Chief Lightning Bolt

by Daniel N. Paul

  The villagers were overwhelmed by grief, heightened for them by a belief that if they had exercised a little more care and kept closer watch over the children, the deaths could have been easily prevented. As atonement for what they thought was their sin of neglect, they prayed fervently to the Great Spirit to forgive them for not keeping the children safe.

  During the aftermath, enjoying his monstrous deed to the fullest, Running Elk gave every appearance of being among the most genuinely saddened of the mourners. He attended every rite related to the children’s Feast of the Dead and wept profusely with their parents, family and friends over the tragic loss. For him the acting, while watching people suffer, was part of the fun.

  Fortunately for the villagers, Running Elk’s brutal nature was satisfied for eight Seasons, reliving in his mind the experience of his latest killing. However, as he grew older, his lust for blood increased, needing to be satisfied in shorter periods of time.

  When the mourning was over, the villagers slowly returned to normal routines. Flaming Hair and Rolling Thunder resumed spending as many pleasurable Sunrises as possible teaching their boys the Nation’s legends and history and how to hunt and fish. Both progressed well, showing promise of becoming exceptional warriors. Running Elk, despite his almost continuous intimate contact with family and friends, continued to conceal his evil nature.

  On the national scene, several Springs passed without any major crises occurring, and tranquility prevailed. This was changed dramatically after the second Moon of Lightning Bolt’s fiftieth Spring. He received news from Grand Chief Big Elk that the Western Nations had again attacked Kespek without warning or provocation.

  A few Sunrises later, he received another message informing him that Big Beaver had requested an emergency Grand Council meeting to ask his peers for military assistance. The Grand Chief tentatively set the meeting fifteen Sunrises before the first Moon of Summer, pending agreement of the Chiefs.

  Lightning Bolt anticipated that most citizens of each country would eagerly agree to help the Kespekians. The attacks were a blatant breach of the terms of the Peace Treaty. He asked each Village Chief to consult with his citizens to determine if they would agree to declare war and send warriors to Kespek.

  Lightning Bolt’s personal reaction to the news of the unprovoked invasion of Kespek was, as could be expected from a man of his peaceful nature, indignant outrage. To control it, he asked the Great Spirit for help with a prayer. “Dear Father of the Universe, I hate war with such passion. Knowing we’re being pulled into it again outrages me almost beyond reason. Please help me to have charity for an enemy filled with treachery. It will be hard. Forgive me, my Father, for at this point in time I hate the leaders of the Western Nations passionately for the death and destruction they are causing our People, and theirs. I want to see them all dead. Feeling this way I know is dangerous. Please, my Creator, help me overcome this feeling through my actions.”

  With meditation, the Chief controlled his anger and recovered his charity.

  The following Sunrise, he sent word back to Grand Chief Big Elk that the Sunrise chosen for the meeting was okay with him and that he was in the process of carrying out his second request. To this end he had sent his own runners to the villages asking that the People, because of time constraints, might meet with him at several central locations to discuss the war.

  At the appointed times, the meetings were convened. Lightning Bolt relayed to the attendees all the details he knew of the war and spelled out the possible negative repercussions should the Westerners not be stopped. He told of his personal outrage and asked the People for permission to declare war.

  The news also outraged the villagers. They granted near unanimous approval to his request for a declaration of war, then authorized him to raise a large army of warriors to lead to the warfront at the earliest possible Sunrise.

  With the declaration approved and issued, every Kespukwitkian village began marshalling resources for the coming war effort. They, with their anger driving them, quickly prepared and packed arms, extra clothing, food and other supplies needed by the warriors for the battles ahead. Within a few Sunrises, well-equipped men from all corners of the country were on their way to Lightning Bolt’s village to await departure. By the time the Grand Council met with Big Beaver, the army was ready to move at Lightning Bolt’s command.

  At Grand Chief Big Elk’s village, the leaders began discussing the war immediately after opening ceremonies. Their collective anger was pervasive. After Big Beaver provided details about the attacks and invasion, Lightning Bolt asked to speak. Big Elk assented.

  “My brothers, thirty Springs ago I attended, as a spectator, the peace conference that ended the last war that the Western Nations started. At that meeting our late brother, War Chief Mighty Water, and the Head War Chief of the Western Nations, Roaring Rapids, worked out an agreement that included provisions that stipulated that the Western Nations would never again attack us, nor would they try to seize the lands that the Creator reserved for our use.

  “At the conclusion of the peace conference, Roaring Rapids swore before the Great Spirit, and on his honour, that the commitments they made would never be violated. He also asked for our assistance to help their leadership learn how to manage the affairs of their Nations in a more productive and responsible manner.

  “In response to his request, War Chief Mighty Water made a statement that included a promise in plain language that could not be misunderstood, which I will now repeat to refresh our memories.” Because of the significance of Mighty Water’s words, all present had committed them to memory so that the peace agreement could be known to everyone, then and in future.

  Lightning Bolt recited: “‘Dear Roaring Rapids, my friend, my brother, your unconditional acceptance of our generous offer is most welcome. I want to assure you that sending advisors to teach your leaders better ways to manage their affairs will be a great pleasure for us. However, with the greatest reluctance, I must tell you that if at a future time we determine that your leaders have not learned to manage their lands and other affairs properly, and to have respect for the desire and right of their neighbours to live in peace and security, we will indeed come in and manage all Western countries permanently. This, my friend, is a kind and generous promise you can be assured we shall keep.’”

  Lightning Bolt continued, “Now, my brothers, due to the Westerners breaking what we thought were honourable commitments to live in peace, we must uphold a solemn promise made to them by our late brother. And, my friends, my Nation shall be at the forefront in keeping this promise on Mighty Water’s behalf. The prospect of doing so doesn’t make me happy. In fact, as a man of peace, being forced into fighting another war outrages me. It does so to such an extent that I am willing to fight to the end to defeat the invaders of Kespek and to capture and punish the men who started this outrage.

  “To this end, I have already begun fulfilling Grand Chief Big Elk’s request, through meeting with our People. I proudly report that they have readily approved a declaration of war and, with speed, we’ve raised a considerable army of well-prepared warriors who are now waiting at my village for deployment. They won’t have long to wait. One Sunrise after I return home, I will travel with them to Kespek for battle duties. Marshalling our resources in such short order wasn’t hard because the vast majority of our People are as outraged as I and they did not rest until preparations were finished. My brothers, this time I don’t expect to be fighting the Western armies very long because in this instance we are well prepared to go to war and, with the Creator’s mercy, we will quickly win.

  “Thanks for letting me state our position. But, before I yield back to the Grand Chief, I have one other item to discuss. My father, Big Beaver, has asked me if I would, upon arrival in Kespek, assume the overall command of the allied forces. I have, pending your agreement, agreed to his request.” Without any discussion they unanimously agreed to the appoin
tment.

  Other Chiefs made their positions known. To Lightning Bolt’s pleasant surprise, they informed their peers that actions similar to those taken by his country already had been taken in theirs. The new commander asked the Chiefs to send their War Chiefs and advisors to meet with him to plan the campaign. They were to meet at Kespek, Big Beaver’s village, two Sunrises before the last Moon of Summer.

  As requested, they arrived and convened their meeting on the appointed Sunrise. They quickly, but meticulously, worked out a plan designed to end the war speedily. It was simple. Part of their army would strike at many strategic enemy locations inside Western territory, with the intent of stopping supplies and reinforcements from reaching the part of the enemy’s army already occupying much of Kespek. The bulk of the warriors would mount a massive attack against the occupying army, with the intent of dealing them a mortal blow.

  The next Sunrise, warriors moved out to take up positions to implement the plan. Fourteen Sunrises before the first Moon of Autumn they were ready. The initial attacks went exceptionally well, enemy positions fell quickly and within two Sunrises they were in full retreat. By the end of one Moon, the allied offensive measures were so successful that the Western armies were already driven out of Kespek and were being relentlessly pushed back deep into their own territory. Final victory was within sight.

  A half Moon later, at his camp deep inside Western territory, Lightning Bolt received by runner a message from Head War Chief Big Eagle, the military leader of the Western forces, asking for a meeting as soon as possible to discuss terms of surrender. He accepted the request and sent by the returning runner an invitation asking Big Eagle to meet him at Lake Loon, the site used by War Chief Mighty Water for peace talks thirty Springs before. On the appointed Sunrise, shortly after dawn, the opening ceremonies began. Lightning Bolt, though he was enraged, welcomed Big Eagle and advisors to the peace circle.

  “My brother, I bid you and your colleagues welcome to this circle of peace. Let us first pray together and ask the Great Spirit to give us the wisdom to make it a success.” After the Chiefs finished making their supplications to the Creator, and other ceremonies were over, Lightning Bolt continued. “My friend, before we start talking specifics, I want to inform you of my intention to use blunt and plain language in my talks with you. I am going to do so because I want to assure, as much as humanly possible, that you and your colleagues clearly and fully understand and appreciate the true meaning of the terms of the agreement being worked out this sunrise. Through our agreement we will demand that your aggressor Nations will accept these terms in fullness, in exchange for an end to this war. The terms we have prepared are so comprehensive and inclusive that they will assure as far as humanly possible, when implemented, that we will never again have a need for a peace conference to settle a war between our Nations.

  “I shall, in order to avoid misinterpretation of the provisions that we will insist on, explain every small detail until everyone fully understands its implications. This approach may seem crude and rude, and probably is, but when one takes into consideration that we are indeed repeating what was done here thirty Springs ago, because the kind and diplomatic language that was used then by my late and beloved brother, Mighty Water, appears to have been misunderstood by your leaders of that Sunrise and the Sunrises since. These proceedings are therefore entirely necessary, and will not be misunderstood by kind nor diplomatic talk. However, I assure you, in my heart is the deepest form of kindness, love and forgiveness that sees through to the truth of this situation, and of the very spirit of my late brother’s words and his intentions for both of our Nations.

  “Before getting further into discussions about the details of how we are to achieve our goals, I want you and your colleagues to know this about me. I am a man of peace who hates wars with a passion. Because of this, I feel strongly that wars are the tools of men devoid of compassion. My brothers, your leaders claim to be civilized, but civilized Peoples do not start wars to satisfy greed. By their excesses, your leaders have left you without civilized roots to build on. Their madness has led them to do irrational things: attacking us, knowing that our military situation wasn’t weak like it was thirty Springs ago. Perhaps after the last war, when we let them walk away with most of their powers intact, they were led to believe that if they failed again to achieve their objective, their actions would entail no long-term consequences. If this indeed is the case, they have made a fatal mistake; mercy will not be shown to them, as was warned by my beloved late brother, Mighty Water.

  “The Mi’kmaq firmly believe that everyone deserves a second chance. Our charity, in their case, was given because we believed the sincerity they projected in agreeing to a just and permanent peace. In fact, their sincerity was so profound that there were no disbelievers on our side.

  “This time I will not, under any circumstance, consider a proposition that your leaders have been so humbled by their defeat that they would never again let their greed overrule good judgment again. If I were to do so, I would be as insane as they are.

  “Now, my friends, let’s get down to basics. Because of this war, your Nations are on the edge of oblivion. Their future existence is ours to decide. Whether we will permit them to survive will be determined by your responses to our demands, which will be harsh. I hope that what we are about to do to your Nations will cause any future potential aggressors to take note that attacking a very powerful alliance such as ours has grave consequences.

  “My friends, as the Great Spirit is my witness, I state to you unequivocally that your rulers will not trouble any Nation again after this war. They have caused all the pain and suffering for our People and yours that they are ever going to cause. Without exception, we will depose and punish them. This shall be done in remembrance of all their past victims. The present conflict is their last.

  “With the utmost forcefulness and sincerity, we shall now tell you what our conditions are for permanent peace. These conditions not complicated. There are only three, very short, and clear conditions that I put to you this sunrise:

  “First and foremost, the democratic laws that govern our countries shall be adopted by yours. Second, the soon-to-be-deposed leaders of your Nations shall be replaced by civilized men appointed by your country’s citizens. Third, we will govern your countries until the first two conditions are implemented and functioning. The end result will assure that love and respect for the cultural differences and territory of other Nations are the guidelines for the future conduct of the affairs of your Nations. We shall consider nothing less.

  “Big Eagle, my brother, if you will unconditionally accept the terms for a peace and friendship agreement that I have just laid out for you we will eventually withdraw from your territory and leave your countries intact. If not, although owning your land has no special interest whatsoever for us, we will continue the present war and take complete control. When achieved, your countries will be subdivided into smaller Nations that will have Mi’kmaq governors ruling over them for hundreds of Moons to come.

  “Lastly, and I want you to listen very closely to this promise, because the future existence of your Nations as independent bodies will be tied to this: you and you colleagues are to relay this promise word for word to the present generations of your Nation and instruct them that they in turn must, without fail, relay it to future generations. This, be assured, is a promise that we will faithfully keep. If we, or our allies in the Wabanaki Confederacy, are ever again drawn into war with your Nations it will be for the last time. Because, after it is all over, your countries shall no longer exist. Understand?”

  “Lightning Bolt, my brother, you state with the utmost sincerity that you are a man of peace. From what I have heard about you from friends during my travels, I do not doubt the truth of it. In view of the present situation you may be very surprised to hear this, but I also abhor the death and destruction caused by war, and I consider myself to be a man who craves peace
between brothers.

  “In this regard, I truly believe that in the eyes of the Great Spirit we are all brothers; thus it is absolutely wrong for a brother to fight, maim or kill a brother. I also sincerely believe that the Great Spirit must find the sight of one brother killing another, simply to take his property or freedom from him or to cause him physical harm, very offensive.

  “My esteemed brother, with the before mentioned in mind, I’ve listened attentively to your words of wisdom, appreciating and understanding the truth of them perfectly. As you spoke, my heart felt nothing but shame and sorrow for the pain that our leaders have caused the citizens of our Nations. I include our citizens because, at peace or at war, they have suffered.

  “My friend, you have done an excellent job of describing their behaviour. The thousands of deaths they have caused among the citizens of the alliance and our Nations is unforgivable. There is only one word that adequately describes the trail of death and destruction they have caused: ‘horrific.’ My brother, when I think of the extent of the sorrow caused to so many innocent people, my heart breaks!

  “Oh, my brother, the blood of so many innocents shed in the war was for nothing that can be considered honourable. It was only started by our leaders to try to satisfy a desire for land and a craving to have control over your People. Certainly not to eliminate a threat to our countries.

  “There is not a reasonable defence for the actions of our leaders. My brother, it was a deed without honour when they violated the terms of the last peace and friendship treaty between our Nations. The concept of keeping an honourable peace agreement or, for that matter, any kind of agreement, is to them quite unknown.

  “My esteemed brother, I want to emphasize that when the present campaign was being planned by our leaders, I and my fellow War Chiefs spoke out against it. However, our voices were like a drop of rain in the vastness of the Big Pond. They scoffed at our concerns and ordered us to prepare our warriors to do their bidding. With their decision, I knew that again many innocents were about to die for nothing, because defeat was unavoidable. Yet, in the society I come from, it is obey or die.