Sand Creek

Sand Creek is located in Colorado. This is the region where the novel opens, and where Jude Star and his family and tribe reside before the Sand Creek Massacre. In 1864, U.S. soldiers storm the land and brutally massacre hundreds of Cheyenne and Arapaho people. Jude loses his entire family during this atrocity. He then flees the region and wanders with his companions on foot to Oklahoma where he temporarily finds a new life for himself. Sand Creek resurfaces in Jude's dreams throughout his life, as this setting is foundational to his understanding of self.

Oakland

The majority of Part Two is set in Oakland, California. This is where the Red Feather and Bear Shield descendants create a life together. The city comes to define the way that the characters see and understand themselves. Their forebears, including Opal Viola Bear Shield and Charles Star, also resided in...