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Wind from an Enemy Sky
A tragedy of good intentions gone hopelessly wrong, Wind from an Enemy Sky tells the story of the Little Elk People, a fictional Northwestern tribe. Through the eyes of Antoine, grandson of the tribal leader, we see the tribe attempt to overcome their demoralization at the hands of advancing white civilization. The Indians respond to the building of a dam by trying to gain the return of a sacred medicine bundle. McNickle's ability to depict psychologically complex characters of both races, such as Bull, the aging leader of the Little Elk, and Rafferty, the Indian Agency Superintendent, results in a convincing story and leads the reader to hope that tragedy can be averted. At the same time, McNickle provides a sensitive portrait of the religious depth and human warmth of Indian culture. But although whites and Indians grow in their understanding of one another, the mistakes of the past compound to bring about the violent final confrontation, envisioned in the dreams of the mysterious Two Sleeps.
269 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1978
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256 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
May 2, 2025
Capitol D Dude writing, meant both as a compliment and a diss.
April 10, 2008
D'Arcy McNickle's Wind from an Enemy Sky is a book about communication and its failures. It is about lost land, culture, history, power, and life. It is a novel that illustrates the failures of good intentions and the end of a world.
Toby Rafferty, the Indian Agency Superintendent, attempts to understand the people he is meant to help, the Little Elk people; Adam Pell has made a hobby of Indians and wishes to help them recover their lost culture and even perhaps their lost land; and Two Sleeps, a visionary and leader, believes that "a man by himself was nothing, a shout in the wind. But men together, each acting for each other and as one--even a strong wind from an enemy sky had to respect their power" (197). These white men want to understand and perhaps even begin to understand and Two Sleeps sees hope and power in individuals working together for a common purpose.
There are so many good people approaching the problem of relations between white men and the Little Elk people, but in the end, this is not enough. As Rafferty realizes, "we do not speak to each other--and language is only a part of it. Perhaps it is intention, or purpose, the map of the mind we follow" (125). Despite Rafferty and Pell's attempts to understand, ultimately they do not. And their misunderstandings, their missteps, are costly, leading to death, both individual and cultural. In the final scene, the hope that Two Sleeps finds in the image of people withstanding a "strong wind from an enemy sky" is destroyed, as he sings "the death song, and the wind bore it along, as from an enemy sky" (256).
"That day, the cry of the plover was heard everywhere . . . Ke-ree, ke-ree, ke-ree. No meadowlarks sang, and the world fell apart" (256).
This is a beautiful and fascinating book, one that I didn't want to stop reading. McNickle's approach to the characters is complex; neither the white men nor the Native Americans are painted with broad brush strokes, but individuals on both sides are explored as individuals within these larger communities. McNickle's style is mostly straightforward, with occasional moments of lyrical beauty.
This is a book that deserves to be more well-known and, in fact, it is a book that I would like to teach in my American literature course. I think it would lend itself well to a general literature course.
Toby Rafferty, the Indian Agency Superintendent, attempts to understand the people he is meant to help, the Little Elk people; Adam Pell has made a hobby of Indians and wishes to help them recover their lost culture and even perhaps their lost land; and Two Sleeps, a visionary and leader, believes that "a man by himself was nothing, a shout in the wind. But men together, each acting for each other and as one--even a strong wind from an enemy sky had to respect their power" (197). These white men want to understand and perhaps even begin to understand and Two Sleeps sees hope and power in individuals working together for a common purpose.
There are so many good people approaching the problem of relations between white men and the Little Elk people, but in the end, this is not enough. As Rafferty realizes, "we do not speak to each other--and language is only a part of it. Perhaps it is intention, or purpose, the map of the mind we follow" (125). Despite Rafferty and Pell's attempts to understand, ultimately they do not. And their misunderstandings, their missteps, are costly, leading to death, both individual and cultural. In the final scene, the hope that Two Sleeps finds in the image of people withstanding a "strong wind from an enemy sky" is destroyed, as he sings "the death song, and the wind bore it along, as from an enemy sky" (256).
"That day, the cry of the plover was heard everywhere . . . Ke-ree, ke-ree, ke-ree. No meadowlarks sang, and the world fell apart" (256).
This is a beautiful and fascinating book, one that I didn't want to stop reading. McNickle's approach to the characters is complex; neither the white men nor the Native Americans are painted with broad brush strokes, but individuals on both sides are explored as individuals within these larger communities. McNickle's style is mostly straightforward, with occasional moments of lyrical beauty.
This is a book that deserves to be more well-known and, in fact, it is a book that I would like to teach in my American literature course. I think it would lend itself well to a general literature course.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 4, 2017
Read for a school assignment. The first 75% of the book was incredibly boring for me (I flat-out skipped pages 80-150) but the last bit really redeemed it. It has one of those ending where all you can do is close the book and say "holy shit."
January 25, 2019
Having read this story for the first time, I can fully express how impressed I was with the author's ability to to reflect upon the experiences of those who experienced similar pain and tragedy. It was intriguing to watch as the few main characters (Antoine, Rafferty, and Henry Jim) were used to develop the story in a reflective, but progressive manner. The novel itself was incredibly reflective of the incidents that occurred during a similar time period and goes to show the power a story can have on those who hear it. It also goes to show how a simple miscommunication can lead to great tragedy.
March 7, 2018
I read this book for school, and I probably wouldn’t have picked it up on my own, but it was still a good read. It was interesting and insightful learning about the native culture. However I found that whenever I stopped reading I didn’t have the desire to pick the book back up. Throughout the novel there were parts that held my attention but then it would become dull and continue to cycle in this pattern.
May 5, 2023
If I’m being perfectly honest, I did not enjoy reading this book at all. It was consistently dull and dry. Yet some of the most important pieces of the world are not entertaining. This book was not a fun read, but it has undoubtable importance in the world, a reminder of the role that communication plays in every thing we do. And how that reflects in sovereignty and indigenous and reservation law.
January 14, 2026
Read for ENGL capstone - really interesting conversation on importance of ancestral storytelling tradition in native culture, and the ongoing nature and consequences of slow violence and the erasure of traditions and symbols.
"It had troubled him that his grandson would never know that his people had once been strong, had lived well, and had owned their own country. That time would not come back, the past never returned, but the people could be proud again"(239).
"It had troubled him that his grandson would never know that his people had once been strong, had lived well, and had owned their own country. That time would not come back, the past never returned, but the people could be proud again"(239).
June 27, 2017
I was required to read it for class, but it was definitely a good read. Very informative, rather eye-opening, and I would definitely recommend this to people interested in Native American literature.
It was certainly not a happy read, so don't go into this expecting to feel happy and content at the end, as it does seem true to its history, but I definitely think it is worth the read.
It was certainly not a happy read, so don't go into this expecting to feel happy and content at the end, as it does seem true to its history, but I definitely think it is worth the read.
March 15, 2017
A story about the Little Elk people (fictional) attempting to fight against colonization. There are also undertones that one of the returned grandsons (had a boarding school education) is unaware of how to best go about blending back into the tribe.
A good story, but some lull narrative.
A good story, but some lull narrative.
December 8, 2024
Misogyny, pedophilia, sexism all run rampant in this book yet is written in such a way that it seems almost as if the readers are meant to think it’s acceptable. Every character in this book can go kick rocks, they’re all awful.
February 27, 2025
Read for my Indian Literature and the Law class. This story was a super impactful and powerful indigenous narrative. It was really cool to learn about Darcy Mcnickles and his process of writing the story, and I really appreciated our in class discussions.
March 20, 2023
Never would have picked up this book if I didn’t need to for a class, but WOW was that a crazy and thought-provoking ride
April 25, 2024
Parts of the novel were slow. I found it difficult to push through and finish, but I'm glad I did. The ending is devastating. Amazing but devastating.
January 6, 2025
All white people should read this
September 23, 2015
This book is a rarity of treasures amidst Native American canon literature. The way it's executed, it's surprising that it's not widely considered a classic--it fits the mold. With complex chronology, complicated structure, and intense Steinbeck-esque description, McNickle certainly had the mentality of an immortal courier of important messages.
The author's thesis is that Native Americans and the invasive Anglos cannot possibly reside with one another in harmony. Through a story laden with themes of miscommunication and prejudice on either side, the ultimate outcome presents the idea that there's no possibility of coexistence--McNickles appears to believe that white Americans have committed irreparable damage and will continue to do so until their "underling" brethren die out (at least culturally). What fascinated me most about this assertion conveyed in such a way is that McNickle seemed to be able to avoid showing unruly prejudice to either side--both the whites and Natives expressly deployed clear flaws. Coming from a writer who has been on both sides of the fence--who has lived both as an American Indian and a white agrarian citizen--this balance feels genuinely authentic. He seemed to be able to switch his mentality like a switch when he was writing in one perspective (the Natives) vs. the other (the whites); a more whimsical, figurative intonation graces the former, whereas sophistication and candidness shows with the latter.
At times, the book leaves you feeling like it could safely stand to be perhaps a hundred pages shorter. At least one chapter rambles extensively without providing so much as a Checkov's Gun. Nonetheless, at under three hundred pages, it's easy to blow through.
The ultimate message is not a happy one (albeit, I would argue, it is stingingly true), but the greatest classics that we acknowledge unwaveringly lean to the unhappy side. If you can stand getting through a line of Steinbeck, you can stand to read this book.
The author's thesis is that Native Americans and the invasive Anglos cannot possibly reside with one another in harmony. Through a story laden with themes of miscommunication and prejudice on either side, the ultimate outcome presents the idea that there's no possibility of coexistence--McNickles appears to believe that white Americans have committed irreparable damage and will continue to do so until their "underling" brethren die out (at least culturally). What fascinated me most about this assertion conveyed in such a way is that McNickle seemed to be able to avoid showing unruly prejudice to either side--both the whites and Natives expressly deployed clear flaws. Coming from a writer who has been on both sides of the fence--who has lived both as an American Indian and a white agrarian citizen--this balance feels genuinely authentic. He seemed to be able to switch his mentality like a switch when he was writing in one perspective (the Natives) vs. the other (the whites); a more whimsical, figurative intonation graces the former, whereas sophistication and candidness shows with the latter.
At times, the book leaves you feeling like it could safely stand to be perhaps a hundred pages shorter. At least one chapter rambles extensively without providing so much as a Checkov's Gun. Nonetheless, at under three hundred pages, it's easy to blow through.
The ultimate message is not a happy one (albeit, I would argue, it is stingingly true), but the greatest classics that we acknowledge unwaveringly lean to the unhappy side. If you can stand getting through a line of Steinbeck, you can stand to read this book.
September 26, 2013
Wind from an Enemy Sky is the story of an indian tribe as it tries to balance the new "white man" ways with the traditional indian ways. It is also about the conflict between two brothers, each who chose a different path to live and influenced the entire tribe with those choices. Family is sometimes the people we have the most conflict with but it is only because they are the people we love the most. I was able to see from this story that the laws and morals of the white man really were foreign to the indians. I had never thought about how hard that must have been for them to have strange people take over what had always been free and expected the indians to understand language and ideals that were completely foreign to them. As I read this book, I even wondered if maybe we are still doing that today, trying to make the indian people be something that they aren't. The story is told with lots of symbolism and stories of the land as the indians do. I had to pay attention to what I was reading to figure out the symbolism of the stories. Overall, it was an enjoyable book and much more appropriate for a sophmore english class than other literature on the districts list.
July 27, 2015
In the second, and last, of his novels, McNickle continues to impress. Wind from an Enemy Sky tells the story of a cast of characters whose lives come to intersect around the building of a dam. As innocuous as this sounds, the building of the dam is the catalyst to the destruction of several ways of life. Through misunderstanding and misunderstanding, two cultures come to collide, even as both make strides towards reconciliation. Having just finished this novel, I am still mulling over its implications, as I am sure McNickle intended. Enjoyable and disturbing, as a good novel should be.
September 27, 2014
I found this story rather slow and I didn't care for the ending. I feel that it was written from an outsider perspective trying to force their knowledge and make it feel authentic. It just wasn't authentic for me.
March 18, 2015
What a sad, odd story. It is an work of fiction, but is based on actual tribal relations with the government in the 1960's. The story tried to show both sides. I'm not sure if I actually liked the story, but I do think my brain grew a little in the area of Native American knowledge.
April 20, 2021
Reads like a classic Greek tragedy and explores the history of the Flathead reservation in Montana in the 1930s. Themes of environmental justice, miscommunication, and cultural survival. I got this for a Native American Writers class and am very glad I had the chance to read this novel.
October 1, 2007
does it make me shallow that I don't like depressing books all that much?
August 1, 2012
...the last page...BAM!
March 6, 2014
could be an interesting one to teach with tie ins to: MT history, Native American history, identity, cultural clashes, manifest destiny, expansion, homesteading
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews