Chief Lightning Bolt

by Daniel N. Paul

  Equally transfixed, Lightning Bolt whispered, as if he was scared to break the spell by talking too loud, “Flaming Hair, my brother, perfection seems to be the work of the Creator at these moments. How fortunate we are that He permits us humble mortals to view His wondrous labours.”

  Completely caught up in the splendour unravelling before them, Flaming Hair responded in kind, “Perhaps my friend it’s an omen of things to come. Over the passage of the Moons the Great Spirit has been very generous with our People and provided us with the means to live a good life, for which we all are very grateful. Maybe this Sunrise is a sign that He is happy with our humility and will continue to reward us. At any rate, He is permitting us to glimpse a touch of what awaits us in the Land of Souls. May He, my brother, continue to bless us with His loving benevolence.”

  “Flaming Hair, my brother, my friend, you’re probably right, the Great Spirit often rewards us for how we live. When I think of the wonderful family and friends I’ve been blessed with, I know He has shown me much kindness. For all His wondrous gifts, I’m humbly thankful.”

  Later that night, still subdued by what they had seen, the conversation turned to things controlled by mortals. Flaming Hair began to speak of the future, “My brother, the talk around the campfires during the Feast of the Dead for Grand Chief Big Elk, and during the celebration of White Water being appointed National Chief, was that you will probably be asked by the National Chiefs at the next meeting of the Grand Council to accept the responsibilities of Grand Chief. How do you feel about it?”

  “I haven’t heard any rumours. However, if such an eventuality was to come to pass, I don’t relish the thought of it. Where will I get the time? Already, my duties as Chief of Kespukwitk take up most of it, leaving me with precious little with family and friends. Adding the responsibilities of Grand Chief to my present National Chief duties would leave me with almost no time to do them. Indeed, when I think of it, I have almost none now. This is evidenced by the fact that Spring Flower and I haven’t seen our beloved daughter Snow Flake in Kespek for more than three Summers. My brother, I miss her sometimes so badly it hurts. The hurt sometimes leads me to have ungenerous thoughts about my beloved son-in-law. Occasionally I wish she had married someone a little closer to home. Kespek is such a long way off. I then feel guilt for my unworthy thoughts.

  “To make amends I thank the Great Spirit for giving her a wonderful husband and blessing me with fine grandsons, who are growing into fine warriors, and also for blessing me with a lot of other loving family members to keep me company.”

  Teasingly, Flaming Hair commented, “My brother, you are indeed blessed with a fine family! After all, I am part of it. And, with such a fine a specimen of a man as me in the family, how could you have said anything less?”

  “Right, my big-headed brother!”

  “Now, Lightning Bolt, my humble brother, getting back to the possibility of your being appointed Grand Chief. Myself, and most others that I’ve discussed the matter with, think that the title would be a fitting tribute paid by the Grand Council to you for your conscientious labours on behalf of the People. In saying this, my brother, I speak from the heart. I feel that if the position is offered, you should accept, because in my humble opinion no other has your qualifications for the honour, or deserves it more.”

  “My brother, you flatter me with your words. But there are many men who are far more worthy of the position than I. To name just one there is Big Beaver. Think about his record. He is a man of impeccable honour; he is brave and caring and has unselfishly donated his life to the People’s cause, has fought valiantly in many wars to preserve our liberty and his prowess in the Hunt is legendary. In view of the inspiring record of men such as him, I don’t agree with your assessment, my flaming-haired brother, that I might be the best and most worthy candidate for the position.”

  With his convictions not swayed, Flaming Hair cut in, “My beloved brother, I stand by my statement and predict that you will be our next Grand Chief. It may be said that I’m prejudiced in your favour, but my ears have heard what is appearing to be the wish of the vast majority of the People.”

  “My brother, in case you’re right, although I fervently pray you’re not, I will probably use the rule that my mother and father and Elders taught me when I was growing up — respect the wishes of my brothers and sisters. Therefore, if at the meeting in the Spring the People choose to burden me with the office, then I will probably accept. For their will must take precedence over mine. But, because Spring Flower’s life would be gravely affected by such an appointment, my acceptance would be subject to her consent.”

  The brothers continued to talk far into the night. When they finally tired and retired to their robes for sleep, the first early rays of dawn were appearing in the East. However, Mother Earth was not quite through with exhibiting her splendours. Shortly after falling asleep, they were abruptly awakened as the sun began to peek over the horizon by the cries of marauding seagulls in search of food. As a gift for being denied their sleep by the gulls, they were rewarded by witnessing a spectacular Sunrise that sent them on their way home with more awe than ever in their hearts.

  For the rest of their Seasons, Lightning Bolt and Flaming Hair recalled in wonder to family and friends the sights they had seen displayed by Mother Earth during these few Sunrises. But, they always felt that their words were inadequate to truly describe the wonders they had beheld.

  Safely back in their village, and the Hunt finished, the People saw Autumn quickly fade into a long dreary Winter, filled with an abundance of cold and snow. Then, at last, the arrival of a beautiful Spring. With its arrival came the first of many of the thousands of visitors that would arrive over the next several Sunrises to see the new Grand Chief selected by the National Chiefs.

  The Winter past was harsh. The severe and long Winter was interlaced with sunrises that were colder than anyone remembered, and snow drifts to the tops of their wigwams. After bearing with stoicism the boredom of being confined for long stretches in their wigwams, the People were looking forward to the celebrations with great anticipation and excitement. Sharing time while being free to laugh and tell stories combined with all of the magic of the Spring renewal of Mother Earth and was nothing less than a welcomed relief.

  Lightning Bolt, now in his sixty-first Spring, had spent a lot of his leisure time during the Winter mulling over the prospect of being chosen by his peers as Grand Chief. And how he might influence his brothers, without seeming disrespectful, to appoint another with the title. As the designated Sunrise loomed ever closer, seeing no sure way he could divert the honour elsewhere, he had one final discussion with Spring Flower, seeking her advice about what to do if the offer was made. “My love, together we’ve seen Mother Earth renew Herself forty times since we were first married. Our union has brought us much happiness and contentment, some sorrow, and we’ve seen our love grow stronger with each passing Season. Because of this, my love, I pray to the Great Spirit that He will be amiable to granting us another forty of the same. My precious darling, I thank you a thousand times over for the wonderful Summers of wedded bliss you’ve given me.

  “My darling, don’t try to stop me. I want to say many things that I don’t say often enough. Like that the rewarding life I’ve lived would not have been complete, or possible, without your presence at my side. If I live to see a hundred Springs, I could never tell you in all that time how much I’ve valued your advice and loyal and dependable support over the past forty Summers. For our wonderful marriage and your loyal support, I humbly thank the Great Spirit.

  “I also want to tell you how grateful I am for the wise advice you’ve always given me when matters tended to elude resolution for me. It was invaluable in helping to solve problems. Now, as you know, I have a new one that I need your help with.

  “But, before we get to it, I want to tell you that over the Seasons it’s been your unqualified love and support tha
t gave me the courage to agree to serve our People in the offices of our country. But, accepting them has had its drawbacks. The increased duties that each succeeding office brought have cut deeply into the choice time I’ve always cherished and set aside to be with you and the rest of the family, which, when I come to think of it, must have seemed neglectful to you and them. However, through it all, I’ve never heard you or they complain once. Instead, I’ve received nothing but support and devotion. Without such, the tasks of my offices would have been unbearable and unrewarding, but, because of you, it has been worthwhile. For instance, the multitudes of treasured friends we’ve made from everywhere. For this and all our other blessings I often lift my eyes up to the sky and give the Great Spirit humble thanks.

  “Saying that reminds me of the time that Snow Flake, when she was a little girl, asked me why I often did so. I told her that doing it was being true to the teachings of our traditions, which tell us that the Great Spirit must always be acknowledged for His benevolence. She asked if I really believed there was a Great Spirit. I told her that I’ve always accepted the Creator’s existence as the truth because of His creations. To this Sunrise I would say to any doubters, look around you and see the wonders of Mother Earth; how can one speak to the contrary?

  “Shortly before she got married, Snow Flake recalled our conversation in a nice little chat we had. She told me that our People were very fortunate because the lessons taught to us as children about the Great Spirit were so logical and reasonable that they instilled a strong faith in Him. This was followed by her joining me with hands upraised to offer thanks and to acknowledge Him as the Creator of the Universe and the Giver of all good things.

  “Because of our strong beliefs, most of us try to serve the Great Spirit in our lifetimes in a manner that’s most comfortable to our personalities. For me, this has not been the case in many instances. Instead, the People have, by insisting on placing me in unsought leadership positions, been largely the architects of my destiny. However, I always felt that the Great Spirit works in His own way and therefore, if it was His will that I serve in leadership positions, I was honour-bound to do so.

  “Which now brings me to the item I need some advice on. First Flaming Hair, then Crazy Moose, and since then a few others, tell me that another unsolicited position is being offered to me. They report that my peers on the Grand Council will, in concert with the wishes of the People, ask me to accept the honour of serving the Nations of the Grand Council as Grand Chief. For me to even consider it, should it be offered, there is a major question I have to ask myself and have your advice on. It’s been troubling me for some time. If I accepted the position, could I serve the People effectively?

  “If I use the past to try to answer it, I can say that I’ve always served the People in the positions entrusted to me with the best of my ability, and, I believe, at least adequately. But when looking at the responsibilities that are entailed with the position of Grand Chief, I can’t help but wonder if I have the wherewithal to effectively carry out the duties of such an important position. Now, before I give any further thought to accepting the Grand Chief position, if offered, or to whether I have what it takes to do the job, I need your advice and consent.”

  Holding hands and staring into each other’s eyes, the two held that gaze that can only be known between best friends and lovers after many many seasons of devotion. “My dearest husband,” she said. “I also have things to say that I don’t say often enough. I can’t think of a better way to begin than by saying that the forty Summers of love and happiness we’ve had together have passed for me as if they were wonderful sweet dreams. In fact, my darling, my life has been so blessed that I sometimes wonder if I might awake some Sunrise and discover that it has all been a dream. As you’ve so eloquently stated, my dear husband, the Great Spirit has been exceptionally good to us. His wonderful blessings are uncountable.

  “But, my love, of all the wonderful blessings He has given us, the most wonderful of all for me is our marriage. During it, my darling, I’ve known a happy existence that is reserved only for the truly blessed, and for our ancestors in the Land of Souls. During our thousands of Sunrises together your love and devotion have been my greatest comfort and treasure in life and I thank you a thousand times over for them. I’ve collected uncountable marvellous memories over the Sunrises; for these treasures, my love, I’ll always be grateful.

  “Then there is the dignified and respectful manner in which you’ve treated me during our marriage. Your example is an excellent role model for all spouses to follow. I don’t recall one instance in our forty Summers together where you didn’t treat me with the utmost courtesy, dignity, equality and respect.

  “But, we must never forget, there is another important blessing that we must thank the Great Spirit for, perhaps the most important, the ability to communicate so perfectly with one another. There are, of course, a few exceptions to this. One is the fact that you are so considerate of me that you sometimes forget that it also gives me pleasure to be considerate of your needs. It pains me, my husband, to hear that you think your duties to the Nation have denied me and the family in any way. This isn’t so. If you hadn’t done the things the Great Spirit had asked you to do, your life would have been without meaning, and without such there is no life.

  “I can state emphatically my dear husband that there has never been a time in our married life when I resented the loss of your time to the affairs of state. I will, however, admit that more time together would have been welcomed and thoroughly enjoyed. But we must keep in mind that nobody forced us to do what we did. We had choices, but followed the path we thought honourable. I have no regrets! If we had chosen to put our personal interests first we would have felt guilt before the Great Spirit and had no happiness.

  “As for your leadership, I know, as you know, in the overall scheme of things, that no one is indispensable, or holds a monopoly on anything in life. Of course there were other men who could have governed the affairs of our country instead. But none, in my opinion, could have done it with the same love, devotion and dedication to duty as you have.

  “As for the feelings of the family in this matter, we’ve talked over your career on many occasions and I can relate to you, my love, that they have nothing but love, admiration and respect for you and will support whatever you decide. Therefore, if the Chiefs decide to ask you to become Grand Chief, you will, as always, have my love and support in whatever choice you make.”

  “Thank you, my little flower. Hearing your words of love and encouragement makes my heart swell with happiness.”

  “My precious husband, if the offer is made and you accept, I know that you will make one of the finest Grand Chiefs our People have ever known.” Without pause, this couple of forty Summers retired to their cozy sleeping furs and continued with their intimate chat far into the night.

  The following Sunrise, the opening ceremonies began with the People being called together at dawn to hear the Elders implore the Great Spirit to assist their Chiefs in their deliberations. The prayers were followed by traditional Sweet-grass and Pipe-Smoking Ceremonies. Then a delectable feast, followed by dancing and other forms of celebration, filled the rest of the Sunrise. At noon the following Sunrise, the Chiefs got down to the duty they had gathered for; the Grand Council meeting was convened. Lightning Bolt, as interim Grand Chief, was the host and presided.

  “Brothers, we welcome you and your countrymen and invite you to share with us the love, bounty, hospitality and warmth of Kespukwitk. I hope your stay among us will be joyful and rewarding. My dear friends, I tell you straight from my heart that your presence here among us is like Spring itself, delightful, refreshing and renewing. We must, as family and friends, find occasions to get together more often. The truth of this is no better illustrated than by me looking across the circle and seeing my father Big Beaver, whose presence fills my heart with anticipation and happiness knowing that I will have his lovin
g company for a few Sunrises and be entertained with tales of his adventures.

  “However, before we get to the enjoyable pleasures awaiting us by renewing old acquaintances, we have a solemn duty that must first be fulfilled. We must, my brothers, from among ourselves, over the next few Sunrises, select a worthy man to fill the office of Grand Chief. For the benefit of the young and visitors from fraternal countries, allow me to give a short history of how the Grand Council started and its purpose.” He provided the overview and said, “Our council has withstood the test of time and produced many beneficial results. Before proceeding, let us take a few moments to humbly ask the Creator to guide us in finding ways to assure that it will continue to serve our children and their children’s children for infinite Moons to come.”

  After the Chiefs prayed and meditated for a few moments, Lightning Bolt continued with his address: “My brothers, when we select a Grand Chief, we must remember the past and use its lessons. This has enabled past National Chiefs to pick leaders who have much wisdom and foresight. With the Great Spirit’s help this will be the case this Sunrise.”

  He tried, in a subtle way, to divert their attention from himself. “My brothers, I’ve had the pleasure of counting most of you among my dear friends since I first became involved in politics forty Springs ago. Over that period I’ve enjoyed the benefit of your wisdom and knowledge when making some very hard decisions. By often benefitting from this vast wealth of knowledge and wisdom, I have come to appreciate your capabilities as great and humble leaders. With this in mind, I will be very comfortable in supporting whomever among you is selected Grand Chief.” His polite attempt to have his peers refrain from considering him for the office only reinforced the certainty that he would be the choice. “Respectfully asking the Great Spirit to guide us, I now open the meeting for deliberations. I recognize my father, Chief Big Beaver.”