In Chapter XXI, why was it meaningful for Mammedaty to see how the mole burrowed? Why did it mean that he now had a powerful medicine?
How did the loss of Tai-me, described in the epilogue, and the loss of the Sun Dance ceremony cause the decline of the Kiowa culture?
The book contains two poems, one before the prologue titled “Headwaters,” and one after the epilogue titled “Rainy Mountain Cemetery.” Compare and contrast these two poems. How do these poems reflect the beginning and end of the Kiowa?
What is the historical and socioeconomic significance of horses in Kiowa society? Is it different from the symbolic significance of horses in the Kiowa legends included in "The Way to Rainy Mountain?" Why or why not?
In Chapter XVII, why do you think Momaday included descriptions of the harsh treatment that fell to Kiowa women? Do you think he is proud of that part of his heritage? Why or why not?
