Wind from an Enemy Sky

Henry Jim rides through the valley to visit his relatives and relay how the long-standing quarrel with Bull is being mended. He speaks to various families and explains that they are working to bring back the medicine bundle and urges them to put an end to their own disputes. As he travels, he is joined by other men who support his mission. That night, Henry Jim experiences a vision that prompts him to sing for his life, and his companions join in. However, when they reach the gate of the Little Elk Agency, they are met by Sid Grant, a United States marshal, who tells them that they cannot enter because there has been a killing. He says that both Bull and the Little Elk as a whole are in trouble. The group is forced to turn back.

Bull’s camp is left unsettled and tense after Pock Face and Theobold leave for the dam. The women worry about the ominous weather and the sharp wind that seems to foretell death. Two Sleeps emerges from his cabin to confirm their fears. The senior wife, Veronica, tries to calm the other women, but their anxiety only worsens when they suspect that Pock Face may have brought whiskey into the camp. The women invade the tepee of Lucelle, Pock Face’s wife, and find a bottle, which they end up drinking. Veronica scolds them for their behavior and disposes of it. Later, Bull returns to camp with Antoine, having heard about the gun Pock Face took. When Pock Face and Theobold return, Pock Face hands the gun to Bull and reveals that he shot and killed the dam’s caretaker. Bull warns Pock Face that there will be consequences for his actions and that his impulsive actions may bring ruin upon the camp and its people.

After the body of Jimmie Cooke, the dam’s caretaker, is found near the dam, a murder investigation begins on the Little Elk Indian Reservation. Engineer Bartlett reports the death to Rafferty, who contacts the United States marshal, Sid Grant, and they meet at the scene of the murder along with Doc Edwards. Grant and his deputy suspect that an Indigenous American committed the crime, but Rafferty and Edwards disagree. Bartlett feels responsible for the loss of his employee. When Grant searches the scene, he finds a brass cartridge shell and cowboy boot prints on a cliff above the dam. Suspicion immediately falls on the Little Elk community across the canyon. The marshal raids Bull’s camp and accuses them of hiding the killer. Though they don’t find the boots or the gun, they still detain Bull and the others for further investigation.

The tribal police chief, known as The Boy, reports for duty in the morning and overhears a heated argument between Grant and Rafferty in the latter’s office. Upon leaving, The Boy meets the anxious members of the Little Elk tribe waiting outside who ask about the rumors of Bull and his relatives being detained and potentially hanged. The Boy tries to reassure them. Inside, Rafferty has been trying to stop Grant from acting in the hope that The Boy can find the truth about what happened. He asks The Boy to communicate with Bull to explain the legal process in order to protect him. However, when Rafferty suggests that Bull should be advised not to self-incriminate, The Boy says that Bull will be honest either way. Henry Jim’s men arrive and enter Rafferty’s office to speak on his behalf. They are still singing, and The Boy explains that Henry Jim had a vision that he would die if the singing stopped. With The Boy translating, they argue for the return of the medicine bundle and ask for his help.

Bull and the other men are being held in the schoolhouse’s basement storage room rather than in the agency jail. This arrangement angers Grant, who insists on locking them up, but Rafferty, who prefers to offer full cooperation, denies him. The Boy visits the men to explain the situation to them, but Bull questions the fairness of their detention and is skeptical of whether or not Rafferty can be trusted. The Boy tries to mediate, but they doubt him as well because he also works for the government. As they debate the differences in views of justice between the tribe and the white settlers, and the effect this will have on the community, Pock Face confesses that he is responsible for the killing. However, the others say that it was a false confession. Bull decides to deny their involvement and says that they should let the white authorities figure it out for themselves. He asks The Boy to tell Rafferty that they want to join those helping Henry Jim.

The women of the camp prepare to leave the camp, accompanied by Antoine and their children. They gather in Veronica’s lodge. Catherine, Bull’s second wife, offers reassurance to an anxious Lucelle. As they prepare, they debate what to take with them and decide to focus on what their horses can manage. However, a woman named Marie Louise is determined to take all her possessions despite the camp’s agreement to take only what is necessary. Her stubbornness leads to complications when her horse throws off her items and runs away without its saddle. When Grant and his deputy arrive, they find that the trail they were following before was obscured by the tracks from the women’s horses.

Bull and his kinsmen ride toward Henry Jim’s ranch as a train arrives in Elk City, carrying Thomas Cooke and his wife, Geneva, who are there to retrieve their son’s body. The station agent informs them that Geneva’s brother, Adam Pell, will soon arrive as well in his private train car. The Cookes are uneasy about the expense and spectacle that Adam is causing, particularly Geneva, who sees it as a display of Adam’s wealth and desire for control. She is also concerned that his interest in Indigenous American culture might lead him to meet with the Little Elk tribe, which she wants to avoid.

After Antoine brought the women to the camp of his uncle, Jerome, he reflects on his time at the residential school, where he suffered from harsh treatment and separation from his culture. His memories include strict rules, regimented schedules, and punishment for any perceived misconduct. After four years, he was allowed to return home because his mother had died, having never recovered from her son being taken away. As he rides to the agency’s compound, he is met by The Boy, who informs him that Bull is not there. He suggests that Antoine should go to Henry Jim’s ranch instead, which he does.