Most children born into this mutually responsible social environment grew up, because of its teachings, to be caring, compassionate, loving and productive citizens. However, into every community at one time or other is born an individual so malevolent in spirit that the Great Spirit Himself would be hard pressed to find a justification for his existence. The Season after Little Red was born, such a person was born into Lightning Bolt’s village, to Rolling Thunder and Misty Moon, on a foggy Sunrise during the first Moon of Summer. His parents named him Running Elk. The name was inspired by the antics of a huge Elk that had come running out of the fog that dawn and down through the village at breakneck speed.
As he aged, Running Elk gave the appearance of a perfectly normal child, exceptionally obedient, following every request made by his parents and Elders without question. From the time he was old enough, he was first to volunteer for community projects and offered his considerable talents to help organize sport events. He appeared to thoroughly enjoy competing in them. In every respect his outward behaviour towards family, friends and community was impeccable.
However, as time passed, and without much notice by others at first, when he was around bad things often happened, sometimes even causing death or injury to a member of the community. The explanation for it was simple. Running Elk was the cause. Unfortunately for the community, he was able to do these things in a stealthy manner such that no one had a sliver of suspicion that he was the culprit.
In the early Summer of Lightning Bolt’s forty-second Spring, sad tidings were delivered to him by a runner from Chief Big Timber’s village. Their beloved and esteemed Kespukwitk National Chief, at the age of eighty-eight Summers, had peacefully passed away in his sleep. Lightning Bolt, accompanied by many villagers, left immediately for Big Timber’s village for the interment service, which took place two Sunrises later.
The family, knowing the Hunt was approaching, set the date for the Feast of the Dead for two Sunrises after the first Moon of Autumn. By the time it arrived, in spite of the short notice, the crowd that assembled for the service in Big Timber’s village was immense. Included among the thousands of mourners were the leaders of the other six Mi’kmaq countries, the Eastern Nations and many non-associated Nations.
The service began with the usual Sweet-grass and Pipe-Smoking Ceremonies. After these, Grand Chief Big Elk was called upon to begin the testimonials. He paid glowing tribute to the character of his beloved departed brother.
“Dear brothers and sisters, we are gathered here this Sunrise to pay tribute to the memory of a brother whose company the Great Spirit got a hankering for and took home. Big Timber’s absence will leave an empty space in the lives of so many of us, which cannot be filled. However, we can be consoled by the knowledge that when, some Sunrise, we also make our own journeys home to the Land of Souls, we will meet with him again.
“My friends, our beloved brother Big Timber was a great and humble man. He generously devoted his life to the services of the People. Never once during our long friendship did I ever know him to put personal interests before ours. And, he was one of the friendliest men I’ve ever known. He never failed, wherever he went, to stop and chat with people about their families, health and other matters. He loved us dearly and served with dedication, distinction and honour in all the offices he held.
“I, my brothers and sisters, was fortunate enough to have witnessed all of his successes. Sixty-four Summers ago, when we were not much more than boys, I attended the ceremonies that made him a Junior War Chief and, afterwards, all the other ceremonies that took him from there to the leadership of Kespukwitk. Even though he served his People extremely well in the many offices he held, he often wondered if they had made the right choice in selecting him to do so.
“In this regard, many times he told me about the qualifications of others, who he thought might have served the People better. But my friends, as you well know, the choice of Big Timber as leader by his People was a wise one for all of us. He excelled in service to his own countrymen and others who needed it. His knowledge and advice were of great assistance to many and shall be sadly missed.
“For me, my children, Big Timber’s passing leaves an especially empty space in my heart because, from the time we were small children, he and I were brothers and friends who played and worked together. We became friends because our parents were also lifelong friends, who spent a great deal of enjoyable time visiting each other. They also took many happy and memorable vacations together. In their loving company, Big Timber and I saw a great deal of Kespukwitk, and especially Sipekne’katik, when we were young.
“Thus, when we were old enough to travel on our own, we started a practice of travelling together that lasted until our old bones couldn’t tolerate it anymore. However, every time we’ve met since, we’ve rehashed old times. These wonderful memories are my comfort this Sunrise.
“Ah, my brothers and sisters, when I think of it, the Seasons have flown so fast since Big Timber and I were young and getting into mischief, it seems as if only a few Sunrises have passed since then. I’ll tell you about some of the wonderful Sunrises that happened more than seventy Seasons ago. During those Seasons, we did many exciting things together: canoeing, swimming and so on. But, my friends, it was our hunting and fishing trips that often put us into exhilarating and sometimes dangerous situations. In fact, they were the source of some of our most memorable exploits, with which we often entertained many of you around campfires during celebrations, Hunts and other events.
“From among those memories I’ve picked one as a treat to tell you; it’ll tickle your funny bones. It’s about an amusing adventure we had in youth, which was embarrassing for him, that we never told anyone about before because we agreed afterward to keep it secret until he died. Thus, if I had gone first, it would have remained a secret forever. The incident happened while we were hunting near the mountain of Blomidon during our twelfth Summer.
“We were amusing ourselves tracking an elk, pretending we were great hunters. We had just come out of the forest under the look-off, from which one has a panoramic view of Changing Valley, when we lost his trail. Not being all that interested in the elk anyway, as we had no intention of trying to harvest it, we decided to find another diversion.
“It wasn’t hard to find. The steep and almost treeless cliff, which stretches almost three-hundred paces straight up to the look-off, presented a challenge to climb that we figured would be entertaining if we dared. We debated the pros and cons back and forth of tackling the dangerous climb for some time. But, without giving the cons very much thought, decided that the climb presented a challenge that could not go unanswered.
“With our foolish, risky decision made, we quickly began to climb. Things were going quite nicely until we got about halfway up. I still recall so clearly every detail of what happened next. Just after I had traversed a particularly dangerous section, I stopped to warn Big Timber to be extra careful when he followed. I had just begun to speak when he lost his footing and plunged to our starting point, his fall only partially broken by branches on the way down. With my heart in my mouth, I hurried down the mountain as fast as I could and found him unconscious from a bump on the head.
“After frantically checking him over for broken bones and finding only a few bruises and scratches besides the bump, I relaxed somewhat. Fortunately for him, the small bushes that grew on the face of the cliff had broken most of his fall. However, unfortunately for him, a porcupine had provided an extra added cushion at the end of his undignified descent.
“My friends, when I rolled him over to view the damage the porcupine had caused, I knew with dead certainty that his immediate future held a lot of pain, and that he would not be sitting around very comfortably for several Sunrises. His bottom was a quill worker’s dream. At least half the quills from the porcupine’s back were stuck in it. At this point, my friend began to moan and groan and soon regained consciousness.
/> “Then the painful ordeal of quill removal began. I tell you my friends, from the middle of the sun’s descent until dusk, I pulled quills from his hide. With the exit of each he screamed, and then giggled because of the ridiculousness of the situation. Although I felt much compassion for my beloved friend, I was laughing so hard at his alternate laughing and screaming that all the while I removed quills, tears were streaming down my face.
“The reason we agreed to never tell anyone about it was very good, in fact, essential for his future happiness. Can you imagine, my brothers and sisters, going through life with the nickname Quill Ass?”
It dawned on people as they looked each other in the eyes that the very story about laughter and pain raised the same, even greater, grief and loss within their hearts. But they did not stay stuck in grief, they transformed it into loving kindness, and if you were there you would immediately see this amazing shift in the eyes and gestures of those gathered around.
Grand Chief Big Elk fondly recalled several other stories about his adventures with Big Timber. Then he listed and praised the outstanding feats and accomplishments his late friend had performed during his lifetime. After he concluded, other members of the Grand Council took turns relating some of their fondest memories. They were followed by the leaders of the allied Nations, Elders, relatives and friends. The ceremonies were spread over the next four Sunrises. On the fifth, Big Timber was ceremoniously commended by the People to the company of his beloved ancestors.
Afterwards, before they returned to their villages, the Village Chiefs of Kespukwitk met and picked a site and Sunrise for meeting to choose Big Timber’s successor. Because of the importance of the position and the fact that the Hunt was fast approaching, it was determined that the meeting should be held as soon as possible. Thus, they set the meeting for ten Sunrises before the second Moon of Autumn. In appreciation of the fact that the People from distant parts of Kespukwitk would be travelling mainly by sea to the event, the site chosen was where the Bear River falls into Bear Bay. To expedite matters, the leadership appointed a committee of Elders and other citizens to oversee the logistical arrangements to accommodate the many hundreds expected to attend.
Without any delay, the committee immediately set to work planning and was presided over by Kespukwitk’s senior Elder, Little Dove. They also planned the accompanying celebrations. To spread the work around fairly, it was decided that each village would bring provisions and prepare delicacies. Schedules for dancing and other forms of entertainment were worked out with an eye for giving the People the utmost enjoyment.
When the Sunrise for choosing Big Timber’s successor arrived, the process began early. Senior Elder White Dawn presided over the meeting. The agenda for taking nominations and for the election had been worked out the Sunrise before in consultation with the Village Chiefs.
No one knew how long the process would last. In Mi’kmaq democracy the procedure used by the People to select a National Chief could be, depending on the circumstances, short and simple, or long and complex. If a number of well-qualified candidates were nominated, it could well go on for several Sunrises. An elimination process would ultimately reduce the number to two candidates.
White Dawn, shortly after Sunrise, convened the meeting by calling upon Brown Bear, Kespukwitk’s senior Village Chief, to lead a prayer to the Great Spirit. After he carried out the honour with fitting dignity and eloquence, and the rest of the traditional ceremonies were over, she advised the People how nominations would be received and how much time each nominee would have to make a speech. Then she recited the rules that the election process would be run by.
With the preliminaries over, White Dawn opened the meeting for nominations. Immediately, almost as if it had been prearranged, several people jumped to their feet at once and nominated Lightning Bolt. The din of approval that followed the nomination drowned out the voices of the seconders for several moments. From the reaction it was evident that no others would be nominated. This was affirmed when White Dawn asked several times for more nominations with no response. She then closed the meeting for nominations and asked the People to declare Lightning Bolt elected National Chief of Kespukwitk by acclamation. It was done with a loud roar, indicating an overwhelming consensus. White Dawn, her duties ended, turned the presiding post over to Lightning Bolt. Their new Chief humbly addressed the People.
“My friends, with a humble heart, I find myself standing here this Sunrise acclaimed as National Chief of Kespukwitk. To be acclaimed to such a high office is to me the highest privilege and greatest honour citizens can bestow upon a man. I thank you deeply for the faith and trust you’ve shown in me. I pray, my brothers and sisters, to the Great Spirit, that I can live up to your expectations. For the trust you’ve shown in me, I pledge before the Creator that I will do my utmost to assure that you shall never be disappointed. And I promise you faithfully that I will carry out my duties as Chief of Kespukwitk with dignity, diligence and what little wisdom the Great Spirit has endowed me.”
After he finished making his inaugural address, he asked Grand Chief Big Elk, Chief Big Beaver and others who had come home with him for an extended visit after Big Timber’s Feast of the Dead, to come forward to say a few words. When they finished, he ended the meeting with a command that everyone gladly obeyed, “Let the festivities begin!”
When Lightning Bolt became the Nation’s Chief, as was dictated by Mi’kmaq custom, his formerly normal, quiet, little village became the country’s capital. Until his death, the name of the capital of Kespukwitk was “Lightning Bolt’s village,” and it became a beehive of people coming and going. There was a positive side to this practice — it didn’t entail any dislocation for his family. However, the burdens of responsibility that the office carried changed his lifestyle drastically. The increased duties would reduce significantly the quality time he had previously enjoyed with friends and relatives, especially his wife and Crazy Moose.
The scheduled festivities got under way early and with great enthusiasm, and continued almost nonstop for the next three Sunrises. Friends and relatives partied and reminisced far into the nights. Games were played, triumphant winners declared and prizes claimed. Delectable food was plentiful, as was good music and dancing. The People were having a wonderful and memorable time.
However, their happiness was tempered towards the end by two horrific incidents that occurred late in the afternoon on the third Sunrise. An infant of only two Moons had been mysteriously scalded around the feet and was in much pain and misery. The People considered many possibilities for what caused it, but couldn’t come up with a logical explanation. Some ventured that it might have occurred while the mother was walking among the crowd during mealtime. Others thought that someone might have accidentally spilled hot liquid on the baby’s feet as they walked by. These explanations were not given much credibility because the baby had not cried out in pain until she was left alone in her mother’s wigwam for a nap. It was an unexplainable mystery.
The second incident involved a child of three Summers. It appeared the boy had fallen into the estuary of Bear River and would have drowned if not for the quick response of several nearby youths, who had heard his cries for help and saved him. When later questioned about how it happened, he said that he had felt someone push him in. As he was very young, the leaders and Elders were inclined to think that the shock had triggered his imagination and they did not take his allegation seriously.
The Sunrise after the celebrations ended, life in the community quickly returned to normal. But Lightning Bolt now had a new definition of normal. Besides the citizens of his own village coming for advice, there was now a constant stream of delegations from other villages and countries, burdened with problems or carrying suggestions for improving the quality of life for the Nation. The only time the routine varied was when the family of Crazy Moose and his own family would spend fourteen to twenty-one Sunrises exploring the wilderness together each Sum
mer. These sunrises of leisure and shared activity with loved ones were for Lightning Bolt the spice of life and much anticipated.
Flaming Hair and Spotted Fawn also enjoyed going off on vacations with their family and friends, Rolling Thunder, Misty Moon and children. Blomidon and Cape Sable were two of their favourite destinations. From this relationship, Little Red and Running Elk became close friends, almost like brothers. As they grew older, it appeared from their behaviour that they were very normal children, establishing bonds to last them through the trials of time. For Little Red this was true but for Running Elk, the appearance belied the truth. Strangely, he felt a genuine fondness for Little Red. This, however, was the only exception, because he held an unreasonable hatred for all others, including his parents.
This hate begot and nourished in him almost uncontrollable desires to cause people and animals pain. His decision to kill a child by drowning did not happen in the spur of the moment. He had been stewing and planning how to accomplish this dark deed since his first failed attempt to push a child into the tidal waters of Bear Bay during the celebrations when Lightning Bolt was elected as National Chief. Running Elk decided to try again when the opportunity arose. The only unknown factors were who would be the victim and when the occasion would present itself. The opportune moment arrived when he saw two children playing alone, unsupervised, in a canoe that was partially resting in the river. He approached the canoe with stealth and shoved it into the current so quickly the children didn’t see who did it.
Because of a howling wind, their pitiful cries for help went unheard. As soon as the canoe hit rough current it capsized and the poor babes were silenced forever. Running Elk, as he did after his previous “accidents” had been successful, inwardly felt a surge of elation and perverted satisfaction when he watched the innocents being claimed by the rushing water. The tragedy was declared a terrible accident.
Chief Lightning Bolt Page 16