Chief Lightning Bolt

by Daniel N. Paul

  “Before you, my sisters and brothers, in atonement for my sins, I raise my face in humble shame, up toward the Land of Souls, and ask the Great Spirit to forgive me for the unforgivable contempt I have shown Him and you. However, I must confess my friends that I know not why He should.

  “From you my friends, in view of the seriousness of the wrongs I’ve committed, I’ll gladly accept any punishment that you find fit to give me. Whatever it is, it will be well deserved. In order to give you time to decide upon a fitting punishment for my dishonourable ways, I adjourn this meeting until next Sunrise.”

  The following morning, with much joy in their hearts, the People reassembled to give their verdict. Great Owl, the senior Elder, delivered it. “Little Storm,” he said, “your words of apology and remorse last Sunrise for your sins were like the sweet songs of the meadowlark to our ears. Therefore, my son, we’ve decided that your public repentance was punishment enough. We consider the matter closed. However, we do want to emphasize for your future benefit that if there should ever be a recurrence of your big-headedness, it will lead to your being condemned to a life of disgrace as a deposed Chief, because my brother, depose you we will.

  “Now, my beloved Chief, we wish to take a moment and thank the Great Spirit for answering our pleas to help you see the error of your ways. Great Spirit, we your children humbly give thanks for the return of our leader and with joy acknowledge your generosity in answering our pleas.” Great Owl went on to praise the Creator of the Universe for all the blessings received by the People.

  When Great Owl finished, Little Storm addressed the People. “My bothers and sisters, in view of the magnitude of the wrongs I’ve done, your kindness in forgiving me is more than I deserve. In return for it, my beloved friends, I pledge to you this Sunrise, with the Great Spirit as my witness, that I shall never again dishonour your trust and that I will always treat your human needs with dignity and respect. I also want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your charitable gesture of permitting me to continue as Chief of our village. May the Great Spirit always be with you, because you are deserving of his love.”

  Little Storm lived up to his promises. For the rest of his life he served the People diligently. In return for the dedicated, wise and intelligent way he served them, the People grew to love him above all others and promoted him accordingly. By the Sunrise of his fortieth Summer he had served them as Village Chief, their Chief of the Hunt, War Chief and then as part of the Mi’kmaq Grand Council. As a Grand Council member he wisely used his knowledge to help citizens and Nations solve problems. After he served with distinction for many Moons, his peers on the Grand Council paid him the ultimate honour. After the Grand Chief died, they appointed him to the office. When he died at the age of one hundred and four, he was the most honoured and revered man in living memory among the Mi’kmaq. So the story is told by the Elder.

  Such stories were used extensively to instill a deep sense of respect for the Great Spirit and the rights of others in Mi’kmaq children. They were also used to implant a strong desire in them to use decency, humility, generosity and tolerance in their Sunrise-to-Sunrise human exchanges with each other.

  The culture’s philosophy of sharing was a product of these values. From long practice, sharing was as much part of their daily lives as survival functions. To be accused of being a stingy person was a source of deep shame for an individual. A person guilty of such an accusation suffered a loss of honour that was almost irreparable.

  To avoid ever being identified as stingy, Mi’kmaq people were beyond generous with everyone. In all aspects of life, members of the community shared equally. Those who were physically able also shared equally in the labours of the village. This value was well demonstrated during preparations for the Hunt.

  By the middle of Autumn all healthy men, women and older children throughout Mi’kmaq country were caught up in communal preparations for the Hunt. In order to get and keep everybody in the right frame of mind these chores were always accompanied by a few celebrations. In Kespukwitk, Little Bear’s village was a hive of activity. Lightning Bolt and his peers, once again comfortably installed in the wigwams of their loved ones, barely containing their excitement, pitched in with gusto to complete preparations. Possible adventures from the chase and friendly competition were looked forward to with the utmost anticipation.

  Just thinking of these activities was like nectar to the men. During the Hunt, they would strenuously compete with one another to bring down the most, the biggest and the fattest animals. This good-natured competition provided a healthy vent for the young and mature men alike to burn off excess energies. But, its most significant benefit was that it filled the village’s larders with meat for Winter, by spurring the warriors on to greater efforts.

  CHAPTER THREE

  With equipment in excellent condition and ample supplies packed in carrying bags, the hunters, two Sunrises past the second Moon of Autumn, departed the village at the first light of dawn to set up a central hunting camp. Little Bear’s two youngest sons were among them. Raging River, fourteen Springs, was making his third trip, and Little Beaver, twelve Summers, was making his first.

  Because his youngest was a novice hunter, Little Bear’s plan was to keep him by his side during the Hunt. Raging River, with two hunting Seasons’ experience behind him, would be permitted to hunt with his friends under the light supervision of an experienced hunter. This practice was to give the older boys opportunities to develop skills to work the Hunt in concert with mates. Implanting the desire to work in harmony in complex situations was essential to the success of future Hunts and thus the Nation’s existence.

  Lightning Bolt and Crazy Moose, now in their twenty-first hunting Seasons, had teamed up during their sixteenth birth Season, and were by now regarded by peers as a very successful team. They seemed to know instinctively what move the other was planning when on the trail of a moose or other big game and they reacted accordingly. They often brought down more meat than two other teams combined. Whereas Lightning Bolt was seen as the leader of the duo, he had already at his young age been appointed the prestigious position of Chief of the Hunt.

  The air of excitement that hung over all the hunters as they journeyed to the hunting grounds affected all participants. But, it was the young boys who were looking forward to participating in the hunt with the greatest energy and impatience. Coping with this had been a challenge to fathers since fatherhood began. From their own experiences they knew that to help their sons become successful adult hunters it was essential to teach them to check their energies and appreciate the value of patience.

  Like their peers, Little Bear’s two youngest sons had their expectations of adventure worked up to almost a fever pitch. He, like countless fathers before him, often had to respond to an ancient question asked by his youngest, “Father, will we ever get there?”

  That evening, after travelling about three thousand canoe lengths from the village, the hunters set up camp in a pine forest by a small spring-fed stream near the great Stoney River. The aroma of food cooking, mixed in with the fresh scent of pines in the cool air, was a treat. After dining on delicious freshly caught brook trout, the men and boys gathered around a huge campfire to be entertained by spellbinding storytelling.

  Through the course of the evening, tales were told about the exploits of legendary figures and the true adventures experienced by hunters, but the products of great imaginations were also a delightful part of the night’s entertainment. Wise Owl, one of the older hunters, grabbed their rapt attention with this short fictional tale:

  “One beautiful warm and comfortable late Summer Sunrise, with the invigorating smell of Mother Earth’s ripening produce in the air, an unarmed and self-possessed young warrior called Stoney River left his village for a walk through the forest. Eventually he came to a meadow that had a small stream meandering through it.

  “In no hurry to go anywhere in particu
lar, he stopped to soak in the warmth and appreciate the scenery. He decided to sit down with his back against a boulder, to reflect and do some serious meditation. In spite of the burden of the seriousness of his thoughts, he soon fell into a peaceful, trouble-free and deep sleep.

  “After a considerable interval had passed, he awoke feeling greatly refreshed. When his eyes cleared of sleep he scanned the scenery and discovered an enormous black bear contentedly eating ripe blueberries from nearby bushes. This, of course, gave him quite a shock.

  “However, being a brave warrior he managed to keep his wits about him and remember what he and his peers had been advised to do in such situations by the Elders when he was still a young lad. Their advice was that if they had no way of making a dignified and safe retreat, do exactly what the animal did. They were assured that this would keep them out of harm’s way. Being a person who had learned his lessons well, Stoney immediately began to emulate every move the bear made.

  “He got down on his hands and knees and copied as near as possible the bear’s dining practices, eating blueberries by holding the bush with his hands and chewing them off with his teeth. The Bear, after feasting for a considerable period and comfortably filled with blueberries, decided he was thirsty and went to the stream to ease his thirst.

  “For the span it took the sun to fall halfway from its zenith to the horizon, young Stoney copied all actions of the bear with unflinching devotion. When Brother Bear rolled around in the water of the stream, he did too. When Brother Bear ate more berries, he ate more berries. When Brother Bear relieved his water, he did so as well, and so on.

  “As the Sunrise wore on, or from Stoney River’s perspective, dragged on, Brother Bear decided to sit and sun himself for a spell, which activity the young man copied with unfailing devotion. After lazing around for a good part of the remaining Sunrise, Brother Bear arose and moved off somewhat to move his bowels. This caused Stoney River to blurt, ‘Ah, Brother Bear, I’m way ahead of you on this one, because I did that when I first saw you.’”

  Late in the evening, after being treated to many other great tales, the hunters retired to their beds, made from fresh aromatic fir boughs, with contentment in their hearts. The Seasoned went to a night of peaceful bliss, the young to a night of restless anticipation.

  The next morning, after enjoying an early breakfast, Little Bear and Little Beaver set out by canoe to scout for game around the headwaters of the mighty Stoney River. By the time the sun was well up, they had travelled against a strong current upriver a substantial distance to the White Rapids, where they had to traverse around the rough stretch. After treating themselves to a quick rest, they hoisted their canoe onto their shoulders and began the traverse.

  Little Bear cautioned his son, “My son, the heavy rains have caused the river to swell to the lips of its banks, making the rapids an extremely dangerous obstacle. The survival chances of anyone who falls into it would be very slim. Therefore, my young hunter, because the rains have also made the moss-covered clay stretches along the trail very slippery and treacherous, I want you to be very careful when walking over places that come close to the rapids.”

  “Don’t worry, my dear father, I’ll watch my step with the caution of a wildcat.”

  Within fifty paces of the end of the trail it narrowed against the river. Little Beaver, stepping on a piece of slippery moss, lost his footing and slid into the raging current. Little Bear plunged into the powerful waters to try to save him. He quickly located his Little Beaver but found that the current was too strong to escape while carrying him. Rather than abandon his baby to meet his destiny with the Great Spirit alone, Little Bear wrapped him firmly in his arms and became a victim of the rampaging Stoney River with him.

  At the main camp that night, the hunters attached no importance to the fact that Little Bear and Little Beaver hadn’t returned. It wasn’t uncommon for a scouting party to spend a night away from it. However, with the arrival of another nightfall with still no sign of them, some misgivings were expressed about their safety.

  That evening, the Hunt leaders, although not expecting to find that anything unusual had befallen them, decided to send a small party upriver the next Sunrise to determine their whereabouts. Grey Owl, a Seasoned hunter and a lifelong friend of Little Bear, was appointed to lead the search. He, before retiring for the night, sought out Lightning Bolt and Crazy Moose and asked if they would like to accompany him the next morning. Because Lightning Bolt felt a deep sense of foreboding about the welfare of his father and brother, they quickly agreed. At the first light of dawn, upon arrival at the riverbank, Grey Owl found them waiting impatiently beside a canoe holding their supplies. He quickly secured his provisions and they shoved off.

  As they paddled out onto the river, they noted how high it was and the swift current running because of it. They soon realized fighting against the current would make the upriver trip much longer than usual. However, by putting their backs to it, they reached White Rapids by midmorning and put ashore. Disembarking without taking a rest, they took the canoe upon their backs and began to traverse around the rapids. They soon came upon Little Bear’s canoe lying seemingly abandoned across the trail. The discovery deepened their foreboding because they knew that an experienced hunter such as Little Bear wouldn’t leave his canoe in this way without being forced to do so. Upon closely examining the ground, they found evidence of broken moss leading directly into the river. In dread of what they would discover, they followed the river’s course back downstream. At a dead fall of trees extending well out into the rapids, they spotted entangled in the branches the bodies of the missing hunters.

  They could see from the shore that Little Bear had his son locked firmly in an embrace. The sight told them that he had tried to comfort his beloved baby to the end and that he had consciously decided to accompany him to the Land of Souls. It also told them that Little Bear, a strong swimmer, might have saved himself if he had chosen to do so.

  With the initial shock over and the bodies recovered Grey Owl, leaving Lightning Bolt and Crazy Moose with the remains, started downriver to deliver the shocking news to their brothers and to get help to bring the bodies back to camp.

  After Grey Owl’s departure, Lightning Bolt expressed his agonizing grief to Crazy Moose. “Oh my brother the pain in my heart is unbearable. How can I ever bear such a great loss? My father and baby brother gone forever. Oh tell me, my brother, why has the Great Spirit failed me? What have I done to deserve such pain? Oh, my friend, how can I ever be happy again?”

  Placing his arm around the shoulders of his sobbing friend, Crazy Moose comforted him. “Lightning Bolt, my brother, I love you as a true brother and share your grief profoundly. But, my friend, you must understand that the Great Spirit has not forsaken you. Although He took away two people you love dearly, He has left you with a loving family and a multitude of friends who hold you dear. By no means, my brother, has the Creator left you alone in your time of need and sorrow.

  “Although it will be a hard thing to do at this time of heartbreak, you must keep in mind that when our time comes to go to the Land of Souls, we have no choice in the matter; go we must. My beloved brother, one Sunrise, when we are called home, our families and friends will also have to accept the finality of the wishes of the Creator. In the case of Little Bear and Little Beaver, although we will miss them dearly, He, in His wisdom, decided He wanted their company and called them home. This is something we cannot reverse. But they are not lost to us forever, because when we are called some Sunrise we will know once again the joy of their company. But, my friend, until that Sunrise arrives, we must remember that even with the passing of our loved ones, life continues without pause and waits for no one.”

  Crazy Moose finished with a reminder that those left behind have wonderful memories to comfort them. “To help console us at occasions such as this we have memories of the happy times we had with our departed loved ones. And, as our grie
f ebbs into the reality of knowing that what has happened is only the beginning for them, we shall be happy again.”

  Lightning Bolt, visibly moved by the eloquence of his friend, replied, “Thank you, my dear brother, your words of comfort and wisdom speak the truth. I must not doubt the love of the Great Spirit. For He is with me.”

  Until Grey Owl returned late that afternoon the two friends reminisced about the fond memories they had of Little Bear and Little Beaver. They found, as the afternoon passed, that talking about them was like a salve, because it slowly eased the pain caused by the disaster.

  Back at the main camp, after Grey Owl had finished relating the dreadful news, the Hunt leaders met and began making preparations to return home for the funeral. They decided, in order to permit the family and community adequate time to recover from the shock of the tragedy and hold a proper Feast of the Dead, to suspend the Hunt for seven Sunrises. When they had finished making the arrangements needed to do so, with much sorrow in their hearts the leaders retreated to their personal camps to offer private prayers to the Great Spirit for the repose of the souls of their beloved brothers.

  While this was happening, Grey Owl rounded up several warriors, including Little Beaver’s older brother, Raging River, to accompany him upriver to help bring back the remains. When they arrived at White Rapids, Lightning Bolt allowed his brother some time to view the remains of their loved ones in private. Then he took him around the shoulders and led him off from the main party for consoling.