Old Indian Days

Set against the sweeping plains and the foothills of the Big Horn Mountains, this lyrical collection paints everyday Sioux life with an insider’s eye, honoring the women whose strength underpins the community. The opening story follows Antelope, a thoughtful young warrior who fasts on a high butte seeking a sign from the Great Mystery, and whose quiet devotion earns him the council’s call to scout beyond the camp.

Tasked with a dangerous reconnaissance into Ute territory, Antelope moves through creeks, gulches and shadowed valleys, his senses sharpened by the pipe’s smoke and the beat of the “fearless heart” song that the warriors sing as they depart. Along the way he meets a prowling gray wolf and the wary eyes of enemy scouts, moments that test his courage, humility, and the promise he made to protect his people, hinting at the deeper bond between warrior and land.