Watonka

In a dream, the Great Spirit reveals to the descendant of a Sioux warrior how children will help bring peace to the tormented spirits of Arapaho ghost dancers. Two mysterious young visitors join forces with two boys in a small Oklahoma town, and are led to Little Fox, the great-niece of a revered Cheyenne medicine man. The children uncover a long-forgotten journal of the medicine man, which describes a Cherokee formulae used many years before to cure Arapaho chief Watonka of cancer. The warrior's descendant suffers from the same disease, as does Gentle Bear, a Cheyenne friend of Little Fox. Spirits of the ghost dancers, led by Watonka, appear to the children and in doing so reveal the healing plants used in the formulae. With the help of Little Fox, the children gather the plants and prepare the medicines, which relieve Gentle Bear's suffering. Unfortunately, Gentle Bear's drunken and violent husband, Horace Calicott, tries to steal the now-valuable journal from the children. This sets up a tense and dramatic climax to the story, with the ghost dancers' symbolic redemption and the descendant's life hanging in the balance. The surprise ending reveals the true purpose of the mysterious visitors, and the Great Spirit's possible motives for interceding on behalf of the ghost dancers.

A native of Oklahoma, Bruce Stapleton has had a long-time interest in Indian history. After graduating from the University of Oklahoma and military service, he has pursued careers in journalism, military intelligence, and software training and support. He has published nine articles on military intelligence issues.