In 1864 Caddie Woodlawn is an 11-year-old tomboy who fits in nicely with her brothers, while her mother and older sister Clara find her difficult. Caddie and her brothers, Tom and Warren, are inseparable adventurers in the “woods of western Wisconsin” (1).

Caddie, Tom, and Warren decide to cross the Menomonie River, though none of them know how to swim, to see the Native Americans construct a birch-bark canoe. As the children strip off their clothes, they discuss whether the Native Americans are capable of massacring and scalping them. Caddie knows that Indian John would never do such a thing, and Tom figures that the people talking about massacres don’t really know any Native Americans. Meanwhile, their younger sister Hetty spies on them from above, collecting information to share with their mother.

After greeting Indian John’s dog, the children realize that the Native Americans have noticed their presence. The Woodlawn children are used to attention from the Native Americans, as throughout their childhood Native Americans have come to their home to marvel at their red hair. In fact, Caddie met Indian John in a store when he lifted her from the ground to get a look at her hair, and their friendship started after the shopkeeper assured her that she didn’t need to be afraid of Indian John.