by James Hadman
“Why would he do such a thing?”
“I’m not sure, but I can guess. Maybe he was jealous after watching you charm the people. He knows he could never do that, so he wants to get rid of you before you become a competing shaman. One thing I am sure of, you were lucky to awaken when you did. You have had a close call.”
She sipped again. “This stuff is a miracle,” she said, indicating her tea, “so great for aches and pains. I’ll think of a way to make Bear Claw pay for what he did. In the meantime, tell me more about your dream.”
“As I said, I was an eagle and flew over Klawak. At first it was wonderful seeing the village from the air and I rejoiced at riding on my powerful wings, but then I began to see things that weren’t right.”
“Such as?”
“Too many empty and burned houses in the village–too many mortuary poles–too many mourners.”
She was silent for a time. “This is very powerful. I think you may have looked into the future. I’ve only ever known one shaman who claimed to be able to do that and he was a liar.”
“There’s more. I saw a great canoe like the ones Father described and it was carrying whitefaces. One of them killed my eagle spirit.” The sad memory made me tear up and my aunt slid over and embraced me.
“All of us shamans have had flying experiences, Child. I’ve used mine to find lost people and watch for enemies who might attack the village. However, your dream has elements that puzzle me. Did you see the whiteface who killed your eagle spirit?”
“I only got a glimpse of his face, but he wore a tall black headdress and had yellow hair flowing down his back.”
“Yellow hair. Aiee! That is so strange. No human has yellow hair.” She rocked back and forth as she mulled over what I’d told her. “Raven’s Bones, girl. You’ve only been here a couple of days and already you’ve given me a mystery.”
“Father’s letter warned me against whitefaces and these were definitely whitefaces, and they killed my spirit bird with a fire-stick. What more do you need to know?”
“I see your point. You are here to learn to be a shaman,” she said, shaking her head. “That bastard Bear Claw has complicated our job. Now that he’s threatened you, we’ll have to take measures to protect you. We have some things in our favour. You’ve already got a very powerful spirit animal in your otter. But now we have to deal with this dream. Leave me while I consider how to proceed.”
I got up and walked back to my sleeping area. The puppies had their eyes open now. They and my otter were rolling around, playing together. My heart melted. I picked up the little otter and it regarded me calmly with bright dark eyes. I turned it over, curious to see if I could tell what sex it was now that it was older. I looked carefully but couldn’t see any clear evidence that it was a boy or a girl. Sky Shaker had told me female spirit animals would be best for me, so my little Kushdaka was going to be a girl until I found out otherwise. I put the baby back to bed and Arrow followed me to the fire to get fed.
Sky Shaker was sitting as I’d left her. She appeared to be in a trance with her eyes closed and her upper body barely swaying. I was taking a drink of water when she opened her eyes. She blinked several times and focussed on me.
She spit in the fire and said, “I have examined your dream and this is what I think. Just as your father warned, you saw whitefaces and their return was accompanied by trouble and death. What you saw didn’t appear to be their first visit. They weren’t afraid or even cautious. They were bold men–sure of themselves. The funeral scene and the large number of mortuary poles are ominous. You were a part of the dark scene. As a bird of prey circling over Klawak, you were a sign of death. I am guessing that some sickness struck Klawak. Did the whitefaces bring it? I think that is possible.”
I started to interrupt to ask why my eagle spirit was killed, but, as usual, she was a step ahead of me. She raised her hand.
“Let me finish. I don’t know why that yellow-haired whiteface killed your eagle spirit, but if you ever see that creature in person, you have no choice, you must kill him before he kills you.” Chills ran down my back. Kill him? Raven’s Bones! I wasn’t prepared for this.
“Another thing. The whitefaces were definitely evil–they were dressed all in black and traveling in a group of five–both well-known characteristics of evil spirits. Thanks to Bear Claw’s meddling, you have had a powerful dream much too soon in your training. You are in danger and we have no time to waste. We must hurry and give you the tools to protect yourself.”
Sky Shaker’s analysis of my dream scared me. She said I was in danger, but I had no idea how to proceed. I stared at her for a long moment.
“Tell me what to do.”
“You must embark on your first spirit quest without delay. If you are successful in capturing a spirit or two, you will become a shaman and have a better chance for dealing with threats such as Bear Claw. I have sent my assistant, Lina, to summon Pearl Shell Woman and Killer Whale Rider. I need to finish educating them on how to help you in your search.”
I nodded and she patted the plank beside her. I sat where she indicated and she began. “Now you must do exactly as I tell you, Abraham’s Copper Spirit. I am sending you and your helpers to a special power spot where you will fast for eight days.”
“That’s a long time without food, Auntie.”
Sky Shaker nodded. “I know. I’ve fasted many times. You will start by drinking the tea from the devil’s club. It will clean you out.”
“I know. I hate that stuff.”
“If you want to become a shaman, you must do as I say,” she said, looking grim. I nodded. “At any time during the eight days, you may have glimpses into the spirit world. You must be alert for any sign. When a spirit appears, it may not be in the form you expect. Spirits may appear like another person rather than an animal, so do not be fooled.
“Do not touch iron. Take off your knife and leave it here. Your helpers will build fires to keep you warm and watch over you while you meditate.” She smiled wryly and then struggled to her feet, leaned on her cane and pulled an object from a box at her feet.
“Here. Take this,” she said, handing me what I recognized as a ceremonial axe. I had never seen one like this before. The handle was carved from dark wood in the shape of a man’s body. The head was a man’s skull that was carved from a green translucent stone. A pointed tongue protruding from its mouth served as the blade.
“How do I use this?’ I asked, hefting the axe.
“When a spirit animal approaches, and we hope it will be your otter, raise this special spirit axe and point the blade toward her. Then sing the only power song you received from her and hope she fills your head with the three missing songs just as she did that first one. If she does, teach them to your helpers. Sing them together and her power will flow to you.”
“I think I understand. When do you want us to leave?”
“The Noisy Goose Moon ends tomorrow and you will depart in the morning. The power spot I’m sending you to is only a short paddle from here, so I’m giving you a canoe that’s just big enough to carry you three and your gear. There are two big lagoons down there that nearly cut the island in two. In the middle of the island they are separated one from the other by a strip of land. The canoe will be light enough for you three to move it from one to the other, if necessary.
“The current runs pretty strong through the entrance to the inlet, so you’ll have to leave early enough to catch a fair tide to get in. Old shaman’s grave houses are perched on both sides of the channel as you enter, so be sure to honour them as you pass by.
“This is a special place where ocean spirits meet the spirits of the land. They come from both sides and travel back and forth across those big lagoons I mentioned. Ah, good, here come your helpers.”
I turned to see Killer Whale Rider coming toward me. I greeted him but kept a bit distant, just as I intended fo
r our new relationship to be. However, my inner voice insisted on pointing out how handsome he was in his bearskin cloak. Pearl Shell Woman was following him and they both looked serious. I had seen her at the feast but hadn’t met her before. She was a short woman with long dark hair, broad cheekbones, and flashing dark eyes. A compact and muscular body hinted at her strength. She was looked exotic with tilted eyes like the people who come from the far north.
“My aunt has spoken highly of you,” I said to her. “I am honoured that you’re going to join me on my spirit quest.”
“Your aunt says you are going to become a powerful shaman and I am honoured to help you.”
I left to gather the items I thought I would need while Sky Shaker explained to my new assistants what they must do to aid me in my quest. I packed my writing kit but left my journal boxes with my aunt for safekeeping.
After my assistants left, Sky Shaker continued instructing me and adding more costume items for me to pack. She insisted that I leave Arrow and the pups with her because she wanted me to devote all my attention to contacting spirits. I wasn’t happy leaving them behind, but I knew they’d be safe with her.
March 28, 1778: I slept through the night without any soaring dreams and felt rested when we launched the canoe just after dawn. Sky Shaker had assured me that Killer Whale Rider was familiar with every detail of the coast below the village.
“What can you tell me about the place Sky Shaker is sending us?” I asked.
“It’s a mysterious lagoon. No one but shamans go there because it’s known to be a gathering place for spirits and I’ve always steered clear of it.” He laughed nervously. “But I feel safe with you.” I wasn’t at all certain his confidence was warranted.
Wind picked up from astern and we benefited from its push. It wasn’t long before Killer Whale Rider pointed up ahead.
“That’s the entrance to the lagoon,” he said. “We’re almost there and the tide is still flooding, so we won’t have any trouble going in.” He looked at me. “Sky Shaker told me to remind you about the shaman’s grave houses we will pass on the way in. You do have something ready for them?”
“Of course,” I said, more shortly than I intended, irritated at being reminded of such a basic courtesy for the second time.
We turned into the entrance and the current carried us along until we drew abreast of the grave houses. Perched on rocky points, each was a miniature version of the houses in the village, even to having a small totem in front. A killer whale stood on the left and an eagle figure on the right, two of my most powerful spirit animals. Perfect. Now I knew why Sky Shaker had sent me here.
“Hurry and make your offering,” whispered Pearl Shell Woman. “Those graves are scaring me.” I scattered a handful of dried salmon on the water toward each house, spoke the ritual, and we entered the protected lagoon.
As we paddled toward a small wooded islet, Killer Whale Rider pointed and said, “Look. Another grave house.” When we passed by, I could see a Kushdaka on the totem in front. Casting another handful of fish on the water, I repeated my words of praise.
We found a protected cove and decided it would be a good spot for our camp. Unloading the canoe was easy because the tide was high. My helpers put up our skin shelter and started the fire while I used a stone axe to cut cedar boughs for the floor and our beds.
Pearl Shell Woman lit a fire and brewed devil’s club tea, the initial step of my fast. Even the smell was repulsive, but I managed to gag it down by reminding myself that I needed its cleansing power. My stomach began growling and after a short time the horrid tea demonstrated its power. I had to go. I picked up my water basket and asked, “Did either of you see a stream? I’m thirsty.”
“There’s a little one over there behind that big drift log,” Pearl Woman said. “I saw it when I was gathering firewood.”
I spotted the creek as I slipped into the woods to take care of business. After I finished, I could see it would be ideal for my needs. Water tumbled over a flat stone, fell into a crystal clear pool, then disappeared into the gravel of the beach on its way to the lagoon. Suspecting that my first quick trip would not be the end of my cleansing, I dipped up some water from the pool and sat down on a nearby drift log. A short time later, after a second trip into the woods, I noticed that frost was forming on the drift logs along the shore. As dusk gathered, stars began to appear and cast their reflections on the dark water of the cove. Just before full darkness fell, I looked back toward the entrance and watched all three of the old grave houses fade from view.
Overwhelming silence closed in on me. This spirit-laden place became even more frightening as countless stars filled the night sky. How had I ever imagined I could become a shaman? How would I know if a spirit came to me? I had no inkling. Why was I wasting my time in this haunted place?
Panic threatened to consume me, but the faint musical sound of the little stream trickling into the pool soothed me. The familiar sound helped ease my doubts. Sky Shaker had confidence in me. Even though this was a frightening place, she had sent me here because she knew this was the best place for my spirits to come to me. I took another drink. The icy water helped relieve my hunger pangs and calmed my uneasy stomach.
Now that my body was lessening its demands, I could begin clearing my mind by fasting and meditating as instructed. If I did that properly, I hoped the spirits would come to me. Out across the cove, I could barely make out the grave house on the island with its Kushdaka pole silhouetted against the water. I watched it closely, hoping my Kushdaka spirit would appear and give me her three missing songs.
Time passed and the temperature plummeted. I wrapped my fur cloak tightly around myself and waited for a sign. I heard wolves howling in the distance. Perhaps a wolf spirit would come to me. That was unlikely since neither Father nor Mother had wolves as crest animals. The howlers were just talking to each other.
When the howling quit and I hadn’t seen or heard any spirits, I decided to suspend my watch for the night. I picked up my little basket and got to my feet, teetering a moment before regaining my balance. The gravel of the beach was slippery with frost and I nearly lost my footing several times on the way back to camp. I found my bedroll, slipped inside and fell asleep.
Mar. 29, 1778: I came awake in darkness, my heart pounding. I’d had the dream again–exactly as before. I lay quietly searching my mind for clues to help me understand these disturbing images. The colours were so vivid–the dark green of the trees, the intense black of the big whiteface canoe, and worst of all, the yellow hair of the whiteface who killed my eagle spirit. As my panic receded, I wondered how I could concentrate on my spirits if I kept having this awful dream? I didn’t have an answer, but I had to keep on trying to contact my spirits. Perhaps they would help me understand my strange dream.
I stretched and cold air joined me under my warm bedclothes. I tucked in my bedding around my feet, felt my eyes become heavy, and I slept again.
I awoke to the smell of wood smoke and roasting salmon. It was daylight and my helpers were eating. My stomach complained–the salmon smelled so good–time to go drink more water. I got up, threw on my cloak, picked up my basket, and walked carefully down the frosty beach to the stream. A few sips of icy water quieted my stomach. The sky was pale on that frosty morning but held promise we might welcome the sun today.
Idly, I watched a pair of eagles flying. They weren’t just gliding along, their wings were beating urgently as they sped by. I got to my feet and watched them fly through a break in the trees at the back of the lagoon. I sat down again and took another drink. Something about what I’d just seen didn’t fit. Eagles spent the winter in sheltered locations, places where a late run of dog salmon gave them something to eat. I looked up when two more eagles flew by. What was going on?
I walked back to camp and as I approached I noticed that my helpers were in an animated conversation. An unidentifiable emotion swept over me
when I saw her looking up at him. Both of them were smiling and laughing.
I interrupted their moment. “Have you seen all the birds flying overhead?” I asked.
They shook their heads, but just then two more eagles went over, heading in the same direction.
“I see what you mean,” Killer Whale Rider said, watching three more pass close above us. “They must have found something to eat on the other side of the island and it must be pretty big to draw so many birds.”
“How much trouble would it be to chase after them?” I asked.
“Abraham’s Copper Spirit, this is your spirit quest, and if you want to chase eagles, that’s what we’ll do. Our canoe is too small to paddle around the end of this island. There’s big water down there–but Sky Shaker told me this lagoon nearly reaches another on the ocean side. We can paddle across this one and carry the canoe to the next one.”
“I’ll get our things together,” Pearl Shell Woman said. As she did that, I sorted through the shaman’s gear Sky Shaker had given me and selected a mask, my moon rattle, the mussel shell knife, and the spirit axe to take along.
“Do you think those birds are spirits?” she asked.
“No, I think they’re just hungry eagles, but I want to see what they’ve found. Eagles are Mother’s principal spirit animal and they could be trying to tell me something important.”
We were soon underway. Crows, ravens and gulls joined the eagles and we followed them all until we came to the end of the lagoon.