Ella Cara Deloria’s 1988 novel, Waterlily, is an examination of the Dakota Native American way of life. The novel follows a Dakota camp circle called White Ghost—a group composed of several families that live and travel together. While the novel provides perspectives from many different characters, the author places the greatest focus on Blue Bird and her daughter Waterlily.

At the novel’s outset, Blue Bird gives birth to Waterlily by a river while her camp circle is in the process of moving to another site. A few years prior, Blue Bird and her Grandmother, Killed-by-Tree, were separated from White Ghost, their original camp circle. They are adopted by another camp circle, and Blue Bird marries Star Elk. Shortly after giving birth, Star Elk rejects Blue Bird as a wife. Blue Bird receives word from White Ghost, and she and Killed-by-Tree travel back to their original circle.

Blue Bird marries Rainbow, a well-respected man in the community. She is welcome by Rainbow’s family and grows close to her mother-in-law, Gloku. Killed-by-Tree dies shortly after. Blue Bird gives birth to two more children, Ohiya and Smiling One, and she is happy in her new marriage. The novel follows Waterlily’s development as a child, adolescent, and young adult. She quickly is indoctrinated into the kinship rules, which dictate the social roles and rituals of the Dakota. Family and respect are of the utmost importance, as are prescribed gender roles. Waterlily becomes close to her stepbrother, Little Chief.

Waterlily is bought in marriage by Sacred Horse, a well-respected man from another camp circle. Waterlily leaves her family behind and takes up residence with her husband and in-laws. She misses her relatives and longs to return to White Ghost. Smallpox breaks out in the camp circle, and Sacred Horse dies. Waterlily and her in-laws leave the circle to escape the smallpox, and several of her relatives are killed by a war party. Waterlily, her sister-in-law Echo, and her son escape.

Waterlily is pregnant, and she returns back to White Ghost, where she is welcomed. She re-marries Lowanla, a young man who she had noticed previously at a Sun Dance ritual. Waterlily gives birth to a son, Mitawa, and embraces her role as a mother and wife.