"His lineage? Pray, what do you mean?"
"It is simply this: he comes from a long line of Lakota medicine men. But, when his father was killed on that day, fifteen years ago, my almost-son was certain this inheritance, passed down from father to son, was killed, also."
Czanna frowned. "But, wait," she uttered. "Did you not tell me your husband is a medicine man?"
"Yes, it is true. But, they are not related by blood, and sometimes the inheritance passes down from the bloodline alone. In truth," continued Sharon, "I do not fully understand it, and so I have been of little help to my almost-son. All I can tell you is this: in his own mind, Stands Strong has lost the power, and he has lost it twice, once by the killing of his father and once because of the desertion of the white bear, his spirit protector. He does not believe he will ever regain what was once his."
Czanna thought she understood the problem, strange though it seemed to her. However, its oddity brought a question to mind, and she asked, "But, he is still so young. Surely, he could gain it back, can he not?"
"Young, he is. But, when a man believes he cannot master the pain within his soul, he cannot then, in his own mind, do it."
Ah, so this was it; at last she understood. However, Czanna barely knew how to respond to this revelation or what to say. Yes, it was all so foreign sounding to her, and yet this she knew: her dearly beloved, kind and handsome husband was, so he thought, without hope of attaining what should have been his by inheritance. And, coming from a lineage of medicine men, it would naturally follow for him to aspire to the position of medicine man, as well.
At last, Czanna said, "Thank you for telling me about this, Almost-mother. I wish I knew how to help him. But, I do not."
"Nor do I," replied Sharon. "I have tried to change his mind for many years, but it has been in vain, I fear. In truth, I think he now believes all aspects of what should have been his, by rights, is now in his past. As he might say, it is as it is. And, he appears to be happy enough to have the reputation of being the best scout within all our camps.
"Yet, some of his many cousins have their feet upon the medicine path. And, there are many times when I have espied a wistful look within my almost-son's eyes when one of his kin is called upon to heal another. I have sometimes sensed it was his witnessing the fight that killed his mother and his father that is at the root of this.
"Perhaps he felt inadequate because he could not prevent their deaths, even though he was a lad of only seven winters. But, then when he became lost in the Bears Paw Mountains during a blizzard, he found his medicine animal—the white bear—only to be deserted by it…or at least it seems to him as if the bear has deserted him."
Czanna stared out into the vast stretch of prairie extending out before her. Softly, she said, "Yes, I can see the problem, and although I would like to help him with this, I, who have no knowledge of the Indian myths or religious beliefs, would be of little assistance to him, if any at all. Though, of course, I would like to be. Thank you for telling me this and also for taking your time to help me transition into your tribe. I will not forget your kindness."
"And I, yours."
"My kindness?" asked Czanna. "It is your kindness I find special. I have done nothing."
"This is not true. You, with your God-given beauty and your kind ways, have captured the heart of my almost-son. I have truly never witnessed him to be so happy nor so carefree. This is because of your influence. Yours, you see, is a rare heart. Irecognized it from the start. Yes, yours is a very rare heart, indeed."
****
Wafting in the warm breeze was the distinctive aroma of perhaps thousands of lodge fires, as well as the delicious fragrance of buffalo ribs roasting over what must have been hundreds of fires. Additionally, the beat of many drums—perhaps hundreds of them—could have been heard miles away. But, it was the sound of both masculine and feminine singing that welcomed Czanna and the others in the Pikuni procession into the encampment of the Blackfoot Confederation.
It was late afternoon when their procession proceeded into the Indian camp surrounding Fort Benton. Looking forward, Czanna espied hundreds, perhaps thousands, of lodges spread out in every direction. So many of them there were, she thought she would be hard-pressed to count them all.
Graceful tepees painted in different colors of red, blue, white, yellow, orange and tan caused the entire plain to appear as though a rainbow had descended to earth. In truth, on all sides of Fort Benton—save its southern edge where the Missouri River flowed—the plains were alit with color from every tepee, and these lodges were stretched out as far as the eye could see.
All at once, the procession's movement stopped at this, the western side of the fort. Then began a different kind of activity, where the women quickly unpacked their horses and began setting up their family's lodges. Meanwhile the younger girls were unpacking and bringing their possessions into the tepees.
Looking back toward the southwest, Czanna could see their encampment would stretch all the way up to the steep and rocky shoreline of the Missouri River, as well as butting up to the hills, buttes and plateaus rising up quite impressively in the west. What was astonishing to Czanna was how many thousands of these lodges were already here encamped. This sight, she thought, ofthe rainbow-like image of the Indian campsite would forever be engrained upon her memory.
Also, farther out from the lodges, both north and east, were herds of what must have been thousands upon thousands of ponies. And, what seemed incredible to her was how the herd seemed distinctly divided into little groups of ponies, from perhaps a few hundred to maybe thousands.
Indeed, their familial procession, which had seemed so large only a short while ago, looked small now in comparison to the sight of the entire encampment. How many people did the Blackfeet boast?
As though her almost-mother were attuned to her thoughts, she came to stand beside Czanna and said, "There are three different bands of the Blackfeet camped here. There are the Pikuni, divided up into the southern and northern Pikuni; the Blackfoot proper, orSiksiká;andthe Blood Tribe, or theKáínaa. Some of the tribes have been encamped here for several weeks already, awaiting the return of the steamship, which they anticipate will be carrying many items of trade goods. This year, we will make our campsite on the western side of the fort, as you can see. Long before we set out upon the journey to come to the fort, the chiefs of the tribes had counselled together and had established the sites for each of the bands of Blackfeet. These locations change often. The western side of the fort, where we will be this year, is my favorite."
"I can understand why you would say this. What a beautiful stretch of prairie this is. Might I ask if you know if our wagon will remain out here where we camp, along with the rest of the lodges?" asked Czanna. "Or do you think we might be required to bring it into the inner sanction of the fort? And, if I should bring it into the fort, should I do so now?"
"I wish I knew how to answer your questions, but I really do not know," said Sharon. "These matters are determined by the chiefs, and because we have only arrived here, I am uncertain where your wagon should be parked. Perhaps my husband,Strikes Fast, or Stands Strong will know what has been decided. We shall ask them the first chance we get.
"Meanwhile," continued her almost-mother, "would you like to see how we women erect a tepee? Several within our tribe have offered to let you and Stands Strong use one of their own lodges because some families have many…for their married children, you see, or perhaps for visitors. And so, we will not be required to make one now, although I am certain you will wish to have one of your own once you are settled. I am happy so many of the people offered you the loan of a tepee. In this way, you shall have more of a proper honeymoon."
"Yes, and I thank you and the others. And, in answer to your question, I would very much like to be involved in setting up the lodge, although I fear I may be of little help. But, I will try. What say you, Liliann? Would you like to help in the setting up of our lodge, as well as your own? Because, if I understand this correctly, you and your father are to have your own lodge while we are here encamped."
"Yes, Mistress," said Liliann, who had been standing silently beside her. "I would like to join in with thee. Very much. And, are we to really have our own lodging?"
"Yes," answered both Sharon and Czanna, and almost at the same time.
"'Tis most wonderful, is it not, Mistress? There we were with no one all those weeks ago, and fearful we were, too. And, now we have so much. I thank thee."
"It is the least we can do," said Czanna's almost-mother. "After all, you and your father are now to be part of our family, too. It has been so decided."
"Part of your family?"
"Because my almost-son addresses you as his wife's almost-sister, then so it is. Welcome."
Czanna looked on as Liliann burst into tears. As she stood there, with Briella carried upon her hip, at last she said, though her voice caught on each word, "I thank thee. I thank thee very much."
Sharon and Czanna smiled.
