Ants

Ants shape Lani Walker’s early history and the conflicting beliefs surrounding her adoption: an encounter that nearly killed her became, to some relatives, evidence that she was dangerous, and to Nana Dahd, a sign that she was special.

The Ant-Bed Incident

As a child, Lani was left alone by an elderly caretaker and fell into an ant bed. She nearly died from the bites, and faded patches remained on her copper-colored skin. The incident is presented not as an independent account of ant behavior but through its lasting physical and social consequences for Lani.

A Cause of Rejection

Lani’s blood relatives connected the ant bites to her presumed relationship with Kulani O’oks, the great medicine woman said to have been kissed by bees. Afraid that Lani had been singled out by I’itoi and might endanger her family, they refused to take her in and gave her up for adoption. Her childhood nickname, Kuadagi Ke’e Al, meaning the Ant-Bit Child, carried that history into her new family.

Conflicting Interpretations

Brandon Walker knew that others had called Lani the Ant-Bit Child, but he had not believed their explanations; to him, she was the beloved daughter who had entered his life as a toddler. Nana Dahd read the same mark differently, believing that being ant-bit made Lani special. The ants therefore become part of a larger divide between fear and affection, and between supernatural suspicion and the love through which Brandon understood his daughter.