Broken Lands

by Boaz Klachkin

  Tom: I guess that was Tree’s first connection with the Jewish culture.

  Moses: Yes, but in actuality, many had experienced the cultural aspects of Judaism before he had. There was a presence of the Jewish faith all over Central and North America. During the Spanish inquisition, many Jews escaped by crossing the Atlantic to the New World. They mingled in with the Christians and Catholics but they secretly kept up their Jewish traditions and prayers, passing the laws of Judaism from generation to generation. The only place where they were allowed to carry on with their faith openly was in the lands of our ancestors. Tree honored them for their intense belief and show of faith in their creator, and allowed them the freedom to congregate and pray. He and our people had tasted the torment and wrath of those who had forced their will on them in the name of their God. The Jews, as Tree learned first-hand, were simple people who wanted to live in peace and abide by the set rules and the beliefs of their religion. The only hope they had to carry on with their beliefs in peace meant that they had to be as far away from any violent ruling bodies. One of the people who taught Tree about Judaism was a Rabbi who had passed through the tribal lands with his family. He was very inspired by Tree’s passion for learning and the way he absorbed the meaning of the basic laws and the language in which they were written.

  Tom: This is absolutely amazing stuff, Moses. There are some places in this country where some evil, violent people would still burn Jews and others of a different ethnicity from their in ovens.

  Moses:I shiver when I reflect on the devastation that our people had suffered. Brutality has been an awful standard for humanity, but I can go on and on, so let’s get back to the subject of Tree.

  Tom: Yes, indeed. When exactly did Tree leave the United States?

  Moses:It was in the fall of 1912. But before he left, Tree called upon representatives from different tribes to join together in a demonstration in Washington, D.C., in an attempt to raise issues related to the plight of his people. At that time, however, the US government was regrouping from the ramifications of the Civil War, and there was no hope for Congress to be handling any issues about the rights of Native Indians.

  Because Tree was a wanted man for having killed a Colonel of the US Army, it was not something easy to deal with. Tree had to be very cautious not be recognized by the authorities. Nevertheless, with the new underground movement he established, he was able to be secretive and set into motion a new approach for providing human rights for our people.

  Tom: His efforts certainly bore fruit; evidenced by your accomplishments. This is truly an amazing story. Please tell me where he went after his stay in Washington DC?

  Moses: Tree traveled to New York City and spent some time in Manhattan, mostly experiencing the nightlife among the artists and creative writers who resided in Greenwich Village, a Bohemian neighborhood in Manhattan. He made lots of friends while he was there. They took him in with open arms and enjoyed his well-rounded sense of culture. One night, at a special poetry reading event in one of the area cafes, he met Emma Lazarus. Are you familiar with her writing?

  Tom: Yes, I am familiar with her writing, but please go on and tell me about that meeting.

  Moses:Well, anyway, she was a very talented poet of Spanish-Jewish descent who had been very active working as a volunteer helping newly arrived immigrants from many countries who had come to America to enjoy the opportunities and liberties it had to offer. He took a great liking to her and they continued to spend time together. One of her poems was a sonnet named ‘The New Colossus.’ She presented the original manuscript as a donation to an auction house whose purpose was to raise money to build the pedestal base for the Statue of Liberty. At that time, there was a large campaign to collect donations for funding the construction of the base for the Statue of Liberty. An excerpt from this poem was later inscribed on a bronze plaque, which was displayed on the inner wall at the entry to the Statue of Liberty.

  It reads:

  ‘Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.

  The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

  Send these, the homeless, tempest-tot to me.

  I lift my lamp beside the golden door!’

  The words from the poem seemed to exclude those of us that had already been living in North America for ages. Regardless, Tree was very touched by Emma’s compassionate writing. He was enlightened by her intelligence and overall demeanor. They conversed about his ancestral ties and his interest in learning about other endemic populations in the world.

  Tom: Yes, now I seem to recall those words. They are truly inspiring.

  Moses: Emma introduced him to many literary works including some works by one of her favorite poets, Lydia Huntley Sigourney. Tree was especially inspired by her poems which reflected on the plight of the Native American Indian. One is titled “Indian Names” and another “Pocahontas.” Both poems reflect on the insensitivity, disrespect and hard times our ancestors experienced ever since the vicious, bloody wave of colonialism swarmed into the continent, swept our spirits away, and engulfed our lands with oppression and deprivation.

  Tom:I have never read her poetry, but I will certainly look it up. Tell me more about Tree’s connections and some of the places that he visited after he left the Continental US.

  Moses:His first stop in Europe was London.

  Tom:But a while back, Little Wing told me that Tree initially desired to tour the Holy Land.

  Moses:Yes! But he felt that he must take advantage of the opportunity to see Europe. In any case, the route to the Holy Land made stops all along the ports of the Mediterranean Sea. He relished his newly found freedom, even though he was sad for having left his people behind. Day in and day out, wherever he stayed, he enjoyed the different people and scenery he encountered.

  During his visit in London, The Parliament was ablaze with political fervor brewed by the controversial issues that were the British Empire’s interests in the world. There were major demonstrations going on in protest of the number of soldiers who had lost their lives as a cost of its expansive international involvements in the regions of Africa, the Middle East and Asia. The Middle East had become a major subject for conversation. There was a lot of talk about attempting to oust the Turks from the Middle East, especially because of the growing encumbrances for British interests in that area. In addition, the debates included testimonials that raised the issue of establishing a homeland for the Jews.

  Tree met with a variety of popular artists, politicians, well-known writers and publishers, many of whom became enamored by his unique demeanor and his love for literature. Dressed in his traditional Indian attire, he was quite the topic of conversation with his novel appearance with his long, silky, black hair that flanked his face. One of the main points he raised during his conversations focused on the newly emerging Zionist movement.

  Tom:He must have maintained some form of contact with someone, while he was away. Can you speak to any of that?

  Moses: He wrote many letters to Emma. Another person he corresponded with was Nicholas, a street musician of Greek decent. Nicholas was one of the many friends that he made during his stay in New York City before embarking on his journey to Europe. Nicholas had a brother who was a priest in the Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem. Tree promised to look him up when he arrived in the Holy Land.

  Tom:Where there any particular people that he was set on meeting in London?

  Moses:His primary intention was to meet Beatrice Bell and to hire her services as his guide while he will have travelled around the Middle East. However, she was away on an archaeological project during the time he was there.

  Tom:Tree must have been a very likable man.

  Moses: He was the talk of high society wherever he went. Everyone wanted a chance to meet a Native American in the flesh. They were quite impressed by his vast knowledge about world cultures. His popularity eventually
got the attention of the press, and an article came out about his associations within the British high circles. That is when some of the problems began. The information was exposed to the press agencies, and as a result, the US Supreme Court put forth an injunction demanding that the British Government turn Tree over to their Consulate for being wanted for the murder of a Colonel in the US Cavalry.

  Tom:Yes! I remember that. Little Wing described the details behind that incident. What happened then?

  Moses: Tree was notified of the injunction by a Parliament member whom he befriended, and he was compelled to leave Great Britain earlier than planned. Since Paris had already been on his list of places to visit, that was as good a time as any to escape the scrutiny of the media and political uproar that engulfed him. When he arrived in Paris, he rented a room near Montmartre just north of the bustling business district. In his diary, he wrote about his experience and described Paris: ‘a place for everyone who had the drive to see and live culture from a standpoint that reflected new colors and waves differently than in any other place in the world. I have met a variety people from many ethnic backgrounds. It is wild and lively, making it a great place. The cultural venues are the apex and then there is the food. I have enjoyed such a fantastic selection of foods that I had never tasted. Not once did the thought of hunting enter my mind.’

  Tree loved mingling with people, and he would get into conversations about anything with anyone, absorbing as much from the common folks as he did from those with a higher education.

  ‘The following day, after my arrival, I went for a walk around some of the side streets. It was a foggy day, yet one could still see the dim, glistening reflection on the gray, pointed crowns on the chapels. The light-colored terracotta tiles of the roofs on the surrounding buildings emitted a latent warmth which tamed the gloom of the atmosphere. I had rested all night from my tour of the many art galleries and shops near the flat that I rented on Rue Saint Denise. So many other wonderful goods were abundant in the showcases and displays in the shops on the narrow cobble stone streets. The clothing and smoke shops, jewelry stores, and food vendors caught my attention and, in many instances, I found myself tasting and handling the various products. It was a fantastic time for me, as I wound down from the pressures of running and hiding and trying to do the impossible for my Native American heritage. There were many cafes and restaurants everywhere. When I decided to rest, I sat and drank some mint tea at Café Visage; a venue patronized by many authors, artists and fashion designers. In the background, I heard a foreign language that was very familiar. There were three men speaking in a syncopated and somewhat unnatural dialect. I recognized the language as being Hebrew, but it was quite different from the Hebrew I had heard back in the US. The phonetics and accents varied from what I had read in the Latin derivations of Hebrew words but I still remembered the words from listening to the Jewish visitors who were our guests at our tribal encampment many years back. I managed to comprehend most of what they said because many of the words I had learned were from the Torah. Excited, I got up from my seat and walked over to their table and introduced myself.

  ‘“Shalom Aleichem [greetings onto you]. My name is Tree,”’ I said in a cheerful manner.

  ‘The men, startled to hear the greeting, were even more amazed to see who was behind the greeting in Hebrew. I stood in front of the men wearing my traditional attire. Getzel Zelikson and Mordechai Adelstein were meeting with Eliezer Ben-Yehuda to discuss some business ideas they wanted to develop in the land of Israel. In preparation for their future deals, they practiced speaking in Hebrew and used the Hebrew Dictionary that Ben-Yehuda had put together as their main source of vocabulary. They invited me to join them and were quite curious to know where I had learned to speak the Hebrew language. They were completely overwhelmed and when I told them that my final stop was the Holy Land, they were even more excited and interested to hear all about my background and aspirations.

  Tom:What did Tree learn from his meeting with these men?

  Moses: They mainly talked about the processes of establishing a land for the Jews. At that time, Ben-Yehuda was in Paris mainly to study medicine; however, the future development of the Jewish community in the Holy Land had been foremost on his mind. They had all heard about the ensuing collapse of the Ottoman Empire in the Middle East and needed to formulate a path for a change in direction for the Zionist movement which was at the core of their existence.

  Tom:What were some other interesting moments for Tree during his journey?

  Moses: Being in the Holy Land was a dream come true for him. He knew of the land, mainly as ‘Eretz Israel’ [the Land of Israel] But when he was there, he understood that there was a special field of energy that encompassed the region. It was a unique place where Jews and any other ethnic group, could carry on with their religious beliefs and to be able to feel at home, free to express their opinions or desires to pursue whatever they wished. Back in America, he used to walk deep into the woods and call out: ‘Shema Israel’ (‘Hear me O’ Israel’). He had learned this from the Jewish immigrants who relished the hospitality they got from the members of his tribe. The time he had spent with his Jewish guests was very fulfilling for him. He fancied the idea of bringing people together to live in harmony with one another. Tree believed that all of humankind was truly one family, and in seeing the various cultures and societies in his travels, he gained a greater understanding into the development of people’s traditions and customs. For Tree, nothing in life was more sacred than the arts or the positive ideologies which man had conceptualized for others to share. As long as it was rooted in peaceful actions that were pertinent to the well-being of the soul, it would be held dear to his heart. Tree eventually met those men again in the Holy Land.

  Tom:Where did Tree and his colleagues from Paris meet when they were in the Holy Land?

  Moses: They usually met in the port city of Jaffa; a magnificent port city with an ancient, architectural beauty. They loved going there often and would walk along the marina with its various shops, after which they would drop in on one of the dockside restaurants. His notes reflect on many pleasurable moments and events:

  ‘The age-old walls and arches decorated the city with a beaded pattern of ambers and limestone; colors which stated a special vibrancy. The atmosphere was lively and packed with visitors from Arab and Western countries. The sights had a special appeal as the area was lit with fixed torches. There were no gas lampposts, but the lighting was mystical. Everywhere one went the abounding aromas and scents created a pleasant, alluring distraction. The wharf was rich with a variety of great eateries and pubs.

  ‘The evening was young, but the area was already amassed with people of all nationalities. I felt a youthful energy as I walked around. The local women were exotic, and at times, they made the Western women feel a bit uneasy by their beauty and extroversion. The European women carried themselves rather well with the latest dresses designed by top designers, but there was something special about the young Yemenite and local Arab women whose garments with their vivid color schemes, and elaborate-patterns that I loved very much. The air was heavy with a combination of the smoke from the grilling of meat and fish, and the herbs and spices that accompanied the dishes. I was enchanted by the lively atmosphere filled with so much cultural diversity.

  ‘We have been meeting quite often to discuss the formation of a Jewish homeland and about the Balfour agreement; which pushed the British to allow the settlement of Jews in what they, the Brits, named Palestine. We also talked about Theodore Herzl’s meeting with Sultan Abd al-Hamid II who is rather in favor of the Jewish cause, and the assistance of other statesmen from a variety of nations whose talks were directed at creating an independent Jewish State. Since the Dreyfus trial in Paris had caused such a commotion about the spreading anti-Semitism in Europe, the activities of the World Zionist Organization expanded worldwide, resulting in a strong financial base for a very complex plan they had
formulated to protect the Jewish population of the world. The first steps towards the creation of a Jewish homeland have begun, based on the agreements and rules set in Basel, Switzerland. All of us unequivocally accepted the fact that Herzl would be the pivotal figure for the future Israel.’

  While in Palestine, Tree and Ben-Yehuda kept on with their projects. Tree was now writing articles for a local newspaper that was headed by Nissim Bachar, one of Ben-Yehuda’s close friends who he had met in Paris. He had gotten used to the atmosphere and dressed like a local; eating traditional foods like Hummus, Shish-Kebab, and a variety of bean salads and sprouts. However, of all the foods, Tree loved the dates from the region most of all. He liked the idea of eating from the land upon which he treads. This reminded him of being home. One day, as Tree was shopping for dried fruits while enjoying the atmosphere and scents of a marketplace, he met his wife-to-be. She was stunningly beautiful, brown skin and captivating, emerald green eyes.

  Tom:Now this is getting very interesting. Please tell me more.

  Moses: Her name was Yocheved. He met her at the Judean Camp Market in Jerusalem. This turned out to be a special moment in Tree’s life. The facts about their meeting is also well detailed in his notes.

  ‘On a gloriously beautiful Thursday, while strolling through the Judean Camp Farmers Market in Jerusalem, I met Yocheved. She was standing at a dry fruit stand buying dates, figs and raisins. As our eyes met, I looked at her and was deeply moved, suddenly feeling a special sensation of magnetic attraction. She smiled and greeted me with a short nod.

  ‘“Good day to you. I see you like Medjoul dates. I, too, have a special craving for them. My name is Tree. I could not help noticing you. You are so beautiful, if you do not mind me saying so,” I inserted with an emotional touching tone; a tone signifying that much more was to be said about my adoration for her on my part.