Chief Lightning Bolt

by Daniel N. Paul

  Before the Sunrise of the morning of the strategic battle, in keeping with long-established traditions, the opposing Nations sent emissaries out to meet and arrange a conference between the Head War Chiefs to explore the feasibility of a truce. The allies were hoping for an end to the carnage but the Westerners viewed the meeting as an opportunity to regroup and prepare. Within a few Sunrises a meeting of War Chiefs was arranged and convened. After the opening ceremonies were completed, Roaring Rapids, the Head War Chief of the Western Nations, the eldest, spoke first.

  “Mighty Water, my friend, I wish to inform you my brother that my heart is heavy because of the loss of life this war has caused your People. Our compassionate, kind, humanitarian leaders are full of remorse for any hurt they may have inadvertently caused anyone because of their need to take military action against your country. But, as you well know, we were forced into taking such drastic action by the illegal incursions into our territory by Kespekian renegades. We don’t fault your councils for being unable to stop these outrages because we know this was caused by the vastness of the territory that they try to police with inadequate forces. This unfortunate and regrettable state of affairs is the root cause of your People’s grief, pain and sorrow.

  “However, my brother, now that we have forcefully removed the troublemakers from along our common borders and assumed your policing responsibilities in problem areas, we view things to be under control. Therefore, in good conscience, we firmly believe that constructive peace talks between us can now take place. With this in mind, and as a demonstration of our sincerity, we’ve decided with generous hearts to make an offer for peace that your country, in view of its present circumstances, should find very equitable and just. Above all it will alleviate the distress that you, our friends, are suffering.

  “My brother, in view of the fact that your situation shatters our hearts and pains us beyond words, with humble hearts and the utmost compassion, we pledge to agree to lay down our arms and live in peaceful coexistence with you forever, providing that the leaders of your Nation agree that they have more land than they can responsibly manage and cedes the troubled areas that we have already pacified to us.”

  Many among the allied contingent sat in stunned disbelief at Roaring Rapids’ unmitigated gall.

  He continued his incredible recital, “My brother, our compassionate offer to accept these areas will provide border stability and solve your land management and policing problems for all time. As you can gather from the generosity of this offer, the leaders of our Nations have nothing but the best interests of the People of Kespek at heart. They truly desire to arrange an honourable and just peace with your country. May we have, my brother, your response to our compassionate and generous offer?”

  Not a person to be knocked off course, nor shocked by anything he heard, Mighty Water calmly responded to the outrageous proposal. “Roaring Rapids, my true brother, seldom in my life has my heart been so touched by the compassion, generosity and kindness of others. To know that your great leaders love us so much that they are willing to make such a generous sacrifice on our behalf is truly heartwarming. It soothes me to know that they are so willing to remove from our shoulders the responsibility of controlling and managing a large tract of the land that the Great Spirit permits us to use. It is a sign that they are endowed with kindness and generosity beyond comparison. Your leaders are truly men of good will and blessed with much wisdom.

  “Oh, my dear brother, in the face of the humbleness and generosity displayed by your great leaders in their offer, I’m almost overwhelmed. But, with a heavy heart, I must inform you that it would be deemed by the Great Spirit as an act of selfishness and unkindness beyond description for us to burden your kind, humble and generous leaders with the problem of controlling and managing the portion of our land which has proven to be so unmanageable in the past for us, from your viewpoint.

  “Therefore, my true friend, please inform them that it grieves me beyond description to refuse an offer that I know was made with kind hearts. But, I truly believe that the Great Spirit would never forgive us if we were unkind and burdened your humble and generous leaders with our problems.”

  “Mighty Water,” Roaring Rapids said. “My dear brother, I hear the kindness in your words and humbly accept and acknowledge the fact that you cannot bring yourself to burden us with additional problems.” The Chiefs, after going through the other civilities demanded by protocol, ended the meeting with the continuation of war assured.

  Having confirmed what he already knew, Big Beaver instructed the armies of Kespek and its allies to make an all-out effort to get the Western Nations interested in peace. With the die cast for more war, three Sunrises later, after making their peace with the Great Spirit, the allied warriors engaged the enemy in battle. At first, because the Western warriors had come across the river further upstream than expected, thus denying the Wabanaki warriors the opportunity to take them by surprise, the battle was going badly for the allies. However, with the extraordinary courage and effort displayed by such individuals as Lightning Bolt, they took heart and began to turn matters around. In fact, it became a rout. By the time the sun was halfway to the horizon they were forcefully driving the enemy back towards the big river and victory was soon theirs.

  Many allied heroes emerged from the war, but the courageous effort of one of their number was adjudged exceptional by both his peers and leaders. During the heat of his first battle, in total disregard for his own well-being, Lightning Bolt single-handedly fought off and killed many enemy warriors, often while they were in the process of trying to snuff out the lives of one or more of his comrades. The men who owed their lives to his intervention numbered in the dozens.

  His performance that Sunrise, as related by his peers, was so outstanding it became almost instant legend. Because of the magnitude of his bravery and valour, it was destined to be talked about with awe around many a campfire for generations.

  Lightning Bolt didn’t take much pride in his actions. The words he exchanged with Crazy Moose by the campfire that night were laced with remorse. “Crazy Moose, my brother, I feel so very sad about the loss of so many men today, that I want to weep. Perhaps if I’d been more resourceful, many of their deaths could have been prevented.”

  Trying to give him cause for cheer, Crazy Moose replied, “Lightning Bolt, my beloved brother, I saw you perform miracles in battle. Your acts of bravery were almost supernatural and were awesome to friend and foe alike. Because of your exceptional gift for hand-to-hand combat, many deaths of comrades were prevented. Your efforts saved many from certain death; for this they shall be forever in your debt.”

  But Lightning Bolt wasn’t to be swayed. “Please, my dear brother, don’t flatter me, I’m not worthy of it. There are others who deserve praise far more than me. For instance, you did more than your fair share to turn the tide of battle. Without your inspiration and presence, I would have been without support and lost.”

  Crazy Moose responded to the self-depreciating comments emphatically. “No, my brother, you were my inspiration. You fought with the ability of at least ten men, well witnessed by the four enemy warriors you sent to the Land of Souls. If not for your outstanding effort, the battle may well have been lost. Your leadership this Sunrise, my friend, clearly demonstrates that when it comes to fighting an enemy, you are without equal.”

  In response Lightning Bolt bared his soul. “Well, my dear brother, I guess we will have to agree to disagree about this because I firmly believe that others, including you, exceeded my humble efforts. You must remember, my brother, before you award me so much credit, that battles are won by the combined efforts of many men not just one. For example, a multitude of brave men fought valiantly this Sunrise and won a strategic battle that will probably change the course of the war in our favour. If not for them the army we defeated would now be well on its way to dealing our cause a perhaps-mortal blow by linking up with the main body of occu
piers. I was only a small part of the action. Our combined efforts were the reason we won.

  “And, in regards to the four men I killed, I take no pride from it. The death of these brave souls gives me no satisfaction whatsoever. In fact, for the loss of them and their soon to be heartbroken families, I truly grieve. They fought bravely and died for nothing except the sad desire of their leaders to acquire land and control over others. May the Great Spirit welcome them home to the Land of Souls.

  “When you consider it, it’s so sad that they had to die for such an ignoble cause. The men who lead the Western Nations caused their deaths. There is no justification for what they’ve done. They certainly can’t use an excuse such as needing more land to help feed their People, because they already have enough land to last their People for thousands of Moons

  “My fondest hope, my dear brother, is that we always will remain vigilant and wise enough to prevent the sickness that motivates their leaders and warps their minds, from ever afflicting our civilization. The envy and greed they nurture are the root cause of all the troubles of mankind. It breeds many evils. And, without question, the worst that stems from it is war. The heartbreak for Peoples victimized by wars is unimaginable. This was certainly true for me. Before this Sunrise, I could only imagine what it would be like to see a man perish at another man’s hands. I imagined it would be horrific, but in reality it is far worse. Pitting man against man to brutally cut one another down is truly a senseless thing.

  “No one, my friend, should ever take pride in causing the deaths of fellow human beings. The men I killed in battle this Sunrise will forever be on my conscience. This is so even in the knowledge that our cause is just.”

  Crazy Moose draped his arm over the shoulders of his friend and they sat in silent contemplation for a long time.

  ***

  Following the victory of the battle of the River That Drains the Big Lakes, the allied forces rallied with their confidence reinforced. They became more determined than ever to eject the invaders in the shortest time possible. This objective was moved along considerably by the arrival of multitudes of reinforcements from the homefronts. The allied offensive soon became unstoppable.

  By late Spring, the Western armies were driven out of Kespek and were being hotly pursued into their own territories. However, hoping for a miracle to reverse the tide in their favour, the enemy leadership did not sue for peace until their defeat was virtually assured. Only when the complete occupation of all their Western territories was no more than a few Moons away did they admit the need for talks to abate their demise. Completely humiliated, they finally sent out emissaries to Mighty Water’s encampment to ask for peace talks.

  The Western emissaries arrived at Mighty Water’s encampment, located on the shores of beautiful Lake Loon, deep within Mi’kmaq territory, just before sunset, three Sunrises after the last Moon of Spring. The next Sunrise, shortly after dawn, following ceremonial rituals, the War Chiefs sat down for discussions. Mighty Water, deferred to by the Elder Roaring Rapids, opened the discourse with the utmost civility.

  “Roaring Rapids, my brother,” he said. “It’s a treat for my poor eyes to see you once more. Since our short visit last Autumn, I’ve spent many moments wondering when I would have the happy experience of visiting with you again. Therefore, I must say that when you requested an opportunity to come to our camp and chat with an old friend it was truly my pleasure to agree.”

  Roaring Rapids responded in kind, “Mighty Water, my brother, my friend. I too have missed the pleasure of seeing and talking with you. It’s unforgivable that old friends allow so much time to pass before renewing brotherly friendships. We must endeavour, my brother, to ensure that it doesn’t happen again.”

  Mighty Water then got to the point, “Your words, my brother, are like the music of songbirds to my humble ears. I will make every effort to ensure that in the future we have more opportunities to meet and renew our brotherly relationship. But now my friend it’s time to get down to the business at hand. What say you now, my friend, about our land management problems?”

  Not missing a beat, nor projecting any sign of the pressure he was under, and with a tinge of irony, Roaring Rapids replied, “The last time we met, because of the difficulties Kespek was experiencing in this endeavour, I made an offer to take over and manage some of your territory for you. Now it seems your leaders have taught themselves so well how to manage your territory properly that they may be in a position to manage some of ours also. My brother, give me your views about this.”

  Being always the refined gentleman, Mighty Water sympathized with the Westerners, then made a gesture of kindness, “Roaring Rapids, my friend, brothers must come to the aid of each other in times of need. This may seem mean and stingy to you, but we don’t want to permanently manage your land for you. However, we will help your leaders overcome their newly acquired territorial-management problems by sending advisors to help them for an interim period. It’s truly regrettable that we can’t do more my friend and I apologize most profusely for it.”

  Roaring Rapids, accepting the humiliating fact that the Western Nations were destined to be managed by strangers for many Sunrises, responded with resignation. “My brother, I’m truly brokenhearted that you will not be able to find time to stay and manage our land for us indefinitely. However, we, with profuse thanks, accept your generous offer to send advisors to teach us how to better manage neighbourly relations and how to implement a new management style.”

  Without gloating, but with a granite-like determined resolve, Mighty Water responded, “Dear Roaring Rapids, my friend, my brother, your unconditional acceptance of our offer is most welcome. I want to assure you that sending advisors to teach your leaders a new way to manage their territory 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 haven’t learned to manage their lands properly, and to have respect for the right of their neighbours to live in peace and security, we will indeed come in and manage all Western lands permanently. This, my friend, is a promise you can be assured we shall keep.”

  Without any sign of the rancor he must have felt, Roaring Rapids replied, “My dear brother, you can rest assured that your kind words have not fallen on deaf ears.”

  Mighty Water then turned the conversation to details. “That’s good, my brother,” he said. “Now let’s talk about how we shall implement the truce and word the Peace Treaty…”

  With the armies of the allied Nations occupying a large tract of their territory, the Westerners were in no position to negotiate for anything beyond the unconditional peace dictated to them. Negotiations were completed in short order. The following terms were submitted to the councils of both sides for ratification:

  Agreed,

  1. That each side will release unharmed all prisoners captured during the war.

  2. That our original borders will constitute each side’s territory and that from this Sunrise forward the territorial integrity of both countries shall be respected.

  3. That for an unspecified period of time allied advisors shall supervise Western Government.

  4. That a mediation committee will be struck to provide a mechanism to settle all future disputes.

  5. That the hatchet be buried for all time between the Nations.

  6. That suitable presents be exchanged to seal the agreement.

  7. That Western war criminals, alleged to have committed atrocities against innocent Kespekian civilians, be turned over to Kespek for punishment.

  Both sides speedily assented to the pact. Once again peace reigned supreme throughout the lands of the Mi’kmaq and their allies. Mighty Water and his countrymen, in a show of appreciation for the heroic efforts made by the allied forces to free them, decided to award honorary Kespekian War Chieftainships to allied warriors who had shown extraordinary bravery during the conflict. Lightning Bolt wa
s among those chosen to be so honoured. It was also decided that the presentation ceremony was to be accompanied by a great feast and much partying — a going-home party for the Allied warriors.

  In accordance with Mi’kmaq custom, which demanded that one honour and pay respect to the bravery of those who had been met in combat and defeated, the former enemies were also invited to attend. Early morning, two Sunrises later, festivities got under way. It started with thanks being offered to the Great Spirit for His generosity in helping them to restore peace. Then the People turned their attention to celebrating, dancing, chanting, pipe smoking and other entertainments.

  As the sun hit its high mark, Chief Big Beaver called a break in festivities and requested that the People gather around for the awards ceremony. After he finished thanking and praising the Allied forces for their selfless help in freeing Kespek, he asked War Chief Mighty Water to begin making awards to the designated warriors. Each honouree was allotted a moment to say a few words after receiving his award.

  When Lightning Bolt’s turn came, he paid tribute to all those who had fallen during the war, comrades and enemies alike. With humility, he ended, “My brothers and sisters, the brave men who fell during the war, never to warm the arms of their loved ones again, must also be remembered and honoured this Sunrise. They deserve all honours that can be bestowed; therefore my brothers and sisters I accept this award in their memory.”