The Seed Keeper

Rosalie relates her great-aunt Darlene Kills Deer’s account of Rosalie’s return to her Dakhóta family after an absence of nearly 30 years. Darlene had filed the paperwork to get custody of Rosalie after both her parents had died, but her claim was unsuccessful. She prayed daily to get her back. Then she had a dream in which a crow told her to plant corn. Though she lived in a senior facility, she hauled dirt in buckets to her balcony and planted the seeds passed down from her ancestors. She prayed to the plants to help bring Rosalie home. One day, Rosalie and her adult son arrived, and Darlene asked Rosalie to water the corn, a first step in reconnecting her with her past and her heritage. Rosalie states that Darlene died a year later, but before she did, they were able to share memories and dreams.

The narrative jumps back to 2002. Rosalie Iron Wing tidies her farmhouse kitchen while recalling the stories her father used to tell her about Dakhóta origins and their relation to the land: “We are a civilized people who understand that our survival depends on knowing how to be a good relative, especially to Iná Maka, Mother Earth” (6).