In 1969, N. Scott Momaday created a story about the journey of Momaday’s Kiowa ancestors and called it The Way to Rainy Mountain. The author traces his roots, starting from the Kiowa Indians. In order to present a really informative and educative picture of his own past, Momaday chooses an unusual way for his story and tells about his grandmother’s death, his desire to visit her grave and add more information about grandmother’s life.
From the very first sentences, it turns out to be rather clear that Kiowa tribes respect the land and nature they live in. He underlines that it is not enough to take the earth and its gifts for granted, because it is crucially important to care about it and conserve it.
The work under consideration presents several Kiowa legends through the story about the narrator’s grandmother, her life and death, and introduces some Kiowa myths. This information cannot but captivate the reader and opens for everyone a new world, full of hope, belief, and trust. People have to believe in something in order to get a sense of life and enjoy it.
“My grandmother had a reverence for the sun, a holy regard that now is all but gone out of mankind. There was a wariness in her, and an ancient awe. She was a Christian in her later years, but she had come a long way about, and she never forgot her birthright.” (Momaday)
This very quote helps to recognize the major trends, which were inherent to the Kiowa Indians. The life of Momaday’s grandmother was not simple; she faced certain problems, and wanted to choose the best ways to live her life properly. However, she never forgot her roots and respected her history, her ancestry, and her past in general. The Kiowa tribes respected lots of things; and sun was one of them. With the help of this citation, the reader can learn that Kiowa people not only respected the sun, but also were afraid of its power and energy.
The way to Rainy Mountain is not a simple description of how the Kiowa people developed, learnt, and protected their knowledge. This way is a description of their culture, their preferences, and beliefs. The author concentrates on three different visions: historical, personal, and cultural. In the above-mentioned citation, Momaday unites all these three visions and creates a clear picture of how people treated the nature and what was so special about it.
People could change their faith, they could find some other places to live, they could meet new people and choose the other preferences; but still, their history, their memories, and their rights remained the same. They got one simple right to live and be the people of Kiowa. Nothing can change this truth and no one can forget it.
The story created by Scott Momaday is unique indeed; it helps the reader to comprehend that our history should be respected and studied thoroughly. People of Kiowa demonstrated how powerful the belief could be and how it is easy to forget about it and even lose the faith. The chosen quote and the text in general open eyes to numerous details, which people should take into consideration in order to be free, have sense of living, and respect the world they live in.