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SummaryofThewaytotherainymountainInN.ScottMomaday’snovel,hetellsushisgrandmother’slifeinRainyMountain.RainyMountainisasingleknollinOklahomawiththebadweather.Winterbringsblizzardshottornadicwindsariseinthespring,andinsummertheprairieisananvil’sedge.Lonelinessisanaspectoftheland.TheauthorreturnedtoRainyMountaininJulyforvisithergrandmother’sgrave.Hergrandmotherwasborninlastgreatmomentoftheirhistory.Theylikethewarsandtheywereamongthefinesthorsementheworldhaseverknown.Butnow,theyhavebeenthehistory.Theauthorgrandmother’snameisAho,herancestorscamedownfromthehighcountryinwesternMontana.Inthelate17thcenturytheybeganalongmigrationtothesouthandeast.AlongthewaytheywerebefriendedbytheCrowswhogavethemthecultureandreligionofthePlains.TheyworshipedtheTai-meandtheyarethebelieverofthesun.Asforme,Yellowstonewasthebestplaceoftheworldwhichhasmanydeeplakesanddarktimber,canyonsandwaterfalls.InJuly,theRockiesisluxuriantwithflaxandbuckwheat,stone-cropandlarkspur.Therewasagreatscene,sotheKiowastoptheirway.Theyhadcometotheplacewheretheymustchangetheirlives.Therewasnodoubtthatsunmakepeoplecomfortablebuttheydidn’twanttochangetheirwaybecausetheydidn’twanttobefarfromRainyMountain.TheyboreTai-meinprocessiontotheeast.ThedarkmistlayovertheBlackHills,andthelandwaslakeiron.Howevertenuoustheirwell-being,howevermuchtheyhadsufferedandwouldsufferagain,theyhadfoundawayoutofthewilderness.SheworshipedthesunandshewasaChristianinherlateryears.AsachildshehadbeentotheSunDance.ThelastSunDancewasheldin1887whenshewas7.andin1890,hertribewerekilledbythewildherds.Fromthenon,shebegantoprayforalongtime.Buttheauthorcannotunderstandit.Transportedsointhedancinglightamongtheshadowsofherroom,sheseemedbeyondthereachofthetime.Butthatwasillusion.Theauthorknewthatheshouldn’tseeheragain.Oncetherewasalotofsoundinhisgrandmother’shouse,alotofcomingandgoing,feastingandtalking.TheKiowaslikethesummerbuttheydon’tlikethewinter.Theagedvisitorswhocametohisgrandmother’shousewhenhewasachildwereanoldcouncilofwarlords.Therewerefrequentprayermeetings,andgreatnocturnalfeasts.Whentheauthorplayedwithhiscousinsoutsidehisgrandmotherwaspreparingthemeal.Afterwards,whenthequietreturned,helaydownwithhisgrandmotherandcouldhearthefrogsawaybytheriverandfeelthemotionoftheair.Nowthereisafuneralsilenceintherooms,theendlesswakeofsomefinalworld.Theauthorsatforalongtimeonthestonestepsbythekitchendoor.Thenextmorning,heleavetheRainyMountain.Hisgrandmother’sgravewasonthelongandlegendaryway.Lookingbackonce,hesawthemountainandcameaway.