New Yesterdays by Jim L Wright - HTML preview

Chapter 6

Jim and Dustu sat on the floor across from Adahy and Hiawasee. As they enjoyed their simple meal of roasted deer meat, squash and beans, the Medicine Man told them a story.

"Long, long ago when the world was still young, a tribe of red-skinned people came to live in these hills and mountains that we call the Blue Smoke Mountains.

“In those days, the animals still talked to men who were called Ani Yun Wiya, or the One True People. They taught us how to live on the land and care for it. There was a brave warrior woman in that tribe who was called Arrow Woman. She was taught how to use the bow, the spear and the knife even though hunting and fighting were the jobs of the men. She could spear a hawk’s eye in flight and split a tree branch no bigger than your thumb with a thrown knife. She could shoot with the bow, straighter than any man. Because of her skills no man would dare to tell her to be more like a woman.

“One day as she hunted, Arrow Woman spotted the tracks of Yona, the bear. The tracks were bloody so she knew he was wounded and followed him high into the mountains. She finally came to a place she had never seen. It was a place known only to the animals. She saw Yona there with a deep cut in his side. He was bowing down to pray toward a large field with tall grass. He was praying with words Arrow Woman had never heard. The grass shimmered suddenly and became a lake and Yona dived into the water. Sometime later he emerged from the lake completely healed. He saw Arrow Woman and came to her.

“‘This is Atagahi, the sacred lake of the animals. Its location is known only to us. We come here for healing and strength. No man creature before you has seen it and you must never tell your kind where it is because it is the home of The Great Uhktena.’

“He then turned and disappeared into the woods.

“After having followed Yona for a day, Arrow Woman was very tired and decided to rest here beside the lake before beginning her return trip. She had brought a small meal with her and built a fire to prepare it. A drink of water from the lake instantly refreshed her and to her amazement she felt as strong as Yans’si the Buffalo and was sure she could run faster than Coga the Raven could fly.

“The woods were very quiet because Unole, the wind was asleep. The lake’s surface was smooth and calm and even though Nvda the sun was shining brightly, it was not hot. Arrow Woman began to feel sleepy.

"She saw a movement on the lake and turned to see Uhktena. She had heard stories of him since she was a child, but no member of her tribe had ever seen him. His great serpent’s head rose high above the surface of the lake and the jewel in his forehead sparkled in the bright light of Nvda. As he began to move toward her, Arrow Woman grabbed her spear and stood to face the great creature. In the warrior way, she showed no fear as she raised her spear to strike him.

“Uhktena stopped and smiled at her. His mouth, as wide as a man is tall was filled with teeth longer than a man’s forearm! He said to her

‘Put down your weapon, I mean you no harm. I came only to teach you.’

“Arrow Woman felt calm and sensed the truth of Uhktena’s words. She laid her spear on the ground.

"He told her to sit and hear his words. Suddenly, his great head dipped beneath the surface of the water and when he came up his mouth held a strange, crooked stick and a leather pouch. He laid them on the ground in front of Arrow Woman and began to teach her.

“‘This I have laid before you is the Sacred Pipe of The Creator.’

“He told her to pick it up and when she did, he continued

“‘The bowl is made from the same red clay The Creator used to make your kind. The red clay is Woman kind and is from the Earth. Just as a woman bears the children and brings forth life, the bowl bears the sacred tsula (tobacco) and brings forth smoke. The stem is Man; rigid and strong, from the plant kingdom. Like the man, it supports the bowl in the same way a man supports his family.’

"Uhktena showed Arrow Woman the way to join the stem and bowl as he said

“‘Just as a man and woman remain separate until joined in marriage, the bowl and stem are separate; never to be joined unless the pipe is used.’

“He then showed her how to place the sacred tsula into the pipe and light it with an ember from her fire so the tsula burned slightly.

“He said ‘The smoke is the breath of The Creator; when you draw smoke into your body you will be cleansed and made whole. When the smoke leaves your body, it will rise to The Creator. Your prayers, dreams, hopes and desires will be taken to him with the smoke. When you smoke the pipe, the truth in your soul will also be shown to him. If you are not true, avoid the pipe. If your spirit is bad and you are a deceiver, do not smoke it.’

"Uhktena’s lesson lasted well into the night as he taught Arrow Woman all of the prayers as well as the reasons for using the pipe. Just as the moon began her nightly journey across the sky, searching for her true love, he finished. He told her to keep the pipe separate and wrapped in cloth. With his teaching finished he told her that she would never again be able to find this place, but warned her to remember all she had been taught. Uhktena then dived back into the depths of the water which shimmered and became a field of grass again. She took the pipe and her weapons and returned home with a wonderful tale for her people.”

After a slow pause, Adahy told the boys “Since those days the Ani Yun Wiya have smoked the Sacred Pipe and no man has ever again seen the sacred lake of Uhktena.”

Jim looked thoughtful for a moment and asked if this is the peace pipe we have heard so much about. Adahy considered his question and said “It is not a ‘peace pipe’ but a sacred pipe. We do not know this ‘peace pipe’ you mention. It’s not a symbol of what is sacred; the pipe itself is sacred because it was given to us by the Creator. Every person is not called on to be the bearer of the pipe, and the one who carries it and practices the ceremonies and keeps its traditions has a great responsibility to his brothers and sisters, to the land and even to Mother Earth. He does not ‘own’ the pipe; he simply carries it until it comes time to pass it on to the next bearer. The one who carries the pipe is given certain powers of sight and the ability to heal and purify.

“If the pipe bearer becomes a liar or a thief or fails to carry out his duties when asked, his gifts would be repossessed by the pipe and great misfortune would fall onto the bearer. If it is used in the wrong way, the pipe can become your worst enemy. But, used in the right way it becomes your teacher and guide. So, a man must be ready to accept the responsibility of the pipe because it will make demands on him.”

After hearing the stories of the old Medicine Man and enjoying the simple, but hearty meal prepared by Dustu’s mother, Hiawasee, Jim could see the long shadows of late afternoon. He knew if he didn’t get home soon there’d be trouble with his mother. By this time, she would have called for him at least a half dozen times wanting a bucket of water or the trash burnt or some such thing. She would be in a full-blown rage by this time. The first thing she’d say when he arrived home would be “Where in the world have you been all this time?! I’ve been calling you for over an hour; now get out and get me a hickory!” Already, he could almost hear her…

Jim stood and thanked the Medicine Man for the stories and the food and said he'd best be getting home because there’d be a whipping

waiting for him for sure if he didn’t. Adahy stood with them, “The day is almost ended. If you run like the deer, you might be able to get back home, but the passage may be closed already.” The boys looked at each other and then at Adahy. Icy fingers of terror squeezed Jim’s heart. There was no doubt that if the sun went down and he wasn't home his mother would have a conniption fit and fall back in it!

The walk back to the cave seemed to take ages. With each step Jim could hear the words in his head 'You won't go... You won't go...". He became more and more frightened with each passing moment. He had hoped for an adventure, but this was far more than he had bargained for.

At last, the knoll under which the cave sat came into view. Without thought or plan both boys began to run as fast as their legs would carry them. They came to a stop in front of the vegetation concealing the cave's mouth.

The two boys looked at each other and peered anxiously into the cave. Would he be able to get back through, and back home, or would he be trapped here until the autumn? He bade a tentative goodbye to Dustu and pushed his way through the dense overgrowth. Once inside he began to breathe a bit more easily. The cave looked just as it had a few hours before. Would its appearance have changed if the portal had closed? He walked hurriedly to the other end and pushed his hand forward, encountering nothing more than the dirt and stone wall of the cave. There was no odd sensation of going through, just the feel of moist soil against his skin. His pale blue eyes seemed almost to bulge as he looked back toward the end of the cave. "It's not working!" he called out and then quietly, to himself, “Maybe I'm in the wrong place..." As he moved his hand up and down, left and right, pushing against the wall it quickly became evident that he was not in the wrong place, and that the portal had closed. He was now living sometime in the 1800s. Hell, he wasn't even sure what year it was. Even though he was close to tears and filled with terror he fought them back and tried to decide what to do. After a moment or two he said to himself "Well I can't stand around in this damned cave until it opens again six months from now. I'll just

have to go back and ask Adahy if I can stay with him until we can figure out how to get back." Feeling better with the decision made, he walked back out into the waning sunlight to find Dustu waiting for him.

After telling him what had happened, they began to slowly walk back toward the village. Despite the fear of leaving his familiar life behind, not to mention the consequences of his absence Jim began to feel adventurous again. Imagine the tales he would spin for his brothers after being here for half a year! As the sinking sun painted brilliant reds and oranges behind the bruised clouds, he felt a bit of a spring in his step as he walked toward the greatest adventure of his young life.

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