After Two Feathers is forced to become more sedentary, how does her outlook change? What impact does this have on her relationships and how does it reshape her view of death?

After Two Feathers is forced to become more sedentary as a result of her injury, how does her outlook on life change? What does she say that being inactive makes her see? How does it help her to better understand the stillness of her family members? What impact does this have on her relationships with the animals and nature, and how does it reshape her view of death?

I don't know if this correct but I saw Two's enforced sedentary period was one of self-exploration into who she wanted to be. While she was concerned about the monetary aspects of her life (she did send money back to her family so was a source of income), she was questioning whether she would continue as a horse diver. I think this probably made her realize that her family's life was changing too - perhaps in greater way than her ancestors because her family has been acculturated somewhat to the "white way" of life. Two became more aware of her tie to nature during this period of recuperation and I think she became more accepting of many things.

Being forced to be more sedate, I think Two Feathers became more observant of the world around her, more thoughtful of her place in it and what she wanted for herself.

During her recovery True has more time to spend with Christa Belle and we see the results of having more than enough contact with Christa Belle. However, True also spends more time with Helen Hampton and getting to know True has a positive and broadening affect on the house mother. After the lemur in the dorm incident True smudges her room and after awakening she notes “ she’d been captured and imprisoned by plaster. But restraint had come to teach her a lesson. She felt pure and ready to learn.” True does use this time to consider her life, her future and her past. She confronts the end of her career as a horse diver and considers her options for employment going forward. She tells Crawford “ this leg has given me time to just be. To go back to tradition..” However she also notes that her inactivity has forced her to recognize the “world inside her and the world unseen were every bit as engaging as the world she’d always inhabited.” She begins to practice the stillness of her people, “listening and being , seeing the unseen and the fleeting,” and this also allowed her to further connect with the animals. She realizes that “death doesn’t break ties of kinship and affection… the dead were immediate , close to the living.” It is during this learned stillness that Two becomes more sensitive to Little Elk’s presence. She also begins to move more fully into the present as her ability to be still improves.

If you've ever had the misfortune to be confined for any period of time due to medical problems, I think you can relate to the frustrations Two Feathers felt. You can see she has a low self image when she hates to ask anyone for help, as if she doesn't deserve
the attention and help offered. I think as she progressed, she gained insight, strength
and more of a sense of self as she began to believe she deserved to have friends and
part of strength is learning to lean on others when you need them.

She becomes more contemplative and thinks about what her future might be. She also has some moments of connection with her grandmother who she feels is talking to her. She already has a connection with the animals at the park so that doesn’t seem to change.

Two was always very active but now she was forced by her accident to sit back and really see the world around her. She became more aware of nature and her place in this world. She became attuned to the spirit of her grandmother and what was meant by stillness. She began practicing that stillness and understanding her ancestors, and their stillness. "They were listening and being. Seeing the unseen and the fleeting." One of the most beautiful passages in the book.

Forced to be inactive because of her accident, Two Feathers becomes introspective. Being forced to slow down causes many people to reflect upon the past, the present, and the future. I appreciated the stillness because it allows Two Feathers time to look into her ancestors.

Because she is sedentary and limited in her mobility she has to be more dependent on others. This helped her to learn to trust others and work cooperatively to achieve a common goal.

Reene, that was also my favorite passage in the book. A beautiful description, realization, and connection with her kin. I found it inspirational.