Story Told By An Elder

An old Native American Indian man is telling a story to his grandson. His grandson doesn't know that his grandfather will be leaving this world. Before he leaves, he has to know if his grandson will walk the red road and tell the stories, before they are forgotten forever.

"One sunny day in an Indian village of the Nottawa tribe, in the woods there stood two boys, they were brothers Running Jug and Lester Silly. As they were wandering deep into the woods they saw what looked like a village full of White Americans, just like what their chief told him the story about the time he saw the first White Americans. They both went inside the village and the White Americans greeted the new neighbors and started talking.

"Would you like to come to my village?" asked Lester silly.

"Yes," said Paul with a smile.

So Lester Silly and Running Jug took the White Americans to their village, when they arrived they told their new friends to stay hidden. Lester Silly walked into the camp and over to the Chiefs house and came inside and sat down.

"Chief, my brother and I were wandering through the woods when we came upon a village of White Americans, just like the stories you told us," said Lester silly.

The chief grabbed an iron helmet from behind him and looked at it.

"Let them come and "untchore" (eat) and drink water with us," said the chief in the Nottawa language.

So Lester silly went back and motioned Running Jug to bring them inside their camp. When they arrived they were amazed at how they lived, their homes were different from theirs, some of their children were naked, barely had any clothes on. The women and children was staring at them and amusement, and the old one stared and saw the past. Lester silly walked them to the Chiefs house and sat them down.

"Sit our friends, "untchore" (eat), today we will feast on our friendship," said the Chief.

As the White Americans were eating and drinking, the Chief told them stories, and then pulled an iron helmet out and showed it to the White

Americans.

"I have told my people, about this day, when there will come a time when the White Americans come again, this time many. When I was a young boy, growing up in the Nottawa tribe, I saw the first White Americans with my two eyes; they wore clothes of steel, like nothing I have never seen before. They came looking for land, gold; they came on ships with white wings like birds. So I ran and told my father who is chief then, he told the women to prepare food for new friends, they were on these things they called horses, they were very big.

They came and sat down, just like you're doing right now, they ate and left. Next day they came back and wanted to trade, they promised they would not hurt us, only wanted to trade, but that was a lie, when my father told them we hadn't had any gold on our land, they were angry and started hurting my people and killing and taking them away," said the Chief.

"We are different, we are pilgrims," said Paul.

"You will not hurt us?" Asked the Chief.

"No, we are good Christian people," said Paul.

"Lester silly take our new friends home, it is getting late?" asked the Chief.

Lester Silly and Running Jug took their new friends home and said their goodbyes and walked back to their village and went to bed.

Next morning, Paul came back to the Nottawa Village.

"Come in side my friend, tell me more about your people and how many are coming?" asked the Chief.

"Great chief of the Nottawa tribe, there will come a time when there will be many of my people, the ones that you talked about in your story they will take everything you have, including your home and destroy your woods," said Paul.

"You say many, I told my people about this, let them come, there weapons cannot harm me," said the Chief.

"I will fight beside you," said Paul leaving the Chiefs home.

As Paul was walking home, he was thinking about how it would end, if they did discover this land and found out there is no gold here. When he arrived inside the fort he told his people to gather.

"As some of you may know that more of us are coming, but not like us, they will take this land and ours, they will take from the indigenous people that lived here for many years, and hunted here, we will fight beside our new friends, we will fight for their homes, their children out friends,"said Paul.

So far everything has been good, no other White Americans have come to the land of the Nottowa people. The Nottowa people went to their White Americans home and brought gifts.

"How are you my friend?" Asked Paul.

"Good, we brought food for winter, it is almost here," said the Chief.

"Thank you, are supply's were getting low," said Paul.

"We also brought gifts and other things as we'll," said the Chief.

"Again, thank you friend," said Paul.

"We must be going now," said the Chief.

"Please stay, we have plenty," said Paul.

"We will stay, and eat with friends," said the Chief.

So they stayed and gathered around a long table and ate.

"This is not good," whispered Running Jug to Lester Silly.

"Be quiet and just eat it," smiled Lester Silly.

Running Jug ate it, they all got up from the table and walked back to their village, it was dark now, but with the moon out there still a little light. Running Jug was walking along the sandy shores when he saw lights in the distance, then men shouting, he quickly ran back to the woods and hid. Then he saw boats were arriving on shore, he waited, and ran back to the village before they all went to sleep.

"Brother the Chiefs story, White Americans on boats," said Running Jug.

The Chief got up and was getting ready to make war. The Chief grabbed Running Jug by the arm.

"No, not now, you fight another day, live now," said the Chief.

Running Jug shook his head and went with the women, children, young and old, hid them deep into the woods. Lester Silly ran through the woods as fast as he could to Paul's home.

"Paul, they have come," said Lester Silly out of breath.

So they ran through the woods. As Paul was running he said a prayer.

"Lord, I ask you protect us, forgive them, for they do not know. Amen."

When they arrived they could hear shouting, guns going off, a cloud of smoke. They jumped out of the woods and went to battle. When the battle was over with, the sun started to come out, all indigenous people came out from hiding. Most of both sides were dead or badly injured, the end."

"Aw Grandpa, what happened, did Lester Silly, Running Jug, Paul and the Nottowas did they live forever?" Asked White Wolf getting up off of the floor.

"I don't remember, it was told to me long ago, but your father will tell you the rest, before I leave this world, I have to know grandson, do you walk the red road?" Asked Grandfather.

"I will, I'll keep the stories alive, I'll teach my generation what we have forgotten," said White Wolf proudly.

"Good, now run along," said Grandfather.

White Wolf ran outside and jumped on his bike and rode around the Rez with his buddies.

"Dad, you've been saying that for years now," said Eddie Mowhawk going outside to light a cigarette.

"When I leave this world, I hope you tell him our stories son, our peoples stories. Does it not matter if the stories are no longer told? Who will tell them when my generation is gone?" Asked Grandfather.

Then he laid back into his chair and went to sleep. Eddie Mohawk came back inside and saw his Dad a sleep in his chair. He called up his bodies and told them to bring the van. As they arrived they gently wrapped his fathers body in a blanket and carried him and gently laid him in the van. Eddie Mowhawk sitting in back got his knife, and chopped all his hair off as they arrived to the destination. They gently carried the body to the woods and buried him in the soil. Eddie Mohawk never wore his hair long again.

White Wolf grew up, he is telling the stories that were told to him. He is a story teller at the gathering of nations powwow in Canada. He tells the next generation to go out there and see what is beyond the Rez, to see a better life away from the Rez, to do something with their life, to be somebody and to be noticed by others.