Chief Lightning Bolt

by Daniel N. Paul

  The following morning, installed in their own wigwam, they settled into a comfortable and loving homemaking routine. Two Springs later, while a storm sprinkled snowflakes of many shapes and designs over the countryside, Spring Flower gave birth to a beautiful girl. But it was a long and challenging birth, a true struggle for life, during which Lightning Bolt’s admiration and love for Spring Flower grew even greater. When he first held his little girl, he could think of nothing more perfect on Mother Earth. They named their daughter Snow Flake, inspired by the snow that fell during her birth.

  Because of complications encountered during her birth, Snow Flake was to be the only natural-born child Lightning Bolt and Spring Flower would have. Like most fathers, Lightning Bolt had dreamed of having a son some Sunrise, but accepted it as the will of the Creator. He thanked the Great Spirit profusely for giving them a daughter who was as dear to him as life itself.

  In happy coincidence, on the same Sunrise, Crazy Moose and Little Moonbeam welcomed to their wigwam a baby boy. The storm clouds that produced the snowflakes that gave Snow Flake her name were an inspiration to the happy parents, and they named their son Storm Cloud. Friends teasingly asked the couples afterward if they had deliberately timed things to have the children at the same time.

  Being close friends, the young families spent many contented evenings feasting in each other’s wigwams and enjoying the pastime and entertainment of spinning tales invented with much imagination. They also spent many vacations travelling together, exploring the panoramic and awe-inspiring wonders of their country, and others.

  One of their favourite spots, and one they visited often, was Blomidon. On a clear Sunrise they could see from the top of its cliff across the Basin of High Tides to the lands of neighbouring Mi’kmaq countries. The vast scenery of water and land was often bathed in the glory of spectacular sunrises and sunsets. It was something that can only be truly appreciated by being there.

  As time passed their children, Snow Flake and Storm Cloud, became inseparable. This led many to assume that in adulthood they would marry. It was not to be, because the loving friendship they forged was that of sister and brother, of comrades and confidants. In fact, when they did marry, their mates accepted their loving friendship without reservation and became a part of it.

  For the next ten Springs, things changed little in village life. The Seasons came and went and the community lived a life of contentment in concert with the Great Spirit and Mother Earth. During these Seasons, Lightning Bolt matured in his roles as Chief, advisor and mediator. Because of his roles and growth in wisdom, the esteem in which he was held continued to grow. As he aged, his ability to find fair and just solutions for problems large and small, between brothers and sisters, friends and Nations, was becoming legendary. Under his able and competent leadership the village prospered.

  Shortly after the second Moon of Lightning Bolt’s thirty-third Spring, an event occurred that altered the lives of many people. At dawn a foreign ship, about five hundred canoe lengths off the coast of Kespukwitk, floundered and sank during a raging storm. All hands, except one, were lost. The disaster occurred almost directly off the point where Lightning Bolt’s People set up their Spring and Summer village.

  The deliverance of the survivor from the jaws of death was miraculous. His ordeal had started when the rigging came loose and smashed into him with such force that it knocked him unconsciousness. He and Lightning Bolt later reasoned that somehow, after the blow had struck, the force of its movement had flung him atop a piece of wreckage, which acted as a life-raft.

  Before he was discovered, around midmorning, he had floated and floundered for quite some time in the roiling wash of the huge waves crashing into the shore as a result of the storm. He later learned that he owed his life to the curiosity of some village children walking along the beach, admiring the powerful show Mother Earth was putting on. They had spotted him amid the debris in the wash and ran to tell their parents. If not for them, he would have been carried back out to sea at the turn of the tide.

  The parents at first listened with amusement to their tales, thinking the children were letting their imaginations run wild. However, after hearing them universally describe the thing as part-man, part-beast, with white skin and hair the colour of blood growing long and covering over half of its face, they relayed the story to Lightning Bolt.

  Lightning Bolt, though skeptical, decided to investigate. He was in company with several curious young warriors who tagged along uninvited, but were welcome nonetheless. To their amazement, there was indeed something that appeared to be part human, part beast, being battered around on a huge piece of driftwood in the wash of the still raging waves. After retrieving the badly wounded thing, they carried it back to the village and placed it in Lightning Bolt’s wigwam.

  Spring Flower, with several other women assisting under the watchful eyes of the warriors, cleaned its wounds and set two broken legs and a broken arm. When they had it as comfortable as they could make it, they left the wigwam, leaving this thing in Lightning Bolt’s care.

  Lightning Bolt, on closer inspection of the survivor, changed his first conclusion. This was not half human. This must be some kind of strange man. However, he would have a hard time convincing his fellow villagers to accept his new conclusion. This was evident from the tone of the alarmed comments about the origins of what they deemed to be a beast. Lightning Bolt heard these and other similar comments from those who stood outside his wigwam. He deduced from their tone that he needed help from a Seasoned Elder to calm them down. To this end, he sent for senior Elder White Dawn. A young warrior was sent to ask her to come and help, post-haste.

  Then he stood before the wigwam and tried to calm the worried People by telling them that the strange apparition was not a beast but a man. “My brothers and sisters, please rest assured that the thing plucked from the arms of the raging sea this morning is not a monster but some kind of strange man. Although he has white skin and has hair over much of his body, he is human and poses no immediate danger. To substantiate my opinion and ease your fears, I’ve sent for White Dawn to come and give her opinion of the birth origins of the prisoner.” To the Mi’kmaq, he was a prisoner until they knew they could trust him.

  Lightning Bolt’s words of assurance only somewhat mollified the People, who had imagined that upon regaining consciousness the thing might be vicious and uncontrollable. Some, in the name of self-preservation, were openly advocating that it be put to death as a precautionary measure. Playing for time, to permit White Dawn to get to his wigwam, Lightning Bolt continued assuring the People by pointing out to them that they were in no immediate danger because the strange man, in his condition, with two broken legs and a broken arm, could pose no threat to anyone. It still didn’t have the desired effect; they remained highly agitated.

  Thus, when White Dawn arrived she was greeted with a huge sigh of relief by the Chief. “My sister, thank the Great Spirit you’re here!” Without any preliminaries, he whisked her into the wigwam to view and examine the strange apparition.

  After finishing her examination, White Dawn emerged from the wigwam and found a sea of anxious faces awaiting her verdict. She could tell by the looks on their faces that wild thoughts about the future were going through their heads. They were probably mulling over with dread the unsettling prospect of entertaining the strange apparition for many Moons to come. Thus, without any delay, she told them that Lightning Bolt’s words were true, confirming that the thing they thought a monster was indeed a human being, and that such humans were not entirely unknown in Mi’kmaq history. This had the effect of calming them down considerably.

  To allay their fears further, she related some of the rare occasions when white people, who proved to be harmless, had before appeared from the sea. “After getting used to their strange appearances, the People who found them in ancient times adopted them into their communities. Most of them later married, raised families and
generally lived out their lives in contentment.” She explained that these incidents were rarely talked about because of the adoption custom of the Nation, which mandated that once adopted the person became known as the natural born of the adopters. Thus, it would have been extremely impolite not to accept them as such. Accepting without challenge her explanation, the People calmed down and went back to their normal routines.

  The following Sunrise, when the white man regained consciousness, Lightning Bolt and Spring Flower were with him. By using sign language, they tried to communicate to him that he was being held prisoner until the community decided his fate. But, in spite of it, he would be given the best medical care available. It was apparent from his lack of response that it was going to be extremely difficult to communicate with him.

  After this initial session was over the prisoner, whose name was William, surveyed his surroundings with apprehension. Then, with clarity, he recalled, painstakingly with sign and body language and sound effects, his last conscious moments before the ship sank. There was the wild sea, the howling wind and waves like mountains. He saw again the mountainous wave that hit the ship and caused her to start breaking up. Then, at almost the same instant, the ship’s spar broke loose and swung in his direction. At this point, before it hit him, he commended his soul to God. The excruciating pain he felt for an instant upon contact was the last thing he remembered.

  Now here he was being cared for by a strange copper-coloured People, who spoke a strange language, wore clothes made from leather and lived in conical homes made from birch-bark. His wildest imagination couldn’t have prepared him for it.

  Slowly, he began to recall the events that had brought him here to this unknown destination. The fishing vessel he had been assigned to by his master had been in trouble for several days prior to the storm. Its captain, navigator and several crew members had come down with an unknown fever and died during their third week out. None of the remainder of the crew had any knowledge of how to set a course for a ship. Thus, they had erroneously set sail in a direction that brought them to the coast of an unknown land. Without having any notion of where they were, and not seeing any familiar landmarks, they had begun to sail along the coast. Eventually, they had encountered the rage of the storm which brought their ship to grief.

  After a few Sunrises, taking stock of his circumstances, William, not schooled, but very intelligent, surmised from the nice way he was being treated that he was safe. He relaxed and started to think about the future. The immediate problem was communication. He recognized, from the mostly unsuccessful attempts they were making to communicate with him by sign language, that his need to communicate had to be attended to quickly.

  He did not envision that this challenge would be too hard to overcome because he was a natural-born linguist. He had to his pleasant surprise during his nine years of indentured service to the ship’s master learned with little effort many of the languages of the foreigners among the crew. This had a spinoff effect; once able to communicate with them he learned a great deal about the customs and habits of the Peoples of a large number of European, African and Asian countries. Surprisingly, to his hosts, within a few Sunrises of regaining consciousness, he began to pick up Mi’kmaw words and soon was able to crudely communicate verbally with them.

  Within fourteen Sunrises, with the aid of crutches provided by the Chief, William was making his way around the community. The People still found his appearance strange but slowly began to accept him. However, when visitors came, the villagers were very amused by the look of shock on their faces when they first saw him. His efforts to fit in and learn the language pleased the People of the village. Thus, when he stopped to talk they took the time to teach him more with good cheer.

  By the end of the Autumn Season, William had almost completely mastered the language and felt well enough to begin to ponder his future relationship with the Mi’kmaq. Would they help him return home? During the first Moon of Winter, with his health almost back to normal, William decided it was time to talk to the Chief about his future. The most pressing decision that he had to make was whether to try to return to Europe or try to make a life in this land. The option, if it was offered, of staying in this free, loving and carefree Nation was one he found pleasant. He had, by socializing with them extensively, developed a warm fondness for the People. However, because he was still torn between two cultures, he wasn’t completely sure he wanted to stay.

  After the annual Hunt was over and Lightning Bolt had some free time, William arranged to meet with him on the evening of two Sunrises before the second Moon of Winter. The Chief greeted him that evening with his customary friendliness. “Welcome to my humble home, William. For a man who only a short time ago looked as if he had lost a vicious battle with a crazed bull moose you’re looking very healthy. When I think of the terrible wounds that you had, I can’t help but marvel at what good care and good food can do for a broken human body in such a short time.”

  With the deeply instilled European trait to show deference for authority guiding him, William replied, “Sir, thanks for taking the time from your busy schedule to meet with me to discuss my future options. But, before we start, I want to take a few moments to thank you for all the other times that you’ve sat and chatted with me since I came. They were some of the most enjoyable and interesting conversations I’ve ever had. These and the many other enjoyable experiences I’ve had since I arrived here have given me a new outlook on life. The excellent food and care given to me so expertly, and freely, by these wonderful women, and the friendliness of the People, have all been revelations to me. I didn’t know such compassion and generosity existed.

  “For everyone sharing so willingly, openly and freely, for me this is astonishing. I trust and like people far more than I ever did before. This brings to mind what an old sailor once told me. He said, ‘Having a good attitude is as much a healer of the body as medicine.’ He was right. Being treated so kindly and respectfully by your People has not only helped heal my body, it has done marvels toward healing my soul.”

  Lightning Bolt, quite pleased with the compliments, responded, “My brother, I’m delighted to hear that you’ve enjoyed your stay so much. As for our talks, I’ve also enjoyed them, but I must confess that at times I also found them depressing. Hearing about so many people in the place called Europe existing under such deplorable living conditions makes me very sad. This is especially so for me, because I know I cannot do anything to help them. Living under the conditions you describe must try their will to live, and burden their poor souls with grief.

  “However my friend, this is not the purpose of your visit. Deciding your future is. But, before getting to this, there is another matter I want to settle with you. This is the matter of your freedom. I’m pleased to inform you that as of this Sunrise your life as a prisoner is over. This decision was made because we now view you as a friend. We know in our hearts that a friend does not hold their friend prisoner. I hope regaining your freedom pleases you.”

  Astounded, William exclaimed, “Master! If in fact I’ve been a prisoner of yours, this is the best-kept secret I know of! How could I have possibly been a prisoner here? You and your compassionate countrymen have not put any constraints on my movements whatsoever since I so unceremoniously arrived. Never have I ever enjoyed so much freedom.”

  “Well, my friend, your stay has also been an enjoyable experience for us. We’ve noted with delight that you’ve conducted yourself in an honourable and civilized manner, and made a very successful effort to learn our talk and live our way of life. Because of your civilized behaviour, the vast majority of the People now view you as a brother. They would not be displeased if you were to decide to stay with us always.

  “This brings us back to why you are here, your future. Staying with us is one option, but, whether you do, or move on, is your decision to make. You have plenty of time to decide. No need to make a hasty decision. But, before you begin to thin
k about it seriously, I have to tell you that you do not have many other options. In fact, I can see just two. To be very honest with you, there is not any safe way for us to help you return to your home in Europe.

  “This, I hasten to add, is not because we would not want to help you return, if you wanted to do so. This is simply because we do not have the means. As a matter of fact, the only way that I know, which might have some remote possibility of your safe return home, is by travel over the Northern Frozen Land. But the weather there is so harsh that your chances of survival are very slim. If you were to do so, you would be travelling over a country inhabited by our northern cousins and into lands of other Peoples unknown to us, who are used to the harsh conditions. But long before you even met these Peoples you would most likely die amidst the extremes of weather and scarcity of food. Even with great preparation and endurance, our strongest warriors would not venture into these lands except under the most dire of circumstances and then only to return to our beloved country as quickly as possible.

  “Your only two viable options are: stay here with us or leave and see if somewhere in this vast land to the west you can find another Nation that is more to your liking. Your choices are not limited in this regard. There are many hundreds to choose from. However, if you do decide to stay with us, it is mandatory that you agree to live by our customs and agree to be adopted by a family. After they do, they will give you a name suitable to our society.

  “All this, my friend, must be approved first by the People. If you ask and they approve, from then on you will enjoy all the rights that any other citizen enjoys. The choice is yours. Go in peace. And may the Great Spirit be with you.”