Grey Eyes (31 page)

49
nīmitanaw kīkā-mitātahtosāp

A
s the time of the sacred sundance ceremony drew near, Little Grey Bear Boy had many preparations to make under his sponsor, Many Fish. Although Flying Rabbit Boy had reached his twelfth summer, none of the older warriors had come with the offer of an eagle bone whistle. Many Fish had talked to Brown Shield Man about sponsoring him, but it was agreed that, since he was already sponsoring Little Grey Bear Boy, taking on another would be too much. In the end, it was Blue Elk Man who offered to sponsor him.

“Thank you, Uncle,” said Flying Rabbit Boy, accepting the eagle bone whistle. “I am honoured…”

“I know you will make us all proud,” responded Blue Elk Man.

Flying Rabbit Boy managed a brave smile but it was obvious he felt the
Nehiyawak
had neglected him.

The sundance ceremony was being held in a village to the northwest known as
Pukatawagan
, the big water fishing place. The
Nehiyawak
of
Nisichawayasihk
began their journey to the sundance ceremony on a bright morning just days before the summer solstice.

The sundance ceremony was mostly without incident, though once again many of the sundancers stayed close to Little Grey Bear Boy, hoping to witness some Grey-Eye magic. He ignored them and concentrated on his prayers, suffering himself for the good of the
Nehiyawak
. Normally, dancing and fasting would be all that was asked of a boy of thirteen summers, but the others expected some great act of magic.

Water Lily Woman had come with her mother to the sundance grounds. Against the protestations of Red Sky Man, she was accorded a place of honour as a Grey-Eye. She stood behind the drum and helped the singers. Some of the songs were familiar to her, others she had to learn quickly. When she sang the sacred songs, her voice carried farther than the voices of the men at the drum and the air around the sundance arbour vibrated. Many of the sundancers were blessed with visions.

Little Grey Bear Boy was at first annoyed by the apparent fickleness of the
Nehiyawak
, but in the end he enjoyed having the attention deflected from him. Plus, with everyone focused on Water Lily Woman, it was easy for him to do the same.

Little Grey Bear Boy had fulfilled his most serious obligation to
Kitchi Manitou
in his first year and did not have any reason to suffer himself more than the dancing and fasting would require. Red Sky Man approached him now and then throughout the ceremony to suggest he consider walking with the buffalo. The boy shook his head each time, getting nothing but a scowl from his new teacher in return.

On this issue, Little Grey Bear Boy's teachings were very clear. One only suffered himself in walking with the buffalo to fulfill an obligation to
Kitchi Manitou
for a special blessing. As this year had been uneventful in terms of sickness and injury in the Bear lodge, pride would be the only reason for Little Grey Bear Boy to pierce himself.
Kitchi Manitou
often rewarded show-offs at the sundance ceremony with a lesson in humility and he did not wish to be rewarded so.

When the sundance concluded on the fourth day and Flying Rabbit Boy had gone to the tree without incident, some of the sundancers who had completed their four-year commitment held a giveaway ceremony to mark the occasion. It was customary for the
Nehiyawak
to give away most if not all of their possessions on special occasions, both to help those less fortunate and to start a new beginning free of possessions.

The
Nehiyawak
were particularly generous with Water Lily Woman for her singing, and she and her mother struggled to pack all the items gifted to them for the walk back to
Nisichawayasihk
.

“Go and offer your assistance,” Brown Shield Man suggested.

“
Tapwe!
” said Flying Rabbit Boy nervously. “Will you come with me, cousin?”

“Of course,” smiled Little Grey Bear Boy. “But first, your chest…it's bleeding.”

Little Grey Bear Boy helped wipe some of the blood from Flying Rabbit Boy's small wounds, then put a medicine salve on it to stanch the flow.

“Ok, you are ready,” said Brown Shield Man, pushing his son in Water Lily Woman's direction.

Flying Rabbit Boy was nervous but did his best to muster his jovial charm.

“
Tansi
, Auntie,” he said. “Can we offer you our assistance?” His voice cracked at the end, causing his face to turn red, which the polite women pretended not to notice.

“Thank you, sons of the Bear clan,” answered Yellow Moon Woman. “I was hoping some young warrior would be brave enough to help. I suppose we will need to build a travois. The sundancers have certainly been generous.”

“They were very grateful for the beautiful singing,” said Flying Rabbit Boy, composing himself.

“Lily?” sang Yellow Moon Woman. “Aren't you going to say something? Did you not hear the compliment this young man just paid you?”

“
Tapwe
, mother,” she said rolling her eyes jokingly. “
Ekosani
, Flying Rabbit Boy.”

She looked at both boys. Little Grey Bear Boy squinted around the grounds, as though looking for materials to build a travois, pretending not to notice her piercing gaze.

When the travois was built and the two young men had harnessed themselves to it, the foursome headed for
Nisichawayasihk
. Each day, they stopped to rest and eat. Brown Shield Man, Painted Turtle Man, and Blue Elk Man remained nearby, but kept a polite distance. Blue Elk Man was getting bruised ribs from all the elbowing Brown Shield Man was giving him whenever Water Lily Woman spoke to or walked near Flying Rabbit Boy.

When they arrived in the village, they were greeted at the Turtle lodge by the excited chatter of the Turtle clan girls, who marveled at the gifts as they were unloaded from the travois.

Straight away, Water Lily Woman began distributing the gifts among her new sisters—furs, hides, painted quills, sinew, necklaces, colourful feathers, shells, moccasins, and a deer hide hand drum. The happy commotion brought by the unpacking could be heard across the village. The younger of the Eagle twins happened to be passing by. Noticing the gifts, she did nothing but scowl. Water Lily Woman returned the scowl, her grey eyes bright with challenge. The younger Eagle Twin ignored her, and scurried into the Eagle lodge to gossip with her elder sister.

50
niyānanomitanaw

W
ith the help of Water Lily Woman and her mother, the fortunes of the Turtle clan continued to rise. The eligible young warriors of the village, including a few discreet Eagle warriors, visited the Turtle lodge to share their hunt and be seen by Water Lily Woman.

As the summer progressed, Flying Rabbit Boy grew more and more concerned with improving his standing among the
Nehiyawak
. That a warrior from another clan did not step up to sponsor him in the sundance ceremony continued to trouble him.

“I think it is because of my arm,” said Flying Rabbit Boy to his cousin. As they were out checking their rabbit snares one day.

“You seem to blame your arm for everything,” was the answer from Little Grey Bear Boy as he squatted down to untangle a failed snare and reset it. “It is not your fault they do not see your true value. It is the
Nehiyawak
who are mistaken in this instance. Many will regret not having brought you a whistle when you are a great warrior and hunter.”

“You are just saying that because you are my cousin.”

“I am saying it because it is the truth. Besides, my father was honoured to sponsor you into the sundance ceremony. Who do you think will feed him when he is an old man and I am out picking medicines?”

“I hope I do not have to get your father to sponsor me into a warrior society too…”

“Don't trouble yourself with that,” said Little Grey Bear Boy standing up. “You have to be brave to get into the Dog Soldier Society.”

Flying Rabbit Boy chased his cousin for the jab. Little Grey Bear Boy was laughing too hard to make a clean getaway. The two boys wrestled and laughed and forgot the concerns of older men for a short time.

“Seriously though,” said Little Grey Bear Boy when they had tired themselves out. “Remember: the warrior society you join will be determined by the manner in which you earn your name.”

“
Tapwe
! That is true.”

Knowing his bow skill was diminished and remembering Water Lily Woman's interest in his fishing, Flying Rabbit Boy concentrated his efforts on developing his fishing skills. He came up with a solution to his dilemma of how to work the net while his cousin was training with Red Sky Man. He would drag one side of the net across the river and secure it to a tree, then swim across the river and pull the net upstream in an arc along the river bank. In this way he could do the work of two by himself. When not catching fish, he spent his time gutting and hanging them. The days of swimming and net-pulling were starting to show in his arms and shoulders.

“Perhaps you will earn
my
name!” said Many Fish one day, admiring his catch by the river bank.

As always he shared his catch with the Turtle lodge, which usually earned him a smile or a thank you from Water Lily Woman. The rest of his catch went to the Bear lodge, for Singing Doe, White Willow Woman, and Walking Moon Woman to smoke or dry for the winter.

“We are going to get sick of fish this winter,” laughed Singing Doe with pride. “If you are going to keep catching them, you should see if anyone will trade for hides.”

Flying Rabbit Boy kept his mother's suggestion in mind, and when the Trader's caravan came late that summer, he was ready for them. He had worked hard to catch and smoke a large store of fish and bartered for many things the Bear clan needed. Although he was not able to trade for buffalo robes, he did manage to acquire deer and elk hides, which his mother would make into fine shirts, dresses, and moccasins.

Little Grey Bear Boy was happy to see his cousin doing so well, especially since his own ability to acquire goods for the family was diminished now that he no longer spent time picking and mixing medicines with Painted Turtle Man. Most of his lessons under Red Sky Man focused on bringing out the Grey-Eye magic rather than learning how to live in harmony with all of creation. The medicine carrier had Little Grey Bear Boy try to use his magic to force ants out their hill, stop small birds mid-flight—even kill flies with his mind.

Red Sky Man took Little Grey Bear Boy out of the village one day a fair distance along the lakeshore.

“You are a difficult pupil,” he said. “I will have to use stronger methods in order for you to progress.”

Little Grey Bear Boy already considered Red Sky Man's methods aggressive, not to mention ineffective, but he kept this thought to himself.

“
Ekosi
! This will do,” said Red Sky Man stopping and rubbing his hands together when they arrived at a secluded sand beach with a rocky outcropping jutting out from a small peninsula. “You will learn how to use the Grey-Eye magic to control the waters.”

“Control? What do you mean?”

“If you spent as much time listening as you did asking foolish questions, you would already know the answers.”

“Sorry, Uncle,” muttered Little Grey Bear Boy, though he was not so sure if he was.

“I will try to teach you how to move the waters to your will.”

“To what purpose will I move the waters?”

“Just do as I say and stop with the foolish questions!” Red Sky Man snapped. He took out his buffalo horn rattle and began the ancient water chant. Little Grey Bear Boy tried hard to listen and pick up the words. Like the fire song, the words were in the ancient language, and Red Sky Man said them quickly, as though the boy could understand fluently.

Little Grey Bear Boy wanted to ask him to slow down or to sound out the words so he could remember, but he knew only too well his teacher's disdain for questions. He began to chant the ancient water chant as best he could.

“
Motch
,
motch
,
MOTCH!
” shouted Red Sky Man. “You are saying the words wrong. Listen.” He then began chanting louder and faster, making it even more difficult for Little Grey Bear Boy to understand. The boy responded to this teaching by muttering the chant louder and faster, but still wrong. The waters remained still, much to Red Sky Man's dismay.

“We will have to try a different method,” fumed Red Sky Man.

“Maybe we should head back to the village,” said Little Grey Bear Boy. “I think it is going to rain.” He pointed up into the sky, which had clouded over.

“Nonsense,” countered Red Sky Man. “I would know if it was going to rain.”

“
Tapwe
, Uncle,” mumbled Little Grey Bear Boy.

“This is what you must do. Take off your shirt and leggings and wade out into the water.”

“What for?” The question escaped his lips before he thought to hold it back.

“Just do what you are told!” screamed Red Sky Man as the clouds rumbled.

Little Grey Bear Boy put down his satchel, took off his shirt, moccasins, and leggings and waded out into the water. It was surprisingly warm.

“Now,” commanded Red Sky Man, “put your head under the water and use the chant in your mind. Do not come up for air. Just push the water away from your body. Perhaps when you start to lose your breath, you will discover your Grey-Eye magic.”

“I am not sure this is wise.”

“So now you think I'm stupid?” the medicine carrier growled.

“That is not what I meant, Uncle,” said Little Grey Bear Boy, lowering his eyes. “I will give it a try…” Obediently, he dunked his head. He concentrated hard on the chant in his mind, but the wording continued to elude him. He held his breath for as long as he could but the water did not move. He finally popped his head up out of the water, gasping for air.

“Get your head back under,” said Red Sky Man coldly.

“
Tapwe
, Uncle,” the boy gasped.

Little Grey Bear Boy again dunked his head under the water and concentrated on the chant. He thought to move the water, but still did not know to what purpose. As he began to run out of air he started to feel nervous of what Red Sky Man would say. Eventually, his body needed more air and he was forced to pop up out of the water again.

Red Sky Man looked at the boy, his mouth set against him in disappointment. “Now what? My last pupil learned this skill on the first try.”

“I am sorry, Uncle, I am trying. If you could just say the chant slower, I know I could get it right…”

“If you just concentrated on the chant, you would have the words.”

“I am concentrating!” said Little Grey Bear Boy, louder than he meant to. “I will try again—my best.”

“So far, your ‘best' has not been good enough,” snorted Red Sky Man.

Little Grey Bear Boy could feel his anger rising. It had always been easy to respect his elders as he had been taught—they had always been patient and kind with him. He took a deep breath and plunged his head back under the water. He did his best to think the water chant in his mind and focus all of his energy on moving the water. He thought he could feel some movement of the water but the familiar vibration of the Grey-Eye magic did not come. Nothing was happening for a time and he began to run out of air. He would have to muster some self-control to put up with Red Sky Man's anger.

He began to rise out of the water but something stopped him. Calloused hands and a heavy weight on his shoulders prevented him from breaking the surface. Red Sky Man was holding him down. Little Grey Bear Boy began to struggle, reaching full-blown panic when the last of the air in his lungs was released into the water.

An anger swelled inside him in a way he had never known before. He felt burning behind his eyes as the water around him began to vibrate. Then the water blasted away from his body in all directions. The force of the magic caused all of the birds in the trees and on the lake to fly off, chirping and squawking their surprise.

Little Grey Bear Boy stood up from the damp sand and shook Red Sky Man's hands off of his shoulders.

“There,” smiled Red Sky Man. “All it took was a little encouragement.”

“You tried to drown me!” choked Little Grey Bear Boy.

“Do not act like a baby. You did not drown.”

“I would have!”

“But you didn't. This was a success. You should be grateful.”

“A student should be able to trust his teacher…”

“Trust is not required for learning,” said Red Sky Man. “Only obedience is required.”

“I think I have had enough of your ‘lessons' Red Sky Man,” said Little Grey Bear Boy. “I am going home.” He began to gather his clothes and his satchel and walk to the village.

“Don't be such a baby!” laughed Red Sky Man. “It worked, didn't it?”

Little Grey Bear Boy was furious and decided it would be better not to speak. As he walked away he could still hear Red Sky Man laughing at him. He glanced back to see an unusual sight: Red Sky Man walking out across the wet sand as the waters crashed down behind him.