. ▁[ In ▁W ak onda ’ s ▁Dream ] ▁the ▁past ▁has ▁a ▁concrete ▁effect ▁on ▁everyone ▁in ▁the ▁opera ." ▁ ▁The ▁opera ' s ▁stage ▁director , ▁Rh oda ▁Lev ine , ▁had ▁suggested ▁Kom un y ak aa ▁as ▁libre tt ist . ▁She ▁had ▁ ▁experience ▁working ▁with ▁him ▁on ▁a ▁project ▁through ▁North western ▁University . ▁The ▁composer ▁and ▁poet ▁immediately ▁agreed ▁to ▁collabor ate ▁at ▁an ▁intro duct ory ▁meeting ▁held ▁in ▁the ▁offices ▁of ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁Opera ▁in ▁December ▁ 2 0 0 2 . ▁Kom un y ak aa ▁knew ▁of ▁Anthony ▁Davis ’ ▁work ▁before ▁the ▁meeting , ▁and ▁was ▁intr igu ed ▁by ▁the ▁potential ▁partners hip . ▁Of ▁his ▁writing ▁process ▁for ▁this ▁project , ▁Kom un y ak aa ▁says , ▁" I ▁knew ▁I ▁wanted ▁to ▁stay ▁very ▁close ▁to ▁poetry ▁in ▁writing ▁the ▁libre tto ." ▁He ▁notes ▁that ▁his ▁work ▁" has ▁always ▁emb rac ed ▁aspects ▁of ▁history ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁imagination ." ▁ ▁He ▁learned ▁much ▁about ▁Native ▁American ▁history ▁when ▁writing ▁a ▁libre tto ▁based ▁on ▁events ▁related ▁to ▁the ▁Stand ing ▁Bear ▁trial . ▁He ▁did ▁not ▁realize ▁that ▁American ▁Indians ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 8 7 0 s ▁were ▁ex cluded ▁from ▁coverage ▁under ▁the ▁Constitution ▁as ▁equal ▁subjects ▁of ▁the ▁law , ▁that ▁they ▁were ▁prohib ited ▁from ▁ow ning ▁fee ▁simple ▁property ▁if ▁members ▁of ▁tribes , ▁and ▁could ▁not ▁appear ▁in ▁a ▁court ▁of ▁law .