William Wayne Red Hat Jr.

Book excerpt: As Keeper of the Arrows, William Wayne Red Hat, Jr., is charged with protecting one of the most sacred possessions of the Cheyenne people and serves his tribe as a revered cultural authority. The Arrow Keeper also oversees and maintains the tribe’s spiritual connection to the land. Sibylle Schlesier—whose father, anthropologist Karl Schlesier, was a close associate of Red Hat’s family—recorded and transcribed this memoir of Bill Red Hat’s life. Through his words, we meet an intelligent, humble man who cares deeply about the perpetuation of his people’s cultural identity and the preservation of their beliefs. His descriptions of ceremonies and traditions will serve as a guide to help keep them alive for posterity. Red Hat conveys an oral tradition that preserves stories and memories of his people as well as accounts of historical events passed down within his family.