House Made of Dawn: 9. The Priest of the Sun, January 27 Summary & Analysis

The entirety of this chapter comes in the form of one of Tosamah’s sermons. He lovingly describes the landscape of his native Oklahoma, including a landmark known as Rainy Mountain. The area surrounding Rainy Mountain is completely desolate, allowing observers to feel isolated and to then imagine the moment of Creation.

Tosamah describes a visit he took to his grandmother’s grave. His grandmother, Aho, lived during the “last great moment” of the Kiowa people. The U.S. Cavalry eventually drove the Kiowas off their land and imprisoned them at Fort Sill. Tosamah describes the history of the Kiowas’ migration to the Southern Plains, which he followed to travel back to Aho’s grave. In the story he tells, he connects to his ancestors by connecting to the land they traveled across; his grandmother had that connection innately, as she was able to perfectly visualize places she had never been.

In Tosamah’s sermon, he describes seeing Devils Tower (a butte that stands over the prairies). Tosamah believes that Devils Tower is a natural feature that generates “an awful quiet in the heart of man.” In the Kiowa legend of Devils Tower, seven sisters escape up a tree when their brother turns into a bear. The tree grows higher, becoming Devils Tower, and the sisters ascend to become the stars of the Big Dipper.

Tosamah discusses Aho’s reverence for the sun. As a child, she attended the last Kiowa sun dance in 1890, which she knows as “Sun Dance When the Forked Poles Were Left Standing” because the soldiers interrupted before the ceremony was finished. He remembers hearing his grandmother pray in a language that he doesn’t understand, but which he recognizes as sorrowful.

Tosamah recalls the wise old men who used to visit Aho’s house. They are severe, quiet, and dedicated to tradition. Their wives serve them, chatting in their kitchens in bright, ornate clothing. The children, including young Tosamah, play together outside while the elders sing and talk. This joy has faded: Tosamah’s sermon returns to the present, narrating his return to the silent rooms of his grandmother’s house. He sees a dead cricket and reflects on the significance of death and dying. The next morning at dawn, Tosamah visits his grandmother’s grave near Rainy Mountain.