Waterlily

“In their closeness lay such strength and social importance as no single family, however able, could or wished to achieve entirely by its own efforts.”

While having a family is important, the author underlines that families must be part of a larger unit. Not only does the camp circle provide protection, it also provides honor, another important characteristic of Dakota life. The larger the family and the greater its sway, the greater the honor one individual member may receive in the community.

“The tipi where the dead woman was laid out in ceremonial dress was the scene of continuous wailing.”

Ritual is a central motif of the novel and thus a central characteristic of Dakota life. When someone dies, he or she must be mourned according to specific rites. Here, the woman must wear special garments and have other women wail for her. These prescribed actions are some of the many ritualistic undercurrents that give significance to rites of passage.

“It was an ideal campsite, offering three requisites for a camp circle—thick grass for the horses and plenty of wood and water for the people.”

A significant effect of the novel is to educate the reader about the minutiae of the Dakotas’ daily lives. These lines give specific descriptions of the makeup of the campsite. Through description, the author situates White Ghost as a physical entity within the readers’ imagination.

“Old women fussed over their grandchildren, for whom they would give their life if necessary, caring for them continuously and forgetting themselves in so doing.”

Kinship demands closeness among members of a family and prescribes certain specific relationships. Grandparents are especially close to their grandchildren and place them above all others. Furthermore, alliances and attention shift for people as new members are added to the family—new loyalties emerge.

“If everyone gives, then everyone gets; it is inevitable.” 

In kinship, it is important to share and treat all members of the camp circle with respect and generosity. There is a spirit of community and equal treatment. The Dakotas value respect of community, and one marker of respect is sharing resources, which they do without hesitation.

“It was her kinship duty to devote herself to a son’s wife.”

The author writes these lines about Gloku and Blue Bird’s relationship. According to kinship, mothers-in-law have a prescribed duty to help and look after their daughters-in-law. In this way, Gloku must look out for Blue Bird according to the social mores of the community.

“For a male to be called a woman was intolerable.”

Kinship dictates certain gender roles, with the male and female realm separated. Women are expected to be demure, while males may be active and outgoing. These lines point to the misogynistic tendencies—it is insulting for a man to be likened to a woman.

“Now, going on seven, she was growing more and more accountable and able to remember past experiences and to be guided by them.”

As Waterlily grows, her character develops. She is no longer a child and now starts to remember her actions and learn from them. This is a crucial turning point for Dakota children. If they are accountable for their words and actions, they can become productive members of the community and also show the requisite respect for their families.

“To become a hunka (child-beloved) was to be elevated to a high station in the tribe, and that was an honor that did not come to everyone.”

Rainbow makes Waterlily a child-beloved. This is one of the many rituals present in Dakota culture—to undergo this ritual means an elevation in status within the community. From this point on, members of the community will treat her with a higher degree of regard because there is evidence that her family values her immensely.

“‘The loud, bold girl is not approved.’”

Gloku’s words speak to the gender roles of the community. Women must be demure and quiet and not act boldly and aggressively like men. From a young age, females are indoctrinated into this discourse. Waterlily learns about gender roles from statements such as these and slowly absorbs them into her reality.

“A war deed was a war deed, no matter what.”

These lines point to the importance placed on actions and rituals. When Rainbow accidentally kills the enemy scout, it still counts as a war deed. The very fact that it occurs still holds meaning for the people, and they confer the honor onto Rainbow accordingly.

“Fellows were men of comparable standing and ability who were drawn together by like tastes and by mutual respect and admiration for each other’s character and personal charm.”

In the rules of kinship, two people may become close even if they are not from the same family. Rainbow and Palani are fellows, and they become just as close as brothers. Family is not merely limited to biology but has the potential to extend to the larger community.

“A solemn rite must first be performed in front of it as it stood in the woods, as though it were sentient and understood what was going on.”

The Dakotas prepare to cut down a tree for the Sun Dance. These lines emphasize the importance of ritual. They cannot simply cut down the tree; they must instead pay it respect and then proceed with the ritual. This experience also emphasizes the Dakotas’ strong ties with nature. They treat the tree with honor and do not automatically assume they can just take it for themselves.

“The red flannel was particularly prized and used in ceremony.”

As with ritual, the Dakotas place high significance on sacred objects. The color red surfaces a lot, and here the Dakotas especially prize red flannel due to its color. It holds special spiritual significance and lends weight to ceremonies.

“‘Above all, remember this: he must see you and decide he is interested—not you, him.’”

Blue Bird instructs Waterlily in the gender roles of the tribe. Women must not pursue men—if so, it will sully their honor. These lines emphasize the misogynistic social mores; men may pursue women, yet the reverse is unacceptable.

“The network of deserved loyalties seemed endless. It left her dizzy.”

When Waterlily enters Sacred Horse’s camp circle, she must contend with the new social structure. Each relationship is prescribed, and Waterlily must learn who is who and how to treat every person. If she makes a misstep, this could be disastrous for her status within the new community. It is an overwhelming rite of passage for her.

“Tears should be controlled, except at death. It was a bad omen if someone broke down over a mere parting.”

Many actions have ritualistic and spiritual significance in Dakota culture. Here, tears carry weight and should be avoided because they can possibly encourage death to come visit the one who is weeping. An action is not just an action but a possible call to the spiritual realm.

“For a Dakota bride, the major problem was not that of adjusting to her new status as wife, which was private and personal, but adjusting to her husband’s family and relatives, which was a social matter.”

Waterlily must make sure she upholds her own honor and that of her husband. There are prescribed relationships in this culture, and Waterlily must make sure she behaves accordingly so that the new family will accept her. Words carry heavy weight in this community, and one false step can earn her a bad reputation.

“The average Dakota woman did not indulge in confessions or confidences with other women, or in minute analyses regarding married life. She did not share any intimate secrets of that life.”

A man’s honor is valued higher than a woman’s ability to express her feelings. In Dakota culture, a woman must not talk about her married life lest she embarrass her husband. These social mores point to the repressive tendencies and the culture of silence in the Dakota tribe.

“But she was not complaining. The truth was that she took a certain pride in fulfilling all her kinship and social duties well.”

Social duties are extremely important in the Dakota community. Even mourning is considered a duty, as it is a part of the culture of ritual. Here, mourning gives Taluta a sense of pride since she is proving herself a productive member of the community.

“Waterlily and Echo’s husband would accept the decision out of respect for their mother-in-law, even if they disagreed with it.”

Respect of elders is of tantamount importance. It is not acceptable for younger members of the family to go against their elders, as this is a prescribed relationship. It is especially important for in-laws, like Waterlily and Echo’s husband, to respect the family they are in, as they have lesser say in the matter.

“Moving along with a will of its own (so it was said), a stream carried life-giving properties to everything that it touched along the way.”

These lines point to the Dakotas’ close bond with nature. Rather than looking down upon nature as lesser than humans, the Dakotas treat the water as a life-giving force. The use of personifications underscores this tendency and gives the water an added significance.

“‘Weeping, weeping, always weeping!’”

The author emphasizes the extreme hardships Waterlily endures. She is away from her family, and her husband has just died. Waterlily’s experience is emblematic of that of many young Dakota women—life is difficult, and it is normal to endure hardship. Although she is weeping, she nonetheless perseveres, as is necessary for survival.