by Franks Busch
With that confession and final instruction, Soaring Star Woman, matriarch of the Eagle clan and leader of the Circle of Clan Mothers, drew her last breath on Mother Earth. The crow atop the lodge cawed loudly and flew off. The matriarch’s granddaughters took up the mourning wail, the sound of their pain rising on the air. Painted Turtle Man took Little Grey Bear Boy by the arm and led him out.
“What is happening, Moosum?” Little Grey Bear Boy asked, the tears turning his eyes a softer grey.
Painted Turtle Man’s gaze was solemn. “Our grandmother has gone home to the Spirit World. You must not speak her name until this time next summer. That is the way of the Nehiyawak. We must all go back when we are called by Kitchi Manitou.”
“But why, Moosum? Why would Kitchi Manitou want us to be sad?”
“Some mysteries cannot be explained by us,” answered Painted Turtle Man. “Know we will see her again in the next life. For now, we must take care of the ones who are still here and will be suffering.”
Painted Turtle Man led Little Grey Bear Boy back to the Bear lodge, trying to hide his own fear and sadness. Without the Eagle clan matriarch, the road ahead was going to be long and difficult. Painted Turtle Man knew that he too was growing old. Would there be time enough to teach the boy?
The death of Soaring Star Woman, the leader of the Circle of Clan Mothers, was hard for the people of Nisichawayasihk. They prepared for the funeral, mourning her passing for four days. She had been a great listener and a considerate leader, and while no one could replace her, the clan mothers had to appoint someone to lead the circle. The Eagle twins had been appointed to lead the Eagle clan, and when it came time for the election, they expected the other clan matriarchs to appoint them in their grandmother’s place. But the people elected Standing Sun Woman of the Crane clan as clan mother to all of Nisichawayasihk. The Eagle twins had to be satisfied with the responsibility of leading the Eagle clan as its new joint matriarchs.
“How could they be so stupid?” said the younger Eagle twin on returning to their lodge.
“Standing Sun Woman’s time is not long. Another election of the Circle of Clan Mothers is not far off,” replied the elder Eagle twin.
“That old crow could live forever.”
“We just need to make sure that when she does go, we are ready.”
“The Turtles and the Bears will never support us…”
“Oh yes they will,” said the elder twin with no trace of doubt.
18
mitātaht ayinānīwosāp
For the most part, life returned to the way it had been for generations. In his ninth summer, Little Grey Bear Boy devoted himself to Painted Turtle Man. Instead of playing with other children he was often busy learning the sacred teachings of the medicine wheel and the secrets of the plant world. He still had responsibilities to his family and would often pick berries, catch fish, snare rabbits, and shoot birds to contribute. Much of what he foraged he gave to the struggling Turtle clan. Blue Elk Man always smiled at this, proud of his son’s generous nature.
Little Grey Bear Boy tried to learn the Grey-Eye magic, but he did not yet understand how it worked. Often, the magic manifested itself in those around him as he sat daydreaming. On more than one occasion, Little Grey Bear Boy turned his cousin into an otter or a duck as they swam, and once he burned Painted Turtle Man’s hand with blue flame when making a fire for a ceremony. At no time did they feel the loss of Soaring Star Woman more than when Little Grey Bear Boy struggled to understand the magic in him.
“The Grey-Eye magic will be with you when you most need it,” Painted Turtle Man would say. “Creator’s gifts are not to be used for day-to-day nonsense. Learn the ways of your ancestors and they will give you guidance.”
“Tapwe, I know you are right,” Little Grey Bear Boy would respond. “I am glad you are here to teach me.”
During these times, Painted Turtle Man reminded himself of the winters after his wife’s passing, when he seemed so alone in this world. He had despaired, feeling like his life would never again have meaning. The old man was always humbled by these memories. He would never have thought the Creator would save the best days of his journey for the end.
“Moosum,” Little Grey Bear Boy asked one day while they dug for wild ginseng in the forest, “tell me how the Seven Teachings came to the Nehiyawak.”
“Again, my boy?”
“It is one of my favourite stories.” Painted Turtle Man leaned back and looked up into the sky. It was not quite midday and they already had enough roots for the winter. They were near the river and could hear the gentle voice of the water running across the rocky shore through the trees. A cool breeze was blowing and the large pine trees swayed and creaked in rhythm with the wind. It was as good a time as any for a teaching.
“Many generations ago,” Painted Turtle Man began, “a great sickness fell over the land. All of the Nehiyawak were living in fear and despair. There was no harmony or unity amongst them, no clans and no villages. The strong preyed upon the weak, the smart took advantage of the simple, and the elders were left to starve when they could not find their own food.”
Little Grey Bear Boy’s bright grey eyes went wide at the thought.
“Two brothers walked along a path together, discussing the state of affairs in the world. They were hungry and had nowhere to call home. They wished something could be done to end the suffering and bring harmony to the land. As they walked along the path a white buffalo calf crossed in front of them. The brothers knew immediately that the animal was a sacred being. The white buffalo calf turned and began to walk towards them. As it did so it transformed into a beautiful woman in a dress of white.”
“The White Buffalo Calf Woman!” said Little Grey Bear Boy.
“The elder brother looked upon her body and thought he would like to have this woman for himself. As their eyes met, the elder brother burst into flames and was immediately destroyed for his bad-hearted thoughts.”
Little Grey Bear Boy gasped.
“The younger brother averted his eyes from the woman out of respect. Her beauty belonged to her and it was up to her alone to decide whom to share it with. The White Buffalo Calf Woman presented the young man with the White Buffalo Calf peace pipe and gave to him the Seven Teachings.”
“I can name them all, Moosum!” exclaimed Little Grey Bear Boy.
“Well go ahead then,” laughed Painted Turtle Man.
“Respect, courage, love,” began Little Grey Bear Boy confidently, “humility…honesty...truth and…”
“And? The last one?”
“Umm…” Little Grey Bear Boy thought hard. “Wisdom!”
“That’s right, my boy.” Painted Turtle Man patted his shoulder. “She gave him the Seven Teachings and explained to him the seven sacred animals that could teach him best.”
“But Grandfather, if he was told the Seven Teachings why did he still have to learn the seven sacred animals?”
“Ohhh,” said Painted Turtle Man, “do you think because you can name the Seven Teachings you know the Seven Teachings?”
“Well, what’s the difference?”
“If someone asks you what my name is and you tell them, does that mean they know everything there is to know about me?”
“Motch.”
“Definitely not,” confirmed Painted Turtle Man. “It takes a lifetime to truly know another person, and even after fifty years together, they could still surprise you. To learn the Seven Teachings takes a lifetime of living them.”
Painted Turtle Man pulled a large ginseng root out of the ground and showed it to Little Grey Bear Boy. Not to be outdone, the boy pulled on the root he had been digging and it snapped. They both laughed.
“I think I understand, Moosum. The Bear teaches courage—my mother taught me that one.”
“Yes. And the Wolf teaches humility.”
“What doe
s that mean, ‘humility’?”
“It means understanding you are not greater than any of Creator’s children. This includes the plants, animals, bugs, other people, and even the rocks.”
“Oh,” wondered Little Grey Bear Boy. “Not even Yellow Hawk Girl?”
“Especially not your sister!” laughed Painted Turtle Man. “With the seven sacred teachings of the peace pipe, the young man returned to the Nehiyawak and shared this new knowledge with them. Soon, the Nehiyawak began to share with one another and to look after their families. The clans were formed and many people could live in villages together and work towards the greater good. Harmony came to the land and the Nehiyawak became happy, living the way Kitchi Manitou intended for us.”
“That is my favourite story,” said Little Grey Bear Boy dreamily.
“But the story does not end there, my boy,” added Painted Turtle Man as he covered the hole he had dug and offered a pinch of tobacco.
“There’s more?”
“There will be,” explained Painted Turtle Man. “In my dreams I have foreseen a time when the Nehiyawak will turn away from the seven sacred teachings and from all of the teachings of the medicine wheel. They will not give thanks and praise to Kitchi Manitou, or practice the sacred ceremonies of their ancestors. In that time, the White Buffalo Calf Woman will return and another young person will have to take the peace pipe back to the Nehiyawak.”
“When will this happen, Moosum?” asked the boy.
“That, I have not seen.”
The two finished up their medicine-picking in a contemplative silence. Little Grey Bear Boy trusted the old man’s dreams and had faith that when Painted Turtle Man said something would happen, it would. After all, the old man had foreseen his own birth. This new prophesy, however, Little Grey Bear Boy hoped would never come to pass. Perhaps this time Painted Turtle Man would be wrong.
19
mitātaht kīkā-mitāhtosāp
Upon returning to the village, Painted Turtle Man and Little Grey Bear Boy came upon a long-anticipated sight. Visitors had arrived in Nisichawayasihk, carrying with them exotic goods from their homelands. Known to the Nehiyawak, their leader was a man they called simply ‘the Trader.’ Large, loud, and jovial, the Trader swept in with his wares—trinkets and tools, rare medicines and jewels—but also, and more importantly, news.
The Trader’s company was a group of people from far away corners of Turtle Island. A young woman with blue lines and dots running from her lips to her chin smiled at Little Grey Bear Boy. He looked away immediately, not wanting to burst into flames like the elder brother in the White Buffalo Calf story.
“Let’s go and gather our things from the medicine lodge while the caravan sets up the big lodge,” suggested Painted Turtle Man. “I hope they have desert sage this time. Maybe you can get some abalone shells to make something for your mother.”
The people of Nisichawayasihk milled about the big lodge, looking at the items up for trade. There were all manner of beads, shells, furs, stone, jade, turquoise, obsidian, tobacco, herbs for cooking and for medicine, and all manner of toys and trinkets from across Turtle Island. The traders spent their year travelling and trading with the villages as well as other caravans instead of hunting and fishing. Most would live this way for only a time, in order to experience life outside of their own villages, coming and going as it suited them. Others, like the Trader, chose to live their whole lives this way. The villagers brought forward dried meats and pemmican as well as crafts made during the winter months. Half the fun was deciding what to trade and for how much. The Nehiyawak loved to get a good bargain, then brag about it to their family and friends.
The matriarchs of the village were mostly interested in trading for information that would help them determine when and where to send the hunters for buffalo. They stood in front of the Trader’s big lodge, speaking to him as he waved people in. They shared their own news, namely, that Soaring Star Woman had passed into the Spirit World.
“I am very sorry for your loss,” said the Trader sincerely. “I am sure she will continue to bless us from the Great Mystery. There seem to be fewer and fewer Grey-Eyes these days. You are not the only village without one.”
“Thank you for your kindness,” said Walking Moon Woman. “But we are not without the Grey-Eye magic.”
As she said this, Little Grey Bear Boy ran up. “Nookum. Nookum. Look what I got for you.” Little Grey Bear Boy held up a small vessel that seemed to shine light on its own. “You can make your tea with it. The man I traded with said it is made of ‘copper’ and comes from his people in the west. They are called the Git Hayetsk, the people of the copper shield, and they live beside the great water and travel in canoes bigger than a lodge! And they have trees that reach up all the way to the clouds. I want to go there someday, Nookum.”
“This is my grandson, Little Grey Bear Boy,” said Walking Moon Woman as she accepted the copper pot. “Thank you my boy, this is just what I needed. Hiy, hiy!”
“I see,” said the Trader, turning to the boy. “Tansi, young warrior. Did you get a good deal?”
Little Grey Bear Boy turned his bright grey eyes on the Trader. Despite towering over the small boy, the man at once felt powerless under the boy’s upward gaze. “I sure did! I traded some of the medicines I picked with my moosum.”
“He means my cousin, Painted Turtle Man,” said Walking Moon Woman.
“Excellent,” said the Trader, recovering. “Painted Turtle Man’s medicines will be needed when we go east. There has been some sickness amongst the villages out that way.”
“Did you get something for your mother?” Walking Moon Woman asked.
“Not yet. I better go back before all the good stuff is gone.” With that, the excited child ran off.
“You are blessed, Walking Moon Woman,” said the Trader. He turned to the other matriarchs: “You are all truly blessed.”
“Tapwe,” the Bear matriarch responded, watching her grandson until he disappeared into the big lodge. “Has there been any word of the Red-Eyes?”
“Unfortunately, there has. Perhaps we should discuss this away from the others. I don’t want to spread fear and disrupt the harmony of the village.”
“I agree,” said Walking Moon Woman. Looking at the other matriarchs, she said, “We will hold council this evening after the feast.”
Back at the Trader’s big lodge, Little Grey Bear Boy and friends were admiring the boy’s latest acquisition, a turquoise necklace for his mother.
“Let me see, let me see!” demanded Yellow Hawk Girl.
“Careful, I don’t want you to break it,” answered Little Grey Bear Boy, handing his sister the necklace.
“What did you trade?” asked one of the other boys.
“All of my toothache medicine,” answered Little Grey Bear Boy proudly.
“That’s it?” asked the boy. “He probably gave you a deal because of your grey eyes.”
“Motch. That medicine is hard to make and you need different roots and herbs. You have to put in the right amount of each.”
“So what? Anyone could dig up that stuff.”
“We’ll see if you are still saying that,” interjected Flying Rabbit Boy, “when you get a toothache and come crawling to the Bear medicine lodge.” Flying Rabbit Boy limped around, holding his jaw and moaning. The children laughed while they waited their turn to examine the necklace.
“I wish I could get something nice for our mother,” said Yellow Hawk Girl.
“It will be from both of us,” said Little Grey Bear Boy. “You can be the one to give it to her.”
“Tapwe? Best brother!”
“How would you know,” teased Flying Rabbit Boy. “You only have one.”
The children’s laughter was drowned out by the sound of a large drum.
“People of Nisichawayasihk!” announced a Crane clan warrior. �
��Take notice! The Dog Soldier Society is taking in a new warrior.”
All the people nearby stood up to show their respect. The senior warrior of the Dog Soldiers stood before a large hide covered by furs. The warriors of the Dog Soldier Society had assembled, dressed in their finest regalia, faces painted as though they were going to battle. A young man entered the circle, flanked by two warriors, one of whom was Blue Elk Man, himself a Dog Soldier.
“Show your respect!” boomed the Crane clan warrior. “A new warrior walks among you. He was called Laughing Cloud Boy, but now he needs a man’s name.”
The senior warrior of the Dog Soldiers spoke next. “This boy has proven himself a man in the eyes of the Nehiyawak. He has gone on the hunt alone and returned with meat to feed his family. Any man who is capable of this is strong enough to start his own family. Before he can be considered by any woman who would have him, he must put away childish things.”
As the senior warrior said this, one of the others removed the furs to reveal the young man’s childhood possessions scattered across the hide.
“A man is not a man who cannot make his way by the sweat of his efforts and by the skill of his own two hands. Therefore, he will begin to walk man’s road with nothing, just as he was born and the same as when he dies. Let any who is in need come forward and receive these things for which this man no longer has use.”
There was an awkward silence as no one stepped forward to claim the possessions. The fierce pride on the young man’s face was starting to drain away. Little Grey Bear Boy saw this and began to feel bad for the young warrior, as did his sister beside him. No sooner had they each had the thought to go up, than was Flying Rabbit Boy thrown forward. As he walked out, he looked back at his cousin with a red-faced scowl.