The Forever Kind of HistoryIn the book The Way to Rainy Mountain, author N. Scott Momaday's relationship with aspects of the past, both personally and socially, helps inspire him to reconnecting with his heritage, comes to a better understanding of his true identity, and creates a written collection to document the Kiowa "oral tradition." At the beginning of the book, author and protagonist N. Scott Momaday, is introduced as an adult man of Kiowa Descent. Although he expresses interest in the area of ​​his Kiowa heritage, it is evident that he has minimal connection to his Native American ancestry and lifestyle. Over time, it is revealed that what little history and culture Momaday knows was learned from stories told by his recently deceased grandmother. The death of Momaday's grandmother inspires him to travel to his homeland and reconnect with the legacy he has only heard about from stories, passed down from generation to generation. Momaday's initial disconnection with Kiowa culture is demonstrated in the differentiation of the three sections of writing within each chapter. The first sections are very mythical and talk about the creation of the tribe. Although the imagery, symbolism, and personification of various animals and objects bring the stories to life, there is no sense of connection between Momaday and Kiowa myths. Momaday's true voice, embodied in the third section of each chapter, mainly describes nature and what he sees during his journey. His connection to Kiowa culture is evident in the way he views and describes nature through the use of vivid imagery. At the same time, his detachment from his culture is evident in the clear distinction between his personal voice and… the medium of paper… will be forgotten forever. His connection to the past and its importance to him is what drives him to prevent his legacy from dying out and his ancestors from fighting an unheard cause. He realizes the importance of written language in the preservation of a culture. After all, if there had been a written language that Momaday could learn from, he would never have felt the need to embark on his journey to retrace the steps of his ancestors. While he may be a more connected and a more informed man to make the journey, future generations of Kiowa who feel as disconnected as Momaday will no longer have to make the journey to learn about their people, but will instead be able to connect with both. the history book and work of art known as The Way to Rainy Mountain. Works Cited Momaday, N. S. (1969). The road to the rainy mountain. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press.