The Way to Rainy Mountains

BY M. SCOTT MOMADAY

In this essay Scott Momaday eloquently introduced his grandmother. I really felt like he was sharing this story personally to me. His grandmother played a significant role in his life from childhood to adulthood. Her name was Aho belonging to the last culture to evolve in North America. He gives the historical landscape of Aho's life and her culture background. The human conditions that she and her people went through were pretty astonishing. When Momaday writes, "in order to save themselves they surrendered to the soldiers at Fort Sill and were imprisoned." I could not help but think of the injustice that the Native Americans received was totally inhuman.
Momaday telling this dtory about his grandmother was actual a history lesson for me. The Native Americans stories were not taught in the schools I attended. Thank goodness for Essayists that write about their lives and share the historical accounts of family history this in this case gives insight into the culture of a people who were exterminated. My favorite part in the essay was him describing the different postures but the one he most remember was of his grandmother's praying. This was very touching.
"Long rambling prayers out of suffering and hope."This is what Momaday said about his grandmother's prayers. I think suffering is what makes one hope. The last time he see her is in the fondest position but she was standing praying. He could not understand the family's native language KIOWA therefore he wasn't able to understand her prayers. I feel they were both connected through unity consciousness consequently he could inherently hear the sorrow and understand the sadness. I bet she was because of losing her culture to a pseudo one.
I share a similar family experience with Momaday in that I come from a large family on my mother's side and as a child I played with my cousins at family reunions and gatherings throughout the year. Unlike his family the singing was from both the old and the young.We had lots of food my grandmother was a great cook and taught all eight of her daughters hoe to cook very well. I believe the reason why I could relate to this story so much is because my grandfather was part Native American ancestry,his mother was from the Cherokee tribe. I remember seeing a picture of her,and her hair was parted down the middle. She had two long silky white braids that lay on her shoulders like a shawl. it is funny how this story brought back so many memories of my extended family especially my grandparents. Maybe that is why I could relate to his story so much.