The short story “Wolves” by Sterling HolyWhiteMountain, first published in The New Yorker’s 2023 summer online Flash Fiction series, tells the story of the narrator and their cousin’s attempt to reconcile with their indigenous roots and identity by learning their dying mother tongue, only to meet resistance from different factions of the community. HolyWhiteMountain, a member of the indigenous community Blackfeet Nation or Siksikaitsitapi, often delves into themes of Native art, relationships, and the intersection of politics and propaganda. In the story “Wolves,” he depicts the turmoil of the narrator, who is implied to be of mixed race (part Caucasian, part Native American), and their frustrations over the standards and stereotypes associated …show more content…
The exposition was crucial to the introduction of the central conflict of the story, letting the readers know of the situation that will primarily be explored while also highlighting the challenges faced by indigenous individuals in preserving their cultural heritage in the face of internal and external pressures. The rising action, the cousins being mentored by the old guy – and the climax being his death – allows the readers to witness the progress of the character's understanding of their cultural identity and feel the impact of the loss of this guiding light, inciting introspection and an epiphany on the narrator’s part as he trudges through the tensions between tradition and modernity, cultural authenticity, and assimilation in their efforts of preserving the legacy passed on by the old man. Finally, the element that enabled the story to convey such a personal yet encompassing message, consolidating all literary elements in its portrayal of the theme, was seeing and feeling everything through the lens of the