Part One  About the Book

In "The Way to Rainy Mountain", Momaday traces his ancestral roots back to the beginning of the Kiowa tribe. While Momaday seems to have always known about his ancestry, the death of his grandmother prompts a deeper and more personal exploration of his family background. In order to get as close as possible to his roots, Momaday returns to his Grandmother's house where the spirit of the Kiowa tribe is very strong.

The book provides the reader with a series of oral stories from Kiowa tradition written down. The stories link together to narrate the entire life span of the Kiowa tribe from beginning to end. Momaday also provides explanatory information for the stories. Each story is followed by a short account of the factual event the story is based upon. Together the stories and the facts work to create a complete picture of the Kiowa way of life. The stories explain the world as the Kiowa saw it.

Kiowas were very tied to the earth. Their personal history maintains that the tribe came into being by entering the world through a hollow log. Additionally, the Kiowa were a tribe of hunters very dependent on the buffalo for their existence. Without the buffalo the Kiowa could not survive and when the buffalo herds died out, so too did the Kiowa. The Kiowa had other strong beliefs. They maintained a ritual Sun Dance that revolved around a buffalo sacrifice and prayers to Tai-me. Tai-me is said to be a sort of savior figure for the Kiowa. When the Kiowa were facing difficult times Tai-me came to the tribe and led them to a better life.

Most members of the Kiowa tribe who remembered the ancient ways have long since passed away. However, when the narrator returns to his Grandmother's house and Rainy Mountain, he is able to vividly recall the stories his Grandmother used to tell him. As the narrator works through these stories, he learns a great deal about the Kiowa and his own history. The narrator is able to step away from his everyday life and travel back to another time. The time the narrator spends exploring his ancestral roots through memories and physical expeditions to various locations around Rainy Mountain provide him with a newfound respect for his ancestors and for his present day existence.

There is a hint of non-fiction to this book that allows the reader to surmise that N. Scott Momaday is also the narrator. Under this assumption, the narrator is a man who has left his family's homeland to make his own life elsewhere. However, the narrator has remained in contact with his family largely due to his relationship with his grandmother. Grandmother's death prompts the narrator to return to her home and take a spiritual journey through his ancestry.

The narrator spends time revisiting Kiowa stories. As he works through each story, the narrator learns about his ancestors and in turn about himself. Although the book does not focus on the narrator's personal journey, the reader can see some growth from beginning to end. There is an increased sense of knowledge and appreciation for his family history.

Part Two About Yellowstone Park

Watch two video clips of the Yellowstone Park.

https://www.bilibili.com/video/av61256267/狂野之美：国家公园探险 / National Parks Adventure——中字

https://v.qq.com/x/page/w0363ozomj0.html（《黄石公园》）

http://www.le.com/ptv/vplay/25664442.html（《黄石公园：世界上第一个国家公园》）