Plenty Proud

by Jeanie P Johnson

  “Do not worry about it. I have asked one of the Sioux women to make me one in exchange for baking her some bread.”

  Eagle Eye laughed. “I understand Little Bird will be having Plenty Proud’s child, come early spring a little more than nine full moons since he took her as his wife. Plenty Proud’s aunt will make her a cradleboard.”

  Mackenzie lifted her head from what she was doing, and looked worriedly at Eagle Eye. “My child is due sometime in December. That is only about six or so months since you took me as your wife. How are we going to explain that? Little Bird became Plenty Proud’s wife before I even returned to the tribe. I will be having my baby way before she gives birth.”

  “Some babies come early,” Eagle Eye suggested.

  “I have seen early babies, and they are very tiny and usually do not live. If I carry my child full term, it will not be small and unhealthy. Both Plenty Proud and his mother will suspect something.”

  “Let them suspect. If they question it, I will admit taking you on our journey down the river. Plenty Proud has already denounced me as a friend. What more can he do?”

  “You said he would kill you if he learned of the way you betrayed him or I should say we betrayed him.”

  “He had no hold on you then. He merely wanted you for his wife. He has a wife now and soon will have a child as well. He needs to count what luck the Great Spirit has brought him. We cannot always have everything we wish for.”

  “Yes, I know all too well,” Mackenzie mumbled.

  “Are you sorry you agreed to become my wife?” Eagle Eye asked her, anxiously, grabbing her hand.

  Mackenzie shook her head. “Of course, not, I love you. I just don’t want Plenty Proud even angrier at us than he already is.”

  “He has not spoken to either of us, since you gave his family the gifts. He may not come to the naming ceremony, when our child is born.”

  “Only he will know about the naming ceremony.”

  “What purpose would he have to approach us about it? What we do should not trouble him. I am sure he has learned to love Little Bird enough to forget about you. She was very kind when she nursed me back to health, and Plenty Proud mentioned how much that impressed him about her.”

  “Perhaps you are right,” Mackenzie mumbled, and went back to her sewing again.

  “We will be moving the village soon. The buffalo herd moves farther away, and we must have one last fall hunt before winter covers us,” Eagle Eye told her.

  “I will miss not being here,” Mackenzie sighed. “There are so many memories here.”

  “We will make new memories at new village, without so many memories remaining of your time here with Plenty Proud before you went with me down the river.”

  “That all seems so long ago now,” she mumbled.

  So much had happened since the day the snow buried her cabin, and now she was expecting a child and had become a full-fledged Sioux Indian. She had almost forgotten what it had been like to live in a house anymore.

  The day came and there was an endless bustle as the members of the tribe prepared to move. The women dismantled the tepees, using the long poles for travois’ to load everything on. Then they packed all their belongings as the men got the travois’ ready, attaching them to horses that would be ridden by the members of the tribe. Older children rode their ponies with smaller travois’ pulled behind. Even the dogs pulled little travois’ to load things on. Children too young to ride a horse, which would be any child under four years old, would be put on a travois with a round cage made of willow branches bowed over the travois and tied at the junctions with rawhide, so they could not fall off. Young children, riding horses were often tied to their mount, to make sure they did not fall from their pony, because they knew a well-trained pony would always carry its rider safely to any destination if the rider could remain on its back.

  The chiefs and leaders of the tribe rode ahead, dressed in their war-bonnets, each feather representing a coup the owner of the bonnet had earned. A coup was usually earned for hand to hand combat, without getting killed in the process. It was more humiliating to be hit with a war club, or slapped in the face by an enemy, than actually getting killed, and the warriors did all they could to humiliate the enemy, only killing them when no other recourse was available. To them, it was always a good day to die, but losing face, or being humiliated was worse than dying.

  Behind the chiefs, who consisted of the chief of the village, chief of the hunt, the war chief, and leaders of high societies who had been chiefs in the past, came next. The best warriors, wearing their coup feathers, whether it was a war-bonnet or feathers decorating their hair and horses, followed. Jesters and medicine men were dressed in their various bright feather-decorated costumes, the jesters juggled objects, and the medicine men shook their rattles or hit their hand-held hoop-drums with a drumstick.

  The entire village chanted and sang, making a big parade filled with song and laughter. Sometimes the younger braves, who did not have travois’ on their horses, would gallop ahead in mock-combat, trying to knock each other off of their horses putting on a show and then returning to the group behind the chiefs.

  The chief of the hunt had already scouted out ahead, days before, to discover the direction the herd was headed, choosing a campsite that would be closest to the herd along a river. It was possible to hear a large herd watering, miles away, making a rumbling noise as the herd drank and snorted.

  The buffalo dance had been celebrated the night before to insure a successful hunt, with plenty of buffalo to last throughout the winter, which would be supplemented by smaller game during the cold, snow-covered, winter months.

  “When the hunt is over,” Mackenzie said to Eagle Eye the night before, after she had given him his reading lessons, “I want to go to the trading post. I have money and credit of furs I didn’t use the last time I was there. We can get flour and other staples like sugar and molasses, to use during the winter.”

  Eagle Eye looked up from the book he was holding. It had been difficult to learn the white man’s words, but he discovered it helped him learn their language better, and Firelight always acted so proud of him when he succeeded in learning to read new words. In return, he was teaching her the Sioux language.

  “I will take you, if you wish,” he shrugged. “Soon the trading post will be closed, once the first snow hits, and it won’t be opened until the snow melts. Only it will take several days to reach it, so we will have to leave as soon after the hunt as possible, because the snow hits sooner, farther up, where the trading post is located,” he told her.

  Now, Mackenzie watched him as he rode ahead with the other young braves, putting on their mock-combat show. Their travois, which was attached to the horse she rode, was loaded with the bathtub on it, filled with their belongings, along with whatever did not fit in the tub. Many of the members of the tribe stared at the tub and pointed, wondering what it was used for. Mackenzie thought about how it would be employed during the winter. They would not have to join others in the sweat lodges during the frigid months, when the river was too cold to bathe in, she thought happily to herself.

  By the end of the day, the tribe had reached the new place along the river, where the fall village would be located. Latter, they would move even farther away, where the snow wasn’t as deep during the winter and they could have a comfortable winter camp, next to plenty of trees to feed the endless winter fires that would be built.

  It didn’t take long to assemble the tepees, in order to set up the new village, and though it was the woman’s job to not only bring the tepee down but to put it up again, Eagle Eye assisted Mackenzie, in order to show her how it was done. He told her in the future, she would be responsible for the chore, though.

  That evening, Mackenzie snuggled close to Eagle Eye under their buffalo robes. He would be leaving at first sun for the hunt, and because of her condition, she would remain behind, helping build the racks to put the strips of buffalo meat on to dry. Though she worried abou
t Eagle Eye’s safety, knowing how dangerous the hunt could be, she had faith in his ability, after watching him hunt with Plenty Proud at the last big hunt. She happily joined the other women, working on the racks, after the braves and the women who would skin the buffalo had left. As she worked, she noticed Little Bird, not far away, staring at her.

  “You carry Eagle Eye’s child?” Little bird asked as she came closer. Mackenzie nodded. “I too will give Plenty Proud a child. I am hoping it is a fine, strong, brave.”

  “Our children could play together, if only Plenty Proud would forgive Eagle Eye,” Mackenzie muttered.

  Little Bird lowered her eyes. “He is a stubborn brave. I know you wanted Plenty Proud to be happy. If you had not left, he would have taken you for his wife. I know he loves me, but often, I see him watching you. I think he wishes he had not taken me as his wife.”

  “I am sure that is not true. Eagle Eye said Plenty Proud told him you had impressed him, when you nursed Eagle Eye back to health. He could see you were a kind and caring woman, which was the kind of person he wished to have for his wife. He was probably watching me for some other reason that had nothing to do with how he feels about you,” Mackenzie insisted.

  “I wish we could be friends,” Little Bird mumbled. Mackenzie noticed she wore the combs in her hair, which she had given Little Bird. “You are a kind and caring woman also. It is too bad Plenty Proud has turned his back on you and Eagle Eye.”

  “I am sure it is his pride, but that is all behind us now. Perhaps by the time our children are born, he will have forgiven us,” Mackenzie suggested.

  “I hope so, but as long as he is not here, we can work side by side,” Little Bird smiled.

  “Thank you, Little Bird. You show you are a caring person.”

  The day went by quickly as the women worked to get ready for the buffalo to arrive, and then as the meat was brought in, they had plenty more to keep them busy, until the sun went down. By that time, all the braves had returned, and Mackenzie was relieved when she could lie beside Eagle Eye under the buffalo robes, after taking a long, deserved bath together in the river before retiring.

  “It was a good hunt,” Eagle Eye told her, as he nuzzled her neck. “The Great Spirit smiled on us today. Winter will be a time of rest and making love.”

  “And having children,” Mackenzie added. “You will be a new father before the hard winter hits.”

  “Yes,” Eagle Eye breathed, hugging her to him. “Tomorrow, I will ask permission to take you to the trading post. You worked hard today, and though there is still work to do, having food to last the winter is important.”

  “I want to give Little Bird some flour and sugar, only I am afraid Plenty Proud will get angry and turn me away. His pride is still keeping him from forgiving me or you.”

  “Talk to White Wing. She is happy that Plenty Proud took Little Bird for his wife. It was what she wanted from the beginning before you came along. Perhaps she will soften Plenty Proud’s heart enough to accept the gift. A brave must respect his mother’s wishes, and his wife’s wishes, for that matter. Women are honored in our tribe.”

  “When the time comes, I will talk to her,” Mackenzie replied.

  The two rose early, as the sun came up, and Eagle Eye helped Mackenzie up on her pinto pony she had named Sugar, which was Cahapi (Chahn-hahn-pee) in the Sioux language. Eagle eye had attached a travois to her horse to carry their supplies on when they returned. He rode his dappled war-pony, Ohitika, (Oh-hee-dee-kah) meaning Courage. They had packed what they would need for their journey, on the travois.

  Mackenzie was excited about the prospects of being able to get the kind of food she was used to cooking, rather than using what was only available growing in the wild, for her meals. She planned to get more carrots and potatoes, which would keep if they did not get frozen. She could add them to the buffalo stew, along with the wild roots and onions that were usually used, she thought. With the reflector oven, she could bake meat pies with the buffalo meat as well, using the flour she would get to make the crust with. During the cold months, the fresh buffalo meat would keep longer, and if they had an early freeze, it would be even easier to preserve what meat hadn’t been dried. She had already made more berry jam with what berries she had gathered, using the empty jars left over from the jam they had eaten.

  By the time they reached the trading post, Mackenzie was pretty much worn out. She had worked hard before they left, and then the long ride had not helped her to relax any. Only she kept a light heart, because she was there with Eagle Eye on her own, and she liked having him all to herself, where he was not out training his horses or hunting along with other occupations during the day.

  She couldn’t help but remember the trip she took with Plenty Proud and Little Bird though, which had started her whole introduction to the Indian way of life. Now, she looked happily over at Eagle Eye, thinking he was just as handsome as Plenty Proud ever was, only her infatuation with Plenty Proud hadn’t allow her to see it back then.

  The Trading post wasn’t as busy as before because it was not the season for trading hides. However, many people came to get their winter supplies before it closed for the winter, and late travelers stopped to replenish their supplies on the way to wherever they were traveling before the snow fell.

  Mackenzie had a list of all she wanted to get, knowing how much her hides would buy, but not certain how much things cost in actual money. She had brought her gunnysack with her, and if she could get more than filled the sack, they would have to furnish her with more, she decided. She and Eagle Eye browsed through everything first to see what was available and which items she wanted the most, and whether she could afford them. As she was focused on looking at the goods offered, she backed up and ended up running into someone standing behind her. She thought it was Eagle Eye, and turned to apologize, and then drew in her breath in a shaky surprise.

  “I thought it were you,” a familiar voice said behind the beard and fur coat that almost made her shudder. “I couldn’t mistake that red hair of yers. I see ya took up with them Indians. I thought ya was heading home. I looked fer ya all day, when ya took off. Thought maybe one of them Indians took ya. I see I might have been right.”

  Mackenzie tried to look bravely at Griz as she answered, noticing Eagle Eye was a little ways from where they were standing, and hadn’t noticed her talking to Griz.

  “I did go home, but since my father and brother never returned, our house was in foreclosure. Since the Sioux had helped me, I returned to their village.”

  “Well, ya must have done a lot mor’en just lived with them heathens. I see yer sporting a little papoose in yer belly.”

  “I became the wife of one,” Mackenzie said boldly. “I happen to love him.”

  Griz gave a disrespectful laugh, and then spit on the floor. Mackenzie watched as the sawdust soaked it up. “I shoulda took ya when I had ya,” he grumbled.

  “Which is the very reason I left, you had no right touching me at all.”

  “I guess ye menfolk must have died in the snow an got eaten by wild animals, then,” he smirked, changing the subject.

  “I don’t know what happened to them. I only know they did not show up in Missouri, and since I didn’t have any place to live, I went back to the Sioux village since they had been kind to me, more than I can say for you!”

  “I gave ya shelter and food, and ya didn’t even appreciate it,” he bellowed.

  “I do appreciate your help, only you also took advantage of me in the worst way. It overshadows anything you ever did for me! I am glad I managed to escape you!”

  Eagle Eye now seemed to notice Mackenzie talking to the trapper, and knew exactly who it was since she had told him about her ordeal with Griz. He came to her side and put his arm over her shoulder. “Have you found all you needed?” he asked, pulling her away in another direction.

  “Yes, we should be heading back,” she told him.

  She was able to purchase several gunny sacks full of suppli
es, which they loaded onto the travois, and then headed back to the village. Eagle Eye, kept glancing at Mackenzie, making sure she was alright. She looked upset, but he knew once they got closer to the village, she would feel safer.

  Mackenzie was happy, when they finally reached the village. She was tired and wanted to rest, only she discovered, the tribe was getting ready to move once again in a few days. She wouldn’t have very long to recuperate from her journey before she would have to pack everything up and travel with the tribe to wherever they planned to camp over the winter.

  The next morning, Mackenzie took a sack of sugar and a sack of flour to White Wing’s tepee. She knew that Plenty Proud would be out doing whatever braves did most of the day while the women continued to prepare the meat and get ready to move the camp. She went early to catch White Wing before she and Little Bird joined the other women in their chores. White Wing was just coming out of the tepee when she arrived, and looked surprised to see Mackenzie there.

  “I wanted to give Little Bird a gift only I didn’t want Plenty Proud to get upset about it. It is really for all of you, so I was hoping you would make Plenty Proud see, I am only honoring you and his wife,” she said, hoping White Wing would understand.

  She held out the two sacks. “I hope my offering will make your winter months more enjoyable,” she said, as White Wing took the sacks from her.

  “Your gift is appreciated,” White Wing said humbly. “I will remind Plenty Proud that he loved you once, and should forgive you for leaving.”

  “Thank you,” Mackenzie said, and turned away.

  “When is your child, due?” White wing asked, unexpectedly. “I can instruct you on what to expect. A mother must bear her child on her own, though, while the father waits from without. If you have difficulty, he can call for the medicine man.”

  Mackenzie shivered. She was afraid to tell White Wing, for fear Plenty Proud would discover it. It was better he didn’t know until the child was actually born. Maybe he would not put two and two together, she thought. However, the thought of having her child all on her own frightened her. She decided she would need all the help she could get.