Background

Scott O’Dell died in 1989, but his writing and stories are enjoyed by youth today. O’Dell was born in Southern California in the late 1800s. As a boy, he loved adventure and was constantly outdoors. When he became older, he had many different jobs. O’Dell worked in Hollywood on motion pictures, was a newspaper writer, and was even a rancher but writing was his love. He made many contributions to children’s literature, and probably his most famous book was Island of the Blue Dolphins. Thunder Rolling in the Mountains was unfinished when O’Dell died, and his daughter, Elizabeth Hall, finished the book. She had traveled with him to the lands in Oregon where the battles took place and was the perfect person to complete this manuscript that we all enjoy today.

The Novel

The Journey Begins
This book is about a young Indian girl and her family’s struggles to come to grips with the white man’s desires. The daughter of the great Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce tribe is the narrator of the story. The story begins as Joseph and his brother are being told to move their people to a reservation in Lapwai, an area near present day Lewiston, Idaho. Look at a map of Oregon and locate the town of Enterprise or Joseph, where our story begins.

Charting the Course
We all know the story. Joseph and his tribe did not want to move. They decided to go to the “Old Lady's Country” ( Canada). As you read about their travels, keep a list of the various types of food that are mentioned. Go on line and research what these foods are known as today. Have you eaten any of them? Research camas, a staple in the Indians’ diet. Draw a picture of the plant. Describe where it grows and what parts the Indians used.

As you read the story of the slow retreat and many battles, keep a record of the names of the rivers and regions that the Indians cross. You will use these at the end of the book.

Journey’s End
This was a story of bravery, cruelty, independence, and betrayal. The end of the tribe’s journey was only about 40 miles south of the “Old Lady’s Country.” How might the natives’ struggle changed if they had made it to Canada? What might have happened to Chief Joseph and his people? How might present day Washington be different? Write a new ending to this tragic tale.

Activities

Draw a Map
Draw a map of northeastern Oregon, western Idaho, and eastern Washington. Show current borders and the mountains and plains. Use the information that you recorded as you read the story to label the rivers, battlefields, and regions that the Indians crossed.