The Talking Leaves: An Indian Story

"The Talking Leaves: An Indian Story" by William O. Stoddard is a historical story unfolding in the late 1800s. It looks at Native American life and struggles with the arrival of white settlers. The story follows Ni-ha-be, an Apache chief's daughter, and her adopted sister, Rita, exploring what it means to belong while their world changes. Early on in this narrative, the girls are riding and witness a group of Apache warriors at a gathering. Things get interesting when they find "talking leaves" that were left behind by white soldiers; this discovery makes Rita curious, but it also makes them both think hard about what the two girls truly stand for. Their adventure begins as they find themselves stuck in the middle of their Apache culture and their history. When the girls show Ni-ha-be's father, Many Bears, the talking leaves, it's a sign of bigger problems and the meeting of two very different cultures.