his heritage and modern life as a photographer. By giving South Wing this rattle, Will shows how his heritage is important to him, and how he wants South Wing to grow up appreciating her heritage. The rattle serves as a symbol for their heritage.

Another main theme of the book is the theme of family and fatherhood. This is the other reason why Will’s presents are significant within the story. Will grew up estranged from his own father; he has no family of his own. South Wing is not his biological daughter, but by giving her these presents, Will shows how he treats her as if she was his real daughter. Therefore, both presents could also be seen as a symbol for family and fatherhood.

In Medicine River, Will gives Wilma, or South Wing, two similar gifts, one for each her birthday and Christmas. The two gifts are an authentic, handmade Indian rattle decorated in yellow and blue and a singing top (a top that emits a musical humming tone) that is colored with the primary colors: red, yellow, and blue.

These two gifts have several symbolic meanings—the first being that they are a representation of Will's Native American heritage. It is important to Will to pass on knowledge of Native American traditions and culture, so he wants to give these gifts as a memento to South Wing.

Additionally, he states that every color in the world is derived from the primary colors. He is a photographer and loves to explore and discuss color, but the significance here is that he is saying everyone stems from the same basic elements—there is nothing truly different about the different races of people. Just as all colors come from the same basic elements, so too do all people.

In Thomas King's Medicine River, the gift Will gives Louise's daughter, Wilma, whom he calls South Wing, on her first birthday is a handmade "real Indian rattle" (p. 139). Will and his best friend Harlen specifically go to Harlen's grandmother to request the rattle because she makes them herself. The rattle she gives them is carved out of willow and covered in deer hide; the deer hide is "painted blue and yellow" (p. 140). The rattle noise is made with stones and seeds, and the rattle is also decorated with "strands of horsehair" (p. 140). Since the rattle is an authentic Indian rattle, one thing it symbolizes is Will's heritage. But Will is one who is caught between his heritage and the modern-day world as a photographer. The rattle is also decorated with the two primary colors blue and yellow, and primary colors are an essential aspect of art. Hence, the two primary colors symbolize Will's artistic ties to the modern world.

The Christmas gift Will gives South Wing is also decorated with primary colors. It's a top that emits the sound of music as it spins, a "sweet, humming sound" that changes in pitch as the top spins in a "perfect circle" (p. 260 - 61). The top is also decorated with the primary colors: "red, yellow, blue" plus the color green (p. 261). As the top spins, you can see the colors shift. Again, the primary colors symbolize his artistic ties to the modern world since all colors are derived from the three primary colors. But also, the top itself and the one color "red" symbolizes Will's own past and his reconciliation with that past. Through a letter he once read, Will learned that his own father had tried to send Will and his brother a musical top for Christmas and that the top was red and decorated with a "cute little animal" on the side (p. 9). Hence, in being able to get South Wing a musical top, he is allowing himself to bond with his father and ease the pain of not having his own father in his life.