In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse

Grandpa Nyles says that Crazy Horse’s surrender is “the bravest thing he ever did” (133). What does that statement reveal about Nyles’s and Crazy Horse’s values and the relationship between the two Lakota men?

How does the novel use the natural environment—the plants, animals, and natural setting of the Great Plains—to explore one or more of its themes?

The novel largely focuses on the experiences of three men: Jimmy, Grandpa Nyles, and Crazy Horse. How does the novel depict gender roles in the modern day and in Crazy Horse’s time? How does the novel explore the ideals of masculinity in Lakota culture?

Discuss the coming-of-age narratives of Jimmy and Crazy Horse. How do their circumstances and mentors shape their separate journeys toward adulthood? How does Crazy Horse’s experience affect Jimmy’s?

Research one of the historical events mentioned in the novel, such as the Battle of the Hundred in the Hands, or the Battle of the Little Bighorn. How do Grandpa Nyles’s and/or the novel’s other descriptions of those events compare with what you find? What do the similarities or differences between multiple versions of the same event say about the person telling the story?

How does the novel juxtapose the cultures of the Lakota and white settlers? How do Jimmy and Grandpa Nyles fit into both cultures, and how does the novel use them to bridge these different worlds?

What is the symbolism of the sage that Nyles places on Crazy Horse’s memorial at Fort Robinson? What other symbolism appears in the story, and what is the significance of these various forms of symbolism?

Many of the story’s characters go by multiple names over the course of the narrative. How does the novel’s focus on names help it describe one or more characters’ transformations along The Journey of Personal Growth and Understanding?