Background: The Momaday Family

In The Way to Rainy Mountain, N. Scott Momaday writes about not only his own experiences, but the experiences of his ancestors.  These experiences become richer and more meaningful to read when we have a clear understanding of who these ancestors are, and their relation to the narrator.  What follows is a simple description of each family member and their role in the book.      

N. Scott Momaday is the author and third narrative voice of the book.  Each chapter contains a section of his experiences and interactions with the chapter’s theme. 

Al Momaday is the author’s father and illustrator of the book  (pictured here with N. Scott Momaday's mother, Natachee).  He is the first generation of his family to use an Americanized last name.  Like his son, he is a stranger to much of Kiowa culture and experiences it through visits to shrines with his mother and grandmother.

Aho is Al Momaday’s mother, and the author’s grandmother.  The introduction describes that she is the Momaday family’s last living link to their Kiowa heritage.  She took her son to see the Tai-me bundle, and she kept the Kiowa language alive in her prayers and by using the word zei-dl-bei (frightful) to ward off evil.

Mammedaty is Al Momaday’s father, and the author’s grandfather.  Mammedaty was a peyote man, and on many occasions would see strange things that nobody else would see.  Although he tried to adapt with the changing times, he had difficulty in growing wheat and cotton.  He kept the Kiowa culture alive by holding onto important items and remembering the importance of horses to his people.

Keahdinekeah is Mammedaty’s mother, and the author’s great-grandmother.  She took her grandson to visit a shrine where she made an offering.

Kau-au-ointy is Keahdinehkeah’s mother, and the author’s great-great-grandmother.  She is also the author’s oldest direct ancestor mentioned in the book.  She was Mexican, and not part of the Kiowa tribe.  But at the age of eight she was kidnapped by the Kiowa and became part of them.