Summary

The year is 1961. Jeannette McVay comes uninvited to Anna Thunder's door. Although Anna doesn't invite Jeannette into the house right away, Anna feels she must do so in the name of traditional Sioux hospitality to strangers. Jeannette tells Anna she is a graduate student from Pennsylvania. She wants to learn more about Sioux traditions, culture, and language. Jeannette explains she had originally hoped to study with Herod but he would not let her participate in the Yuwipi ceremonies because she's a woman. Jeanette didn't like Herod's attitude so he suggested Anna Thunder as a source of information on the things Jeannette wants to know.

At first, Anna is resistant to Jeannette's probing but she believesJeannette can sense the power Anna has inherited from her ancestor, Red Dress. Anna agrees to Jeannette moving into Anna's house.

Anna tells Jeannette the story of Anna's ancestor, Red Dress and...