and help each other as best as possible.

Which is how it should've been from the start, sharing ideas, and knowledge with white people, and vice versa, both sides gaining the others gifts, but instead white people didn't listen, even though Indians had, and they're thanked by white people stealing from them, Dan now too loud and the white men taking notice again, which Grover warns Dan of, but by now he doesn't care. The waitress, seated in a nook of the room looks slightly amused. Dan passionately continues on why Indians listened to early missionaries because cause "they were strong". They joined how Indians lived and liked it, they saw how Indians lived "close to the earth", and from the Indians view, the best missionaries are those who made their religion fit with Indians religion, like a hand in glove.

The other type of missionaries fucked it up, and made trouble for Indians. The missionaries who were "drunk with their own vision of truth and couldn't see" theirs, the ones who needed to be accommodated differently from the Indians way of life, and didn't know who the Indians were. 100 years after this, and Indians are adopting white people's ways, and they say Indians are victims if they don't have all the items which'll keep their beds off the floor, and food wrapped in plastic, but white people turn around and go camping, sleeping on the ground, and say how they're doing it like Indians did, another way white people take Indians culture, trying to make Indians feel shame about what they don't have and then claim what they do have for themselves. Like how white people honor Thoreau for living "in a shack and looked at a pond", but if Dan were to choose this lifestyle, he'd be bombarded by social workers with opinions, writing notes of his low self esteem, and they'd get grants and gov't programs in place, then claim it's to help them, which's what occurred with allotment.

White people need to live 2 types of lives, 1 near the earth, and the other with "big" homes, and "big jobs", but if Indians are proud of their 1 life, they're lazy, not like Thoreau, who still had a career, but if he stayed in his cabin, he'd've been considered a "bum", and social workers would've begun hassling him. Dan states how white people saw Indians only 2 ways: drunk bums or noble, in the old days only being labeled savages. To conclude, Dan advises if white people want to live like Indians, they should "[l]ive close to the earth", get rid of a few belongings, listen to the earth more, instead of building more on top of it so often, help each other, be quiet more often, and talk to the Creator, then stop blaming others for one's issues, and stop making people into things they aren't. Kent waits to make his call at a convenience store instead, since the white men in the cafe are seated near the phone, and he didn't want them to claim more gossip fodder, the convo with his wife a subdued, sad affair for taking on too much with the fam at home with Kent's absence.

Grover's advice to let it go, makes him mad as Dan stays quiet. They're back on the road, and stick to the hwy for awhile, Kent not caring their destination now, letting the landscape entrance him until, uncertain whether he'd dozed off, his body jolts when Dan instructs abruptly for Grover to turn into a particular area. They're going past a billboard for Sitting Bull Burial Site Monument, and Dan states he wanted Kent to see, Sitting Bull "the Great One", only stopping due to his people starving, along with Crazy Horse, they both the greatest. Kent repeats a similar sentiment, and Dan goes on to declare the treaties being shit, saying the gov't'd give land, but the Indians not seeing how they could give them something which was already theirs.

All the contracts'd done was "bind the Indian people to the white man's laws", which Sitting Bull'd discovered, so he didn't sign for remembering this, and also knowing signing would only have them lose something. Then, they see someone walking in the distance, looking Indian, Dan considering picking him up, and when they get closer, see the man's about 30, and looked to be the type to walk great distances as a preference. When they pull up, Dan gestures at him as offering the guy a ride, and he accepting wordlessly, nodding at Dan, and offering Kent a ciggy, he panicking about not smoking, but not wanting to insult him if it's merely a sign of respect. Kent declines wordlessly, and the fella next offers Dan and Grover, Dan taking 2, and Grover 1, no one speaking. Kent'd been waiting to learn more about Sitting Bull, but now they're in an "Indian silence", which Kent felt much on the outside of, so Kent instead side-eyes his companion's "of the land" handsome features, also seeming lithe cat, athletic peak bod.

Kent breaks the silence with a q to the silent traveler regarding whether he was heading to the grave site, and in answer states he'd be getting out up ahead. Not long after, states a spot to pull over, and gets out. Kent's q'd bothered Dan, and had hung in the air like stank after, the man speaking in a way of someone who didn't chat often. After, Dan states, "[w]hite man's disease", saying Kent'd asked if the man was heading to a "grave" site, and how certain subj's "run deep", how Sitting Bull'd been killed by reservation police, and hadn't signed the treaties for not wanting his people to become like "the blanket Indians", who wait on food rations, and he'd loved white people, but loved his Indian people, and if they had anything to do with white people, they'd turn white.

Dan quotes a part of Sitting Bull's speech, which he still knew from boyhood. '"All agency Indians I have seen were worthless. They are neither red warriors nor white farmers. They are neither wolf nor dog.'" Kent still doesn't get it, miffed at Dan getting so mad over his white etiquette. Dan clarifies how Sitting Bull'd been correct in saying Indians'd be neither wolf nor dog, if they listened to the white man, exactly happening to current day.

Kent asks what it had to do with the traveler, Dan stating how many in the area had been related to members of the police who attempted to arrest Sitting Bull, and it's around the area they currently were, being where he'd camped. "The agent sent Indian police" to go after Sitting Bull, and his people'd gone "to see what the Ghost Dance was all about", and the agent didn't want Sitting Bull to see, due to thinking he'd cause trouble. They wanted Sitting Bull to just be a farmer, so they sent the Indian police, and they shoot Sitting Bull in the head. In retaliation, some of Sitting Bull's band shoots some of the Indian police, and kills them, so people don't talk about it often unless one knew who they were speaking with. Kent loudly asks, "After a hundred years?", Dan compares it to the Civil War and how white people in the South react, better not to mention it.

Kent still can't grasp the concept of someone feeling the fam hurt of being related to 1 of the Indian police, Dan stating how fam matters, and doesn't stop at death. "Thing aren't dead just because they're over", and they also didn't require every moment to be filled with chatter, which finally Kent acquiesces for not wanting to exacerbate Dan further, but asks Grover if it seemed an overreaction. Grover says how Dan knew things, but Grover not knowing the area so well, but couldn't hurt to keep his trap shut. Dan doesn't stop there, but states also how Indian people don't forget because honor is most important and forgiveness allows 1 to think of oneself again. It wouldn't honor people who drag Sitting Bull out of his bed naked, and shoot him so they could receive a medal from the wasichu (white) agent.

Which's why there's an insult to being a "blanket Indian", allowing Sitting Bull to be shot so they could get rations. Kent could see the traveler walking the same direction they were traveling, and understood Dan's reasoning, even if his reaction seemed a bit overly sensitive. Kent thought the monument had "solitary nobility", but there was also a pillar in front of it with a sloppy looking bust of Sitting Bull, Ken deciding to keep his opinions to himself this time, as Dan walks off alone, and Grover shares how the bust is by the same Polish artist as the monument. When Dan returns to where they stood, he explains why the monument is there, when Kent noted he didn't know the reason.

Sitting Bull is buried disrespectfully at first, and when his people learned Fort Yates was going to be flooded and made into a dam, his people stole back his bones and buried him in his homeland, setting his spirit free. After Dan and Grover set tobacco on the 4 corners of the obelisk and the ground, they all return to the car. As Grover drives, Kent can see Dan in a low voice speaking to himself, and then preparing to explain to Kent how he isn't sure Kent'd quite understood the exceptional character of Sitting Bull. He states how SB was chosen by the people to be leader, not like a cop and being chosen by the gov't to wear a uniform.

SB was chosen the old way, an honor earned. Dan prepares the weary explanation of the old ways and the difference between rulers and leaders, the latter being what Indians were used to, so when the leader doesn't lead, they could walk away. The white way is crazy, making it be about the calendar, it's about leading as long as people follow. So, in the past, if a warrior is needed, they made a warrior the leader, and when the war was done, they'd choose a healer to lead. So in king, sometimes a deep thinker or great speaker'd be chosen.

The warrior would take this well, knowing he served when required, and steps down with dignity, since if he chose not to leave, the people would. The people choose how they wish to be led (like for police depts? Not anymore...). This is how SB was chosen, the people noted his skills and chose to follow him, which's why the U.S. gov't hated him, he listening to his people rather than them. Dan states how it's the Indian way to choose leaders and teachers this way, and whilst still flawed, worked well.

Grover states he needed a smoke after Dan'd finished speaking, so they'd head to another white town, not to Dan's pleasure. Before reaching the town, they pass a bible college which sets Dan to state how he loved Jesus and hated what churches had turned the belief into, and how white people didn't like when Indians'd accepted Jesus in their own way, (micromanaging) Indians having the Ghost Dance representing Jesus, and white people fearing it for not understanding. They reached a supermarket and Grover shops as Dan waits in the car, Ken letting FB out. On their way out of town Grover states they'd be driving another hour or 2, and Kent wants to speak with Dan, but noted his attitude hadn't lightened, since speaking of Sitting Bull, so treads carefully to broach the subj. directly.

Kent speaks how white people are paying for crimes their relatives committed, and Dan agrees, also stating not knowing how it can be fixed, but "[t]he Great Spirit's time" isn't "our time...The well is poisoned now" "...with anger and despair. Maybe we have to wait until the water is fresh again." When Dan returns to silence, Kent attempts to probe him to keep talking which leads Dan into how white people could do to learn from the hare, learn silence and to be humble. He goes on about how white people only feared lawyers, but Indians then saw white people didn't believe in their law and used it only to serve themselves, so now Indians use lawyers to twist the law for Indians.

Dan regards how he used to think white people were merely selfish because they kept pushing back, and not seeing what they were causing, but now thought it was just how we are, and listening to the land is a part of what Indians are. Grover stops the car so Dan can regroup, speaking to the Ancient Ones as Kent worried about Dan's eyesight as evening fell, but Grover reminds how Dan knew what he was doing, which when he'd returned, the energy in the car had lightened. They next visit an old woman who lives off road, and when FB is let out, greets the other dogs like friends. Grover states the woman standing outside is Annie, and they can go in, Kent noting how small her home is, and feeling claustrophobic for having places to sit, but nowhere to move.

Grover joins the chat Dan had started with an unseen man in the 2nd room, so Kent stood until spoken to by Annie, who offers food. When Kent felt sleep hit, he's given the go ahead to sleep on the outside mattress, which upon grabbing his sleeping bag, makes it til sunrise sleeping peacefully. As Kent finishes personal ablutions, Annie shows Kent a picture of Dan and herself as children right before her grandkids come with their parents to visit. As everyone goes about their own tasks, Dan tags to Delvin, the kids pop, and he shares how Dan's his wife's g/pop, Kent having noted she'd looked similar to Wen.

Delv then shares Dan's history he hadn't gone over, regarding Dan's wife. He also tells of Dan's son and wife being mysteriously killed, but written off as a car accident by Rez cops, even though they had bullet holes in them. They stop they're chat when Danelle comes outside to be certain they'd emptied the water jug. Kent next tries to probe info out of her, and she gauges Kent's intentions before adding what she knew of her pop, Dan's son and his good deeds for their community, wanting to join Dan and his wife together again.

Dan's ex had remarried and had a white fam, Dannie's pop wanting to unite them all, but getting pushback, so had the plan to write a book to bring them together. Kent shares 1 of the tapes he'd made of Dan talking, and she shares how these stories were the same he'd told her when she was a child. She also warns not to listen when Dan/Grover spoke of women, because Dan listened to Grover, and Grover thought he was still in the military. Dannie states how it was Indian women's turn to fight, the men having done it for 200 years, and it's time for women, now.

White people took Indian mens spirits and left shame, women'd "kept things alive in" their "hearts and hands". They were still able to contribute to their community unlike the men, who can no longer hunt buffalo. White fams are like lines, the men standing at the front, Indians fams are like circles, with women in the center. Dannie clarifies how white women wanted liberation, but Indian women were already free, they wanting to free their men of shame, not make a sisterhood for liberation.

Dannie states how Indians think about their culture and try to mend the broken circle as white people think of themselves, and their rights first. The trio don't leave Annie's til late afternoon, Kent having a mo speaking to Dannie's kids, and bonding with the only blonde, a younger boy. When they're on the hwy, a storm seems to be coming, then Dan notes Kent having made that connection with the blonde kid, Kent getting annoyed despite saying the boy'd reminded him of his own son. Dan decides to delve into what he was thinking regarding Kent's response to mostly speak with the blonde kid, and how this usually happens to white people, thinking when they see a blonde or redhead halfbreed, they were white 1st.

Or when a white person suspects they're speaking to an Indian, they'll bring up Indians, and the same happening with black people Dan had spoken with. Or when Dan and Grover'd watched a boxing match, and the announcer kept talking about the fighters by labeling them for their short color since 1 guy was black and the other white, and white people not supposed to see color. Dan pulls out a drawing the little girl'd made for Kent, showing 2 blonde smiling figures, and 2 brown with no mouths, but the girl'd drawn the quarter he'd gifted her. She signing it with a thanks and "Bye".

As the storm continues to brew as they drive, they see a huge cross on a hill, and Dan uses this to learn about Kent's belief of Jesus, which he's reluctant to play along with. Dan has a fun game though, so qs how there's those groups of 4 women who go around asking whether you knew Jesus, well what if they instead asked you about Abraham Lincoln, the answer being, Abe didn't come alive if you take him into your heart, as well as Abe being white man history, and Jesus not. Grover is getting into Dan's rant, since he'd regained his energy. Dan continues about how white people'd ask factual qs, and receive answers they couldn't accept because of how the Indians remembered them, like when something in particular happened, and they'd be told it occurred when all the buffalo froze or the year the stars fell.

So, since it isn't numerical, white people disbelieve it ever happened, claiming the Indian didn't remember, so white people made Indian history according to their own memory, which is only what the traders wrote, or missionaries or soldiers. White people'd change the history or exaggerate the history however needed to get the outcome they wanted. Even if the Indian didn't know what they were signing, the white people only wanted to affirm they claim being a false chief, and is willing to sign whatever they wanted. So, white people called their history accurate, despite not even getting true info, and when trying to write Indians names like a white record, Indians would give different names each time and white people still wrote it like it was fact.

Unfortunately, this took away Indian history before this happened with white records for them, so it's like Indians didn't exist until white people arrived. White people didn't believe Indians were there before them, unless they dug up a pot or something, and tested it with chemicals, and write about it in a journal, and have other people peer review it to make it seem more valid, which they then deem history. So, Dan poses how if he told Kent what his grandfathers told him, he'd want chemical proof or it isn't real history, their sacred stories are merely legends to white people. The powers Indians were given are "superstitions", none of it valid to white history.

So according to white's, it isn't real until written down, but when they did, it's lies to start with (I know narcissists who has the same symptoms). Elders'd say how wasichu built houses on lies, this is how they meant it. So, it's the same when Jesus died, no one cared about the year, only of it coinciding with a great earthquake. So, why on the other side, could they not also believe stars fells when all the buffalo died?

Similar to how the 3 wise men are allowed to be believed they followed a star to Jesus, but why then can't Indians've followed a star. White people can't believe Indians were taught to have 7 council fires from 7 stars. So, if white people can be so skeptical about what exact year it was, why can't we know the exact birthday of Jesus, and how many people were in attendance at his death, and why the earthquake occurred. White people's minds live in 2 worlds, 1 where things happen and always have power, like Jesus, and the other world where things only happen once, and only have power when it happened, and it needs to be known how many people were there, and a perfect picture needs to be seen, where everything is seen, and everything before it occurred being notated, and everything which happened due to it, the only way white people can understand it.

Dan next spoke of Lincoln and how white people went wrong by not letting him live like Jesus, instead of teaching kids to learn his b/day and where and everything about him like a stuffed animal in a museum. Why don't white people teach their kids instead of how Lincoln'd freed the slaves, he'd made white people slave freers and they must now uphold his honor (if not for Juneteenth, ofc). The way white people have history remembered seems ugly and put into boxes rather than to keep them alive, Dan preferring the Indians way, which Kent "can't disagree with...". Dan goes on with how they had people to remember the old days and why they're important, since there's too much for everyone to know everything.

Children are taught the stories, so they could repeat them always, Indians having a living history, compared to white peoples dead history, despite being written with words. So 1 more way to see it is, would a song be real only until it's written down? Indians stories are like songs, as long as it's sung, it's real, not mattering if someone wrote it down. White people are still writing down Indians stories using their own words and getting it wrong.

Grover again pipes in hoping Kent understood the importance of Dan's words, who adds a final thought of wasichu being in trouble, since to them nothing is wakan, taking the power from the Earth, and sky and those which live there. White people will drown under our facts. Grover is exuberant with Dan's truth-telling, stating how people give elders gifts for the honor of what Kent was privileged to hear. Kent is then hinted he'd be buying them dinner.

After they're readying to leave the restaurant, the storm they'd been outdriving was catching up to them. It catches up as Grover's speeding to outrun it, but pull over as they feel the terrifying winds blast by them, thankfully only shaking the car, and not turning it over. Dan chants as the storm passes them, and when rain hits them violently and passes, the sun returns, Grover next having a serious chat with Dan in Lakota. When switching to English, Dan inquires what direction the wind had came from, Grover not agreeing with the direction, and Kent not remembering for fear, which annoys Dan.

When Kent takes a mo, he thinks it came form the N, which Dan states isn't good, messages from the Dead being brought by Waziya. Dan next decides to get out of the car after learning Kent'd been chatting to Danelle and her hubby about his past, Kent letting out FB. Grover and Kent agree how Dan getting like this spooked them, Grover reassuring it isn't all the time when storms occurred, he was merely in touch with many "forces". Grover becomes calm and a bit annoyed when Kent thinks the message Dan referred was about his fam, but Grover states it isn't, still maintaining the wind had come from the W.

When Dan returns with FB, they continue on the road, Kent wanting to ask where, but minding his tongue. When Dan provides a couple directions for changing Grover's course, Grover starts supplying how the area they were in was where SB's people'd hidden from soldiers in a winter which freezes toes off, and they were elderly and children freezing to death, and unable to make fire for fear of being found and killed anyways. He tries to get Dan to take over the story, which he doesn't until Grover convinces him, due to the land they were on being heavy, it may help Dan's words to be more truthful, so he acquiesces with the statement he'd require being silent for awhile after, to Grover's satisfaction. No Indian alive can look at the past for too long without becoming "too angry to live".

White people attempt to make up for it by making Indians images in movies positive, but Dan's g/moth's skull is still in a museum being called an artifact. If anyone's g/moth's skull was in someone's home, would it make them angry? When Dan considers the wars between their people and Kent's, most white men back then didn't have fams, were there to make money, some convicts, and drunk off blood from the Civil War, not Kent's best white peoples, many idiots and brutes doing terrible atrocities for fun, and doing it due to killing being their jobs. Dan's people didn't have a chance for having fams, being attacked at home with their elders and children.

Little girls with their toys, and boys learning to walk, all killed by single men without ties. Then white people have the gall to talk about the Indians who massacred in return, when Indians were slowed by their elderly and young, and massacred soldiers in order to protect their fams. The innocent people killed was when the elder men lost control of the young Indian men, angry about the young and old being killed and did so in retaliation, not listening to their elders. The elders knew more white people'd come, the young men so incensed, they attacked anyone.

After seeing parents and children starving to death or seeing their grandmother shot, the soldier laughing and riding off, wouldn't anyone be angry? So, while Dan knew the acts Indian's made in return weren't right, he understood. They'd lost everything, and the gov't sent killers to keep them in line, and lied, raped, and stole for whatever reason, and it being supported. Little sisters were raped all the time, mothers cut open and laying the fetus next to the death mother like a trophy.

The Catholic church held conference as to whether Indians should be considered animals. Dan doesn't think Kent understood very well how Indians believed elders were the best people; babies and the old closest to God so needing to be protected. Nowadays, the young people ruled, and Kent's people came in and killed those nearest to God. When Indians fought other tribes, they respected old and young, and the greatest bravery was to "touch your enemy" and 'count coup', not kill him.

Soldiers didn't have honor, only wanting to kill Indians, and see how many they could get, Dan not understanding this. And now rich people can go to museums and look at Dan's g/moth's skull and call it sacred, but white people taking the sacred out of it, and now Indians struggling to feel it still. Kent's people killed them, took what was sacred, then said it proved white people were better than them. Kent finally feels shame, as Dan states how sometimes he'd imagine bulldozing cemetery headstones, plow up coffins, stick the bones in bags, and label them artifacts, and put them in a window at a store.

Then laugh in the faces of the relatives wanting to reclaim them and say they were treating the bones with respect, maybe making them pay a fee to look at them, and charge kids cheaper because it's important to learn their history. Dan verbalizes pain, and apologizes for going so far, becoming angry and learning forgiveness, and wanting to focus on his g/children, hoping it'd be better for them. Dan concludes how he could be more peaceful if he could understand why all this'd occurred the way it had.

They continue driving and see small grungy towns, feeling like the observed, and should pass peacefully, leaving the badlands abruptly. Kent soon sees the Black Hills, he having been there as a boy, not for Rushmore, but the outcropping of festival-style trains and pony rides expected to see to promote tourism. The Lakota people had a closer relationship with the place, it "a gathering place of spiritual forces". Kent has a moment of seeing the place thru the "eyes Dan gave" him, seeing the struggle of elderly and mothers with children trying to hide from soldiers who'd shoot them after tearing their babies from their arms.

Their god failed them, and Kent goes from his boyhood memory of good, clean fun, to people who sensed god all around them, in earth and animal, and were reduced to crazed folk dancing in a circle, desperately praying Jesus'd help them not watch anymore of their children die, not understanding, held by their parents. Wasichu changes the history for how they acquired the Black Hills for gold and went crazy to the point of killing old people and kids for it, the reason they destroyed an entire race, owning a piece of the earth with ore in it. Now white people attempt to "rediscover" Indians after making them homeless and faithless, and appropriate their spiritual truths to fill the void of their own "spiritual bankruptcy". Kent is feeling ashamed again, and wondered along with Dan's silent form of whether the land would grant any of us peace (Where should you go when the land rejects you? Back to your own country, perhaps? Sound familiar, "closet racists"?).

Dan is 1st to speak of wanting to get out of the car, which startles Kent out of his revery, Grover not bothered by the request, and stops, but then without emotion, Dan commands Kent get out, he uncertain if Dan'd been so angered he planned to leave him there, but as he exits FB scrambles out 1st, and Grover kills the engine. Dan doesn't answer any q's, but has Kent grab his pack from the trunk before Grover returns to the car, and Dan expects Kent to follow him. FB follows Dan up the rise to an enclosed space, which Kent can't determine the use. As Dan laboriously walks in the near dark, FB seems to lead, they reach a small cemetery.

Kent watches as Dan goes around the perimeter of the cemetery speaking an incantation, and ritualistically scattering tobacco or a "small cloth bundle" at stops about the fencing, as though he were releasing a person's ashes. Kent waits for permission to enter, mostly due to intimidation and feeling the earth were hallowed ground. Kent looks at the inscribed obelisk as Dan sets up a pipe bowl with respect, the monument for the relatives who'd placed it there in remembrance for Ogallala and Cheyenne River Sioux Indians for the many innocent women and children "who knew no wrong", and died there. When Dan finishes smoking from the pipe, he instructs Kent do the same, he stepping forward off the cement path and accepting the pipe bowl, trying to mimic Dan's movements which he stops him from doing, clarifying he must pray and clear his heart.

Dan states Kent is standing on the mass grave Kent's people'd dumped the murdered women and children in, Kent feeling the earth heave beneath his feet, he stepping on the path to ease his mind, but not, instead imagining his own son running to him, and exploding in blood as Dan repeats for him to smoke. When he does, the disturbing image eases, the smoke, like a wall form its traumatic feelings. Dan directs Kent to pray to the 4 directions, Kent getting it as he goes along. He lastly smokes to Wakan Tanka, the sky, and the earth.

After, whilst the images are still fresh in Kent's mind, the feelings around them eased, Dan removing the pipe from Kent's hands and telling him to sit, and talk of what's in his heart. Kent talks of the images in his head and feeling guilty for what had occurred in the land they were on, and wanting a better way to have been taken, Dan chanting low as Kent speaks. Dan then asks what hurt the most, Kent answering how the elderly and children had faith and were killed, everything they had "destroyed". Kent also q's whether he's in this for the correct reasons.

Dan sings during Kent's confession, and then announces he'd speak more with a stone he'd brought in a small leather bag, now in his hand. Dan affirms Kent's words by saying he felt the same, and it's as if he himself could've said them, but silence shouldn't continue, so they must speak, and together. Dan wants to know the same as Kent, why his people couldn't stand against Kent's people to protect the land, and kids, and elderly, and like everyone, he can't see beyond the edge of his own life, the creator making everyone like this. Some say the way will come from blood, not love, and the only way to get Kent's people to hear, is for Dan's people to return to the earth, and "fill the hills and valley with our song", and grow within white people's hearts, but who knows.

Maybe a new truth, larger than Indians or Kent's people's truths, and those truths combined, would help them discover the bigger one. So, there's no more time to fight, anger must be eased, since if Dan can't bury his, his kids will have to bury theirs, and if they can't, it'll be for their kids to bury, or their own, etc, being "prisoners of our hears, and only time will free us". Kent's people must learn to give up arrogance (gl..Jesus do-gooding arrogance is strong in my white peeps), their people aren't the only 1's on earth, their way not the only way, the Creator being worshipped and families loved in many ways, and Kent's people needed to learn to honor this. Kent's people's gift is material power, but can they share it or only use it to gain more, the challenge of sharing the gift for how "strong and dangerous" it is.

Dan's people must stand as a shadow to remind Kent and his people of their failures, and their memories to keep them on the right path, since it doesn't serve anyone to pretend Indians don't exist, and Kent's people didn't destroy them, since this is their land, and Dan's people will always be there, and 1 can't remove reality from multiple people's memories. Dan's saddened the Creator allowed for his people to be destroyed to give Kent's people life, but to be fair, Kent's religion teaches this through Jesus. It's the power of the Indian peoples spirits which allow them to accept physical death. Maybe it's the power of their spirit which Indians alone can save Kent's people, those who care about things which shouldn't matter.

Maybe Indians are the sons and daughters of God who die on the cross of Kent's peoples fears and greed, so they could be saved from themselves. Dan q's whether this seems strange, "Wankan Tanka, the Great Mystery, the Creator, He who you call God, knows that our people were always willing to die for each other", maybe the greatest honor of all is dying for the whole human race, Wankan Tanka the only 1 to know of this. Then Dan requests Kent's hand offering him his vision, calling him his son, and saying his natural son was buried nearby and hadn't been able to bear the 2 visions and maybe Kent will for only knowing 1, making the bearing of it and sharing easier. Spirits are available to help everyone, and Kent's people needed to learn to listen to them, go into the sun, and give thanks for the day, finding the spirits this way, and maybe then wouldn't be so quick to harm and sleep at night after working for only themselves all day.

Dan advises Kent do what he must in order to hear the great knowledge and find and share the spirits words. Next Dan states he will pray, and when he releases Kent's wrist, Kent feels sleepy, Dan encouraging he do so, but watch, and Kent's sleep is fitful, shifting himself onto the concrete during the night. Kent wakes and drifts back into sleep, having a dream, and not knowing the place. When he wakes at morning, and sees Dan, arms up, in salutation of the sun, he walks over, and Dan asks if he'd seen, which Kent believes he had, sharing the dream when Dan asks for details.

After hearing it, Dan smiles, and says it sounded like Kent was ready to write, and starts walking down the hill toward the parking lot, Kent following. Grover turns up soon after Kent finishes reading a wooden sign with a detailed history of the area, he bringing "real" coffee, and claimed to have gotten it from the same fam in the bus filling up gas in Pine Ridge, and making a deal they'd be able to shake Dan's hand and he'd tell them about the Great Spirit, Dan disgusted with the flavor and Grover's deadpan response. Their return trip takes 2 days, Dan refusing to continue on to Mt. Rushmore, vowing he'd drop dead in the parking lot if he had to see the worst monstrosity white people'd made of the Black Hills by defacing it with white racists faces (my words, not Dan's, blame the white chick, ah thank you). When they're nearing the rez, Dan is 1st to notice Kent's truck being driven on a ridgetop, Kent happy, and now worried about his truck, and who could be driving it, Dan opting instead to grab breakies, which ofc puts Kent in the mode of being too uptight about why his truck is being driven to truly want to forget it for food, but knew his discomfort wouldn't hit the men suffering him his white American fear-mongering panic fancies of someone maybe, possibly stealing his newly fixed truck.

When they reach the diner, the sign shows as closed, but vehicles are parked, and when they enter, Kent sees Jumbo at a swivel chair, and asks what had been wrong with his truck, seeing it nice and shiny, parked outside, but Jumbo states he's eating, so Kent rejoins Dan, and Grover at a table. When Jumbo comes over and sits on a chair, he states the $20 price, then Kent slowly deduces Grover must've set him up, the only issue with the truck being a hose, which he'd changed recently. Dan gets annoyed by pointing out how Kent "always blames the Indians". Kent leaves with Jumbo, who passes his car keys back at him, and whilst a bit dirtier, the truck ran smoother, a couple boys on bikes shouting at Jumbo for another ride in the wasichu truck, he stating it isn't his anymore, making stick-in-the-mud Kent smile.

Kent drives Jumbo back to his garage, and waits for Grover, and Dan to arrive, when they do, Kent waiting for an invite to the house, and then states he should probably make his return trip for the drive being lengthy. Dan gives an eagle carved from a red stone on a necklace without ceremony to Kent, then shakes his hand, stopping Kent from speaking a long farewell, after he states he keep him up to date with writing drafts. Kent watches them go and wears the necklace, waiting longer than he needed.

End. Kent waits for the 1st time, willingly as he whines and worries up to the very end. I'm quite glad I read this, since it's the 1st white representation (with exception to the better work, Walking in the Sacred Manner, which at least gives a writing credit to the indigenous woman who worked and orchestrated it, closely), which keeps the subj clear, and well-formed with examples. I can already hear the "debaters", and those who use "devil's advocate" incorrectly, tearing up their ability to understand another person's side, and quibble with minor rationalities, which even the author states struggling with. I won't be continuing this trilogy, since the 2 others seem less cohesive, but still regard Dan's life and fam. A fine addition to helpful texts to understanding another culture and their consistent drive despite, attempted genocide, and rewriting of history from guilty parties, to continue the attempt of being understood with uplifted spirits, which hopefully don't have to die in the process of another color-superior-coding group's quest for redemption.