Prologue, Chapters 1 and 2 Summary

In 1797, the shaman of the Dakota tribe of the Black Hills goes off alone to seek a vision from the Great Spirit. What he sees confuses him at first. He sees a sun in the night sky, a herd of buffalo led by a grey eagle and a white mountain lion with blue eyes. The shaman, a man named Waken, returns to his people and draws his vision on a deer skin though he reveals it to no one. He knows that the eagle is a sign that Grey Eagle will rule the tribe. This is an important revelation because Grey Eagle's daughter and grandson have been kidnapped and some presumed dead, prompting Grey Eagle to consider handing over leadership to a younger warrior. The buffalo, having the faces of Waken's ancestors, represent the tribe. The lion, which stood...