 The opera tells a tale of necromancy and betrayal among a Navajo tribe.Music critic Bill Zakariasen wrote in his review of the opera in "Musical America", "This muddled tale of necromancy among the Navajos only turned our understanding of these people back to a wigwam one.Anderson's music, despite its lack of authentic racial atmosphere, proved well-orchestrated, smoothly developed, and firmly attuned to the dramatic action."