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10 - The All Comrades Societies: The Other Society · Blackfeet Native American Stories

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  Speaker 1: Chapter ten of Blackfeet Indian Stories. This is a LibriVox recording.
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  Speaker 1: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information,
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  Speaker 1: art volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording by M. C.
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  Speaker 1: Y Blackfeet Indian Stories by George B. G Renel, Chapter ten,
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  Speaker 1: the other societies. For a long time the buffalo had
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  Speaker 1: not been seen. Every one was hungry, for the hunters
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  Speaker 1: could find no food for the people. A certain man,
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  Speaker 1: who had two wives, a daughter, and two sons, as
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  Speaker 1: he saw what the hard time they were having, said
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  Speaker 1: I shall not stop here to die. Tomorrow. We will
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  Speaker 1: move toward the mountains, where we may kill elk and deer,
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  Speaker 1: and sheep and antelope, or if not these, at least
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  Speaker 1: we shall find beaver and birds and can get them.
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  Speaker 1: In this way we shall have food to eat and
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  Speaker 1: shall live. Next morning they call their dogs and highness
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  Speaker 1: them to the travelers, and took their loads on their
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  Speaker 1: backs and set out. It was still winter, and they
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  Speaker 1: traveled slowly. Besides, they were weak from hunger and could
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  Speaker 1: go only a short distance in a day. The fourth
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  Speaker 1: night came and they sat in their lodge, tired and hungry.
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  Speaker 1: No one spoke for people who are hungry do not
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  Speaker 1: care to talk. Suddenly, outside, the dogs began to bark,
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  Speaker 1: and soon the door was pushed aside and the young
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  Speaker 1: man entered. Welcome, said the man, and he motioned to
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  Speaker 1: a place where the stranger should sit. Now, during this
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  Speaker 1: day there had been blowing a warm wind which had
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  Speaker 1: melted the snow, so that the prairie was covered with water.
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  Speaker 1: Yet the young man's moccasins and leggings were dry. They
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  Speaker 1: saw this and were frightened. They sat there for a
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  Speaker 1: long time, saying nothing. Then the young man spoke and asked,
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  Speaker 1: why is this? Why do you not give me food?
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  Speaker 1: I replied the father. You see here people who are
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  Speaker 1: truly poor. We have no food. For many days, the
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  Speaker 1: buffalo did not come in sight, and we looked for
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  Speaker 1: deer and other animals which people eat, And when these
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  Speaker 1: had all been killed, we began to starve. Then I said,
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  Speaker 1: we will not stay here to die from hunger, and
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  Speaker 1: we set out for the mountains. This is the fourth
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  Speaker 1: night of our travels, ah, said the young man. Then
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  Speaker 1: your travels are ended. You need go no farther. Close
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  Speaker 1: by here is our piskun. Many buffalo had been run
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  Speaker 1: in and our parfleches are filled with dried meat. Wait
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  Speaker 1: a little, I will go and bring you some. And
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  Speaker 1: he went out. As soon as he had gone, they
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  Speaker 1: began to talk about this strange person. They were afraid
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  Speaker 1: of him and did not know what to do. The
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  Speaker 1: children began to cry, and the women tried to quiet them. Presently,
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  Speaker 1: the young men came back, bringing some meat. There is food,
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  Speaker 1: said he as he put it down by the woman.
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  Speaker 1: Now to morrow, move your camp over to our lodges.
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  Speaker 1: Do not fear anything, no matter what strange things you
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  Speaker 1: may see, do not fear. All will be your friends.
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  Speaker 1: Yet about one thing I must warn you in this
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  Speaker 1: you should be careful. If you should find an arrow
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  Speaker 1: lying about anywhere in the piskan or outside, does not
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  Speaker 1: touch it, neither you, nor your wives, nor your children.
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  Speaker 1: When he had said this, he went out. The father
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  Speaker 1: took his pipe and filled it and smoked and prayed
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  Speaker 1: to all the powers, saying, here now son, listen above people,
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  Speaker 1: listen under water people. Now you have taken pity. Now
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  Speaker 1: you have given us food. We are going to those
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  Speaker 1: mysterious ones who walk through water with dry moccasins. Protect
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  Speaker 1: us among these to be feared people. Let us live, man,
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  Speaker 1: woman and child, give us long life. Now from the
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  Speaker 1: fire again arose the smell of roasting meat. The children
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  Speaker 1: ate and played. Those who so long had been silent
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  Speaker 1: now talked and laughed. Early in the morning, as soon
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  Speaker 1: as the sun had risen, they took down their lodge
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  Speaker 1: and packed their dogs, and started for the camp of
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  Speaker 1: a stranger. When they had come to where they could
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  Speaker 1: see it, they found it a wonderful place. There round
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  Speaker 1: the piskun, and stretching far up and down the valley,
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  Speaker 1: were pitched the lodges of the meat eaters. They could
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  Speaker 1: not see them all, but near by they saw the
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  Speaker 1: lodges of the bear band, the fox band, and the
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  Speaker 1: raven band. The father of the young man who had
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  Speaker 1: visited them and give them meat, was the chief of
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  Speaker 1: the wolf band. And by that band they pitched their lodge. Truly,
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  Speaker 1: that was a happy place. Food was plenty. All day long.
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  Speaker 1: People were shouting out for feasts, and everywhere was heard
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  Speaker 1: the sound of drumming and singing and dancing. The newly
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  Speaker 1: come people went to the piskun for meat, and there
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  Speaker 1: one of the children saw an arrow lying on the ground.
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  Speaker 1: It was a beautiful arrow. The stone point long, slender
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  Speaker 1: and sharp, the shaft round and straight. The boy remembered
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  Speaker 1: what had been said, and he looked round fearfully, but
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  Speaker 1: everywhere the people were busy, no one was looking. He
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  Speaker 1: picked up the arrow and put it under his robe.
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  Speaker 1: Then there rose a terrible sound. All the animals howled
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  Speaker 1: and growled and rushed toward him, But the chief Wolf
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  Speaker 1: got to him first, and holding up his hand, said, wait,
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  Speaker 1: he is young and not yet of good sense. We
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  Speaker 1: will let him go. This time. They did nothing to him.
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  Speaker 1: When night came, some one shouted out, calling people to
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  Speaker 1: a feast, and saying, listen, listen, wolf you were to eat.
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  Speaker 1: Enter with your friend. We are invited, said the chief
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  Speaker 1: Wolf to his new friend, and together they went to
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  Speaker 1: the lodge from which the call came. Within the lodge
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  Speaker 1: the fire burned brightly, and seated round it were many men,
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  Speaker 1: the old and wise of the raven band. On the
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  Speaker 1: large lining hanging behind the seats were the paintings of
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  Speaker 1: many great deeds. Food was placed before the guests, pemican
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  Speaker 1: and berries and dried back fat, And after they had eaten,
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  Speaker 1: the pipe was lighted and passed around the circle. Then
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  Speaker 1: the raven chief spoke and said, now, wolf, I am
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  Speaker 1: going to give our new friend a present. What do
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  Speaker 1: you think of that? It shall be as you say,
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  Speaker 1: replied the wolf, our new friend will be glad. From
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  Speaker 1: a long puffleche sack, the raven chief took a slender stick,
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  Speaker 1: beautifully ornamented with many colored feathers. To the end of
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  Speaker 1: the stick was tied the skin of a raven head, wings, feet,
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  Speaker 1: and tail. We said, the raven chief, are those who
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  Speaker 1: carried the raven mast to part the chicks of all
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  Speaker 1: the fliers, of all the birds, what one is so
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  Speaker 1: smart as the raven? None. The Raven's eyes are sharp,
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  Speaker 1: his wings are strong. He is a great hunter and
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  Speaker 1: never hungry. Far off on the prairie he sees his food,
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  Speaker 1: and if it is deep hidden in the forest, it
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  Speaker 1: does not escape him. This is our song and our dance.
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  Speaker 1: When he had finished singing and dancing, he placed the
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  Speaker 1: stick in the sack and gave it to the man
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  Speaker 1: and said, take it with you, and when you have
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  Speaker 1: returned to your people, you shall say now they are
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  Speaker 1: already the bulls. And he who is the raven chief said,
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  Speaker 1: there shall be more. There shall be the all friends
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  Speaker 1: ekeun O katsi, so that the people may live, and
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  Speaker 1: of the all friends shall be the raven bearers. You
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  Speaker 1: shall call a council of the chiefs and wise old men,
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  Speaker 1: and they shall choose the persons who are to belong
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  Speaker 1: to the society. Teach them the song and the dance,
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  Speaker 1: and give them the medicine. It shall be theirs forever.
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  Speaker 1: Soon they heard another person shouting out the feast call,
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  Speaker 1: and going, they entered the lodge of the chief of
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  Speaker 1: the kit foxes. See no pa here. Too. Old men
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  Speaker 1: had gathered after they had eaten of the food set
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  Speaker 1: before them. The chief said, those among whom you have
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  Speaker 1: just come are generous. They do not look carefully at
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  Speaker 1: the things they have, but give to the stranger and
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  Speaker 1: pity the poor. The kit fox is a little animal,
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  Speaker 1: But what one is smarter none. His hair is like
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  Speaker 1: the dead grass of the prairie. His eyes are keen,
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  Speaker 1: his feet make no noise when he walks. His brain
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  Speaker 1: is cunning. His ears received the far off sound. Here
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  Speaker 1: is our medicine. Take it. He gave the man the stick.
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  Speaker 1: It was long, crooked at one end, wound with fur,
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  Speaker 1: and tied here and there with eagle feathers at the
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  Speaker 1: end was the kit fox kin. Again the chief spoke
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  Speaker 1: and said, listen to our song, do not forget it,
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  Speaker 1: and the dance too. You must remember when you reach home.
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  Speaker 1: Teach them to the people. He sang and danced. Then
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  Speaker 1: presently his guests departed. Again, they heard the fist shout,
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  Speaker 1: and he who called was the chief of the bear society.
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  Speaker 1: After they had eaten and smoked, the chief said, what
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  Speaker 1: is your opinion, friend, wolf? Shall we give our new
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  Speaker 1: friend a present? It shall be as you say, replied
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  Speaker 1: the wolf, it yours to give. Then spoke the bear, saying,
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  Speaker 1: there are many animals, and some of them are powerful,
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  Speaker 1: But the bear is the strongest and greatest of all.
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  Speaker 1: He fears nothing and is always ready to fight. Then
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  Speaker 1: he put on a necklace of bear claws, a band
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  Speaker 1: of bear fur about his head, and a belt of
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  Speaker 1: bear fur, and sang and danced. When he had finished,
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  Speaker 1: he gave the things he had worn to the man
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  Speaker 1: and said, teach the people are song and our dance,
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  Speaker 1: and give them this medicine. It is powerful. It was
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  Speaker 1: very late the seven stars had come to the middle
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  Speaker 1: of the night. Yet again they heard the feast shout
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  Speaker 1: from the far end of the camp and this lodge.
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  Speaker 1: The men were painted with streaks of red, and their
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  Speaker 1: hair was all pushed to one side. After the feast,
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  Speaker 1: the chief said, we are different from all others. Here
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  Speaker 1: we are called the braves moot Sikhs. We knowed not fear,
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  Speaker 1: we are death. Even if our enemies are as many
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  Speaker 1: as the grass. We do not turn away, but fight
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  Speaker 1: and conquer. Bows are good weapons, Lances are better, but
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  Speaker 1: our weapon is the knife. Then the chiefs sang and danced,
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  Speaker 1: and afterward gave the wolf chief's friend the medicine. It
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  Speaker 1: was a long knife, and many scalps were tied on
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  Speaker 1: the handle. This said, he is for the all friends
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  Speaker 1: to one more lodge. They were called that night, and
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  Speaker 1: the lodge owner taught the man his song and dance
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  Speaker 1: and gave him his medicine. Then the wolf chief and
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  Speaker 1: his friend went home and slept. Early next day the
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  Speaker 1: Blackfeet women began to take down the lodge and to
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  Speaker 1: get ready to move their camp. Many women came and
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  Speaker 1: made them presents of food, dried meat, pemmican, and berries.
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  Speaker 1: They were given so much that they could not take
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  Speaker 1: it all with them. It was long before they joined
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  Speaker 1: the main camp, for it had moved south looking for buffalo.
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  Speaker 1: When they reached the camp, as soon as the lodge
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  Speaker 1: was pitched, the men called all the chiefs to come
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  Speaker 1: and feast with him, and told them what he had seen,
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  Speaker 1: and showed them the different medicines. Then the chiefs chose
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  Speaker 1: certain young men to belong to the different societies, And
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  Speaker 1: this man taught them the songs and dances, and gave
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  Speaker 1: its medicine to each society. And of chapter ten