Wili

The young son of German immigrants was left an orphan as the wagon train was crossing the prairie. Wili was adopted by a band of Arapaho Indians. This band realized the “old ways” were over and, with the help of a humane Army Colornel were making real progress toward currently acceptable “white” culture. Wili loved his Indian life but was worried that his relatives in Germany would insist that he return to them. The story is essentially Wili’s adventures but a sub plot is revisionist history of the ilk of McKinley Kantor’s “If the South Had Won the Civil War” e.g. what would happen if things had been done differently. Being properly treated, some of the clan became wealthy and engrossed in learning, what most Native Americans could have become had they been given the opportunity.