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Description edit
This novel of the Dakota Sioux written by Sioux ethnologist Deloria takes protagonist Waterlily through the everyday and the extraordinary events of a Sioux woman's life.
Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit
Summary edit
This is a fictional story of an 18th century Sioux female from birth until marriage. There are three generations of women so you have an idea of the roles as a girl grows up to be a woman marries, has children, and even grandchildren. It is about family and traditions, and is beautifully... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)
Characters/People edit
- Blue Bird: Waterlily's mother. She was orphaned at the age of 10 and found another tribe with her grandmother.
- Star Elk: Blue Bird's husband. She accepted his offer of marriage before discussing it with her grandmother. He is lazy and not a good husband.
- Waterlily: Main character and we follow her life from pre-birth until marriage.
- Black Eagle: Blue Bird's uncle that she and her grandmother are able to reunite with after Star Elk publically leaves his wife.
- Gloku: "She comes home bearing her own" - a reference to children. Mother to First Woman, Dream Woman, and Rainbow. Raising Little Chief.
- First Woman: Black Eagle's wife
- Leaping Fawn: Dream Woman's daughter and a hakata.
- Prairie Flower: Dream Woman's daughter
- Rainbow: Little Chief's father. Left his child with his parents and wonders the lands after hiw wife died in childbirth.
- Little Chief: Waterlily's best friend. His father is Rainbow and he wanders after his wife died in childbirth. He is being raised by his grandparents.
- Dream Woman: First Woman's sister. Very kind, does beautiful art work with porcupine quills, and everyone says she has great supernatural abilities.
- Burnt Thigh: Gloku's dog
- Woyaka: Story teller
- Bear Heart: Black Eagle's brother and he is in charge of training the family's boys into men
- Alila: A girl from a neighboring camp that comes to play with the girls of Black Eagle's camp. She's a young rebel who deliberately breaks little rules of etiquette for the fun of it.
- Ohiya, the Victor: "let the sun look on his face" is the translation of Blue Bird and Rainbow's son
- Smiling One: Nickname of Blue Bird and Rainbow's daughter, Mysterious Hand
- Palani: His name means Pawnee met after the death of Little Chief's mother and an instant friendship known as a fellowhood occured
- White Ghost: Leader of the camp in which Black Eagle and Rainbow belong.
- White Dawn: Perpetual virgin in White Ghost's tribe, and she holds a place of honor
- Night Walker: Claims to be a virgin, but everyone talks behind her back.
- White Hand: The holy man in league with the ghosts and known as a ghost dreamer
- Good Hunter: One of Bear Soldier's people and is an uncanny marksman that is very influential and well-provisioned. He has three wives. He bought Waterlily with two fine horses for his son.
- Sacred Horse: Also a hakata and son of Good Hunter.
- Soft Little Breeze: granddaughter of Gloku
- Taluta: Waterlily's eldest mother-in-law and mother to Sacred Horse
- Echo: Taluta and Good Hunter's daughter now married
- Red Leaf: Made a friendship pact, kota, with Ohiya.
- Yankton: camp circle town crier
- Lean White Man: friend of Waterlily's social father
- Everywhere: A village harlot promised to marry two men when she chose one the other became angry and killed her husband. He intended to kill her as well.
- Red Lake: Everywhere's husband
- Cedar: Thought he was going to marry Everywhere.
- Robin: daughter of Echo
- Little Bear: son of Echo
- Mitawa: name means "my own" and he is Waterlily's son
- Lowanla: great singer, participated in the Sun Dance at a very young age, and he is the cousin of Sacred Horse
Quotes edit
-
“I shall tell you more about my daughters. First Woman, you will find, has a soft heart but it does not show. Really, she is a tender grouch. From habit she speaks too directly and sometimes she wounds. Now, her sister is very different. Always she was a quiet girl and even now she never has much to say. But she is kind, inside and out. She too, like you does very beautiful art work with porcupine quills. Yes, she has great ability, supernatural ability everyone says.”
Gloku -
“Be hospitable; be generous. Nothing is too good for giving away.”
Elder teaching to chidren -
“Your brother needs to be brave, strong, and fearless. He needs to be ready to do great things. He has just won a victory and it is your place to cheer and sing his praises, not cry.”
Gloku -
“Be generous, for you cannot take material things beyond the grave.”
Sioux belief -
“Kinship came in halves - the family of birth and the family of marriage. In the one, a person was permitted to play the child occasionally; in the other, he must strictly play the adult, as a matter of self-respect, once having accepted an adult role.”
Ella Cara Deloria -
“When you marry, my daughter, remember that your children are more important than you. Always the new life comes first. Your duty to your children must be in accordance to this rule.”
Blue Bird -
“Next, it is your duty to honor and respect your husband and to keep your life with him secret always. A woman who talks about her relations with her husband is disloyal to her mate and a reproach to herself. Accept your new life as a mature woman, even while you are gentle and yielding. Do not behave in a childish manner toward your husband. You are his helpmeet, not his baby. Be grown up.”
Blue Bird -
“Yes, they accepted what their elder kinsman said, because they saw that it was right. They saw it was easy enough to fight violence with violence. Killing was the work of a moment. Killing was the work of the moment. But to take in the murderer as a relative, after what he had done, and to take the murderer as a relative, after what he had done, and to live in sincerity and creative goodwill with him, day in and day out to the end of life - that was something else. You may well imagine how proud must have been the spirit of the slain youth, to see his relatives doing the harder thing!”
Yankton -
“I always say that while I live, no human being shall go out in the utter stillness, like an animal,.”
Taluta
Setting & Locations edit
- Box Butte: A stop before winter camp for hunting and stocking up on food.
- Pile of Prayers: At the very top of Box Butte and a ceremonial place where prayers are placed.
First Sentence edit
The camp circle was on the move again.
Table of Contents edit
Publisher's Preface
Waterlily
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
Biographical Sketch of the Author
Afterword
Glossary edit
- hakata: child-beloved - usually had a near death experience or very ill and the father makes the child a hakata. There are ceremonies for the hakata. They are suppose to be more generous than others, and are very special to the tribe.
- kola: someone special; his wishes and needs could not be ignored, for that was the basis of the relationship
- Fellow: men of comparable standing and ability who were drawn together by like tastes and by a mutual respect and admiration for each other's character and personal charm
- Fellowhood: a solemn friendship pact that must endure forever
Authors & Contributors edit
- Ella Cara Deloria (Author)
First Edition edit
Original Language: English
Publisher: University of Nebraska Press
Country: USA
Publication Date: 1988
ISBN: Add the ISBN.
Page Count: Add the page count.
Publisher: University of Nebraska Press
Country: USA
Publication Date: 1988
ISBN: Add the ISBN.
Page Count: Add the page count.
Classification edit
- Library of Congress: Add the Library of Congress Classification.
- Dewey: 813.54
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