by Franks Busch
“Tansi? My sister,” Gliding Heron Woman said to Blue Lightning Woman. “Kitchi Manitou has guided us together to demonstrate the unity of the warrior clans for all the people of Nisichawayasihk. Let us enter the Bear lodge together and share our blessings with the new arrival.”
“Tapwe, my sister,” Blue Lightning Woman replied. “We will walk the same path for a time. It should be up to you to speak first.”
The crowd murmured their approval at this resolution. Some of the men came over to shake hands with Painted Turtle Man.
The two matriarchs entered the Bear lodge together, followed by their daughters, who were still scowling at one another as they carried in the large, neatly folded buffalo robes.
“May the Grandmother Marten guide the Bear clan across Mother Earth to find all the gifts she provides,” said Gliding Heron Woman in the way of the Marten clan.
“And may the Grandmother Wolf guide and protect the children and families of the Bear clan,” added Blue Lightning Woman, in the way of the Wolf clan.
“The warrior clans would like to honour the new Grey-Eye with a double blessing,” continued Gliding Heron Woman.
With sweet smiles, the daughters laid out the robes before the Bears with a flourish of their hands, each trying to outdo the other.
“May these gifts help to protect you from Old Man Winter,” added Blue Lightning Woman.
Walking Moon Woman spoke: “My sisters, your generosity is overwhelming. My heart is filled with a good spirit. May the Grandmother Bear always bring her healing medicine to the families of the Marten clan and to the families of the Wolf clan. Ekosi.”
Satisfied, the matriarchs of the warrior clans left the Bear lodge together, arm-in-arm, smiling and laughing like girls. Their daughters followed closely behind, continuing to cast their ugliest faces upon each other.
With only one clan left to pay homage to the new arrival, all the people were now gathered in front of the Bear lodge. The crowd parted as Soaring Star Woman, the Grey-Eyed matriarch of the Eagle clan and leader of the Circle of Clan Mothers, came forth. She was accompanied by her twin granddaughters. All three women floated towards the Bear lodge, carried just off the ground by the Grey-Eye magic. The white-haired woman wore a white beaded headdress shaped like a crown. A woman of over eighty summers, her high cheekbones accented her oval face and the lines she had earned with her years drew attention to her bright grey eyes. Her white dress was beaded and adorned with feathers, trinkets, and charms. Long leather fringes flowed from her arms and shoulders right down to her feet. Soaring Star Woman’s eyes seemed to meet each person’s gaze as she glided by. The people all bowed slightly as she passed, murmuring their blessings to her.
The Eagle twins, as her granddaughters were called, were similarly adorned, with smaller beaded crowns and long fringed dresses. They had their noses up slightly, as though they had an equal hand in the magic that carried them. They were both tall, slender women who had inherited their grandmother’s looks but none of her charm. Many in the village feared the Eagle twins, especially those sharp tongues that were always finding fault in others. The Eagle twins had benefited from the Grey-Eyed magic their whole lives. They were satisfied only with the finest things, and today each carried a round, birch bark box with elaborate quillwork and snowflake designs bitten into the birch bark.
Like pelicans landing on a pond, Soaring Star Woman and her two granddaughters landed softly on the ground in front of the Bear lodge. Painted Turtle Man stood at attention just to the left of the door flaps. He bowed his head and offered his arm to the Eagle clan matriarch. She took his arm with a nod and a smile and walked towards the door. Before he could pull the flaps back, they flew up, then fell behind them once they were through.
All but mother and child rose to their feet and bowed. Walking Moon Woman greeted Soaring Star Woman with a loving embrace. “Tansi? Welcome to the Bear lodge, my mother,” she said.
“May the Grandmother Eagle bless you with her far-seeing eye,” said Soaring Star Woman, in the way of the Eagle clan, her words stifled by Walking Moon Woman’s tight embrace. Her piercing grey eyes met the gaze of everyone in the lodge. Walking Moon Woman took the clan mother’s arm and guided her to the place of honour, next to White Willow Woman and her baby.
“He certainly seems healthy.” Soaring Star Woman beamed as she was handed the bundle to hold. “He’ll be handsome like his father.”
Blue Elk Man blushed. Brown Shield Man elbowed his brother-in-law in the ribs.
“What happened to your husband’s leg?” the clan mother asked White Willow Woman.
“He cut himself on a rock while hunting,” the new mother answered. “It’s just a scratch.”
“You should have come to me,” the clan mother replied. As she spoke, the bindings around Blue Elk Man’s wound began to glow with a soft bluish light. The bindings unraveled themselves and flitted into the fire. The wound had been healed.
“Love us, loving spirit,” the Bear clan murmured in unison. The Eagle clan matriarch continued to rock the baby as though nothing had happened.
The Eagle twins stood as close to the door as possible, looking like they’d tasted something sour. They scrunched their shoulders in close to their necks, not wanting to touch anything and not wanting anything to touch them, while the Eagle clan mother cooed and cradled the baby as though he were her own. She was completely content and appeared to be lost in her own joyful world. One of the Eagle twins cleared her throat.
“We have brought gifts to honour your new blessing,” Soaring Star Woman said finally.
The Eagle twins exchanged flashes of the eyes and made small movements with their mouths—part of their secret language. Reluctantly, the younger twin went first.
“Please accept this gift of medicine to keep your family healthy,” she mumbled as she opened the birch bark box to reveal four compartments filled with sacred medicines: sweetgrass, sage, cedar, and bitter root.
“Please accept this gift of pemmican to keep your family strong,” the elder Eagle Twin added with the same lack of enthusiasm.
Singing Doe approached the younger Eagle Twin, brushing the young woman’s hand in the course of accepting the box from her. The younger Eagle Twin pulled her hand back quickly, as though bitten. Singing Doe lowered her eyes apologetically while the younger twin looked at her sister, horrified. Singing Doe turned to accept the second box. The elder Eagle Twin held it out from her body and let it drop onto her sister’s box, avoiding contact in a most obvious way.
Singing Doe was a strong and proud woman. Her treatment at the hands of the Eagle twins did not go unnoticed and she became flustered. As she put the gifts away, she moved more quickly than she should have and tripped over something on the floor of the lodge. As she started to fall forward, the pemmican burst out of its box.
There was a sudden flash of blue light and Singing Doe and the two birch boxes and their contents froze in the air. Singing Doe’s body began to turn upright, and the spilled pemmican returned to the box. The Eagle clan mother had used the Grey-Eye magic without so much as looking up from the baby.
The Eagle twins snickered. They would have a good laugh at Singing Doe’s expense, later.
“Girls…” said the Eagle clan mother, drawing the single word into a long growl that frightened them to attention. They straightened up at the sound, biting their lips to stop from giggling. Brown Shield Man’s fist clenched and the corners of his usually upturned mouth straightened, but it was not his place to speak. His wife met his gaze and nodded to show she was fine.
“I would have words with you, my sister,” Soaring Star Woman said to Walking Moon Woman. “You girls can wait for me outside.”
Shocked at this exclusion, the Eagle twins turned and walked right into the door flaps, which had not flown up as they expected. They pushed the flaps aside as though they were covered in mud. Blue Elk Man and Brown Sh
ield Man followed. Behind them was Singing Doe.
Painted Turtle Man turned to follow, but the Eagle clan mother stopped him. “Not you,” she said. “We will need your help.”
5
niyānan
It was a rare honour for a man to be included in discussions among the clan leaders. Nervous, Painted Turtle Man took a seat next to the Eagle clan matriarch.
Soaring Star Woman returned the baby to White Willow Woman, her face aglow like the new mother’s. As he watched her, Painted Turtle Man found himself wondering if the Eagle matriarch would ever re-marry. She turned her attention to him then, met his gaze, and smiled. In her magical presence, he may as well have said it out loud. He lowered his eyes respectfully.
“Thank you for healing my husband, Nookum,” White Willow Woman said as she exposed her breast to feed her child.
“Me?” the old woman said, smiling. “I appreciate that you were taking care of it on your own. Too many people in Nisichawayasihk want me to solve their everyday problems. If I did that, what will they do when I am gone?”
Painted Turtle Man nodded in agreement—though no one looked his way.
“Your need was genuine,” continued Soaring Star Woman. “With your new addition, your husband must be out hunting. It is okay to ask for help when you really need it.”
Walking Moon Woman and White Willow Woman exchanged looks. It was not the first time the pride of the Bear clan had been noted.
“We will need to have a sweat lodge ceremony to find out your baby’s name,” said Soaring Star Woman, taking up the reason for the meeting.
“There would be much work to do,” said Walking Moon Woman. “Old Man Winter will try to make things difficult.”
“Tapwe, it would be difficult,” agreed Soaring Star Woman, “but it is nothing compared to the blessing your lodge has brought us. I am old. Soon I will return to be with the ancestors. I will have peace in knowing the Grey-Eye magic will still protect the people of Nisichawayasihk.”
“Eagle Mother, you are still healthy…” said Walking Moon Woman, not wishing to imagine life without this woman’s guidance to the people of Nisichawayasihk. Walking Moon Woman and her descendants owed their very lives to the Eagle mother, to say nothing of her day-to-day leadership. “Besides, it will be many years before our boy will be able to protect the village from…” Walking Moon Woman lowered her eyes. She had not meant to bring up the Red-Eyes in front of the Eagle matriarch.
“You will have to become comfortable talking about such subjects, my sister,” Soaring Star Woman replied. “When I go on to the next life, your boy will be the only hope for the people of Nisichawayasihk. Even now, the Red-Eye and his warriors are waiting for me to die before they return. They wish to enslave the Nehiyawak and will seek to end our way of life.”
The Eagle matriarch paused, allowing the silence to punctuate her words. What she said was true and until now there had been nothing the Bear clan could do to help.
“It is important the boy learn to use his magic properly,” she continued. “I will do what I can, but I may not have enough years left in me. The Red-Eye is powerful and has learned to wield his magic over others. He has gathered many followers and will return to Nisichawayasihk to finish what he started.”
“We would stop him!” blurted Painted Turtle Man. He closed his mouth quickly. Although he had been invited to stay, he had not been invited to speak.
“Perhaps,” said Soaring Star Woman. “It will not be easy. The boy will need help to learn his power but he must first learn who he is and who he is destined to become. We cannot do all that is needed right now. We will start by finding him a name.”
Walking Moon Woman paused for a moment, then rose and went to the corner of the lodge where she kept her meagre possessions. She drew out a small dark leather pouch tied in the middle with a lighter brown strap. She set the pouch in front of the Eagle clan matriarch.
“Soaring Star Woman, matriarch of the Eagle clan and leader of the Circle of Clan Mothers,” Walking Moon Woman said formally, “will you host a sweat lodge ceremony and find our baby’s name?”
The Eagle clan mother whispered to herself. She reached out and picked up the pouch, which she knew to contain tobacco, and gave her answer. “I accept.”
The baby in White Willow Woman’s arms whined a little and she gave him her breast. It was hard to imagine that a great evil could threaten their way of life, but it was even harder to imagine that this tiny bundle in her arms might one day protect the Nehiyawak from such evil. She knew not what the future held for her son, but she knew she loved him with all her heart.
6
nikotwāsik
It was after midday when Painted Turtle Man emerged from the Bear lodge to find many of the villagers still standing around. All eyes were upon him.
“What’s happening?” one of them asked impatiently.
“Soaring Star Woman, leader of the Circle of Clan Mothers, will host a sweat lodge ceremony to find the child’s name.”
“Hiy, hiy!” said those nearby and the crowd dispersed, most running off to chatter about the news. Although a sweat lodge was expected, the news that Soaring Star Woman would bring the Grey-Eye magic to the ceremony was extraordinary. It was not uncommon for people to be given visions or to see things in a sweat lodge ceremony, but in a Grey-Eye sweat lodge, the physical apparitions would be shared: everyone would see the same thing.
The Crane clan matriarch, Standing Sun Woman, sent her eldest daughter to announce the news of the sweat lodge ceremony.
“People of Nisichawayasihk!” the woman bellowed. “Come and hear the wisdom of the Circle of Clan Mothers.” She repeated the announcement once in each of the four cardinal directions so that no one could claim they had not heard.
The people gathered in front of their lodges, forming a great circle. Aside from a few who were unable to attend due to age or illness, the entire village was there. The small children, who did not care for such things, ran about playing as usual, chasing each other with sticks, throwing snow, and laughing. As rambunctious as the children were, they were careful not to enter the circle.
Walking Moon Woman spoke for the Bear clan. “Tansi, my people,” she began in the way of the Bear clan. “May the Grandmother Bear guide you in the ways of healing. The Bear lodge has welcomed a great blessing from Kitchi Manitou. The people of Nisichawayasihk have honoured us with many generous gifts and we are truly grateful. Now we must ask more of the people in finding the name the ancestors will bestow upon our new addition.”
The people murmured their approval—this was the appropriate and humble way to ask for help, the way of the Nehiyawak. There was no more festive occasion than to welcome a newborn into the village. During the ceremony, the ceremony director would interpret the name from the vision shared by those in attendance. All of the people of Nisichawayasihk had been named in this manner.
“I have passed tobacco to our clan mother to sponsor a sweat lodge in order to reveal the name. She has accepted the tobacco and will sponsor the sweat lodge, but she cannot do this by herself.” Walking Moon Woman introduced the problem to the Nehiyawak to solve.
“What is needed of the Nehiyawak?” bellowed old Standing Sun Woman, matriarch of the Cranes.
“First,” began Soaring Star Woman, taking over for Walking Moon Woman. “We will need to gather the grandfathers of the rock world to help us speak with the spirits.”
The young men of the village stood proud and alert, shoulders back and chest puffed forward, flexing their muscles. They wished to show they were ready and able to take on any task assigned to them. Gliding Heron Woman stepped forward for the Marten clan.
“The sons of the Marten clan would use their scouting gifts to find the grandfathers, to honour the people of Nisichawayasihk and our newest member.”
As the Marten clan matriarch spoke, the young men of her lodge stood at
attention.
“Tapwe,” answered Soaring Star Woman, “it should be so. Forty-five grandfathers will be needed to find the name.”
No sooner had she accepted than did the young men of the Marten clan step backwards, bow to the people, and run off to begin their assigned task.
“Next,” continued Soaring Star Woman, “much firewood will be needed to awaken the grandfathers of the rock world.”
Talking Stone Woman stepped forward and spoke for the Deer clan. “The sons of the Deer clan would gather the wood in a kind and gentle way to awaken the grandfathers,” she said.
“Tapwe,” answered Soaring Star Woman, “it should be so, my sister.”
The young men of the Deer clan stepped back and began their promised duty. The young men of the remaining clans fidgeted and continued to puff themselves up. They were ready to accept any challenge to honour their clan and assist the people of Nisichawayasihk.
“Firekeepers will be needed to tend the grandfathers and prepare the sweat lodge,” said Soaring Star Woman.
Blue Lightning Woman stepped forward for the Wolf clan. “The sons of the Wolf clan would serve as firekeepers,” she said proudly.
“Tapwe,” answered Soaring Star Woman “this is a fine task for the Wolf sons. It should be so.”
The young men of the Wolf clan stepped back, bowed, and ran to gather their tools. One of the boys let out a joyful whoop as they ran off but was hushed by the bigger boys. Some of the people of Nisichawayasihk chuckled at the young warrior’s enthusiasm.
“Water will be needed to quench the thirst of the grandfather rocks when they have awakened,” Soaring Star Woman said. This was a duty for women, as women are the keepers of the water.
Green Wing Woman stepped forward for the Turtle clan. “The daughters of the Turtle clan would gather the life blood of Mother Earth, to quench the grandfathers’ thirst,” she offered.
