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A Dream of Her Grandfather · Native American Stories by Zitkala-Sa

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  Speaker 1: Chapter eight of American Indian Stories. This is a LibriVox recording.
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  Speaker 1: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
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  Speaker 1: information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. American
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  Speaker 1: Indian Stories by Zikala Sah A dream of her grandfather.
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  Speaker 1: Her grandfather was a Dakota medicine man. Among the Indians
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  Speaker 1: of his day, he was widely known for his successful
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  Speaker 1: healing work. He was one of the leading men of
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  Speaker 1: the tribe and came to Washington, d c. With one
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  Speaker 1: of the first delegations relative to affairs concerning the Indian
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  Speaker 1: people and the United States government. His was the first
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  Speaker 1: band of the Great Sioux Nation to make treaties with
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  Speaker 1: the government in the hope of bringing about an amicable
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  Speaker 1: arrangement between the Red and White Americans. The journey to
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  Speaker 1: the nation's capital was made almost entirely on pony back,
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  Speaker 1: there being no railroads, and the Sioux delegation was beset
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  Speaker 1: with many hardships on the trail. His visit to Washington
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  Speaker 1: in behalf of peace among men proved to be his
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  Speaker 1: last earthly mission. From a sudden illness, he died and
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  Speaker 1: was buried here. When his small granddaughter grew up, she
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  Speaker 1: learned the white man's tongue and followed in the footsteps
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  Speaker 1: of her grandfather to the very seat of government to
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  Speaker 1: carry on his humanitarian work. Though her days were filled
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  Speaker 1: with problems for welfare work among her people, she had
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  Speaker 1: a strange dream one night during her stay in Washington.
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  Speaker 1: The dream was this, Returning from an afternoon out, she
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  Speaker 1: found a large cedars chest had been delivered to her
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  Speaker 1: home in her absence. She sniffed the sweet perfume of
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  Speaker 1: the red wood, which reminded her of the breath of
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  Speaker 1: the forest, and admired the box. So neatly made without trimmings.
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  Speaker 1: It looked so clean, strong, and durable in its native genuineness.
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  Speaker 1: With elation, she took the tag in her hand and
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  Speaker 1: read her name aloud. Who sent me this caesar chest?
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  Speaker 1: She asked, and was told it came from her grandfather,
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  Speaker 1: Wondering what gift it could be, her grandfather wished now
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  Speaker 1: to confer upon her wholly disregarding his death years ago,
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  Speaker 1: She was all eagerness to open the mystery chest. She
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  Speaker 1: remembered her childhood days and the stories she loved to
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  Speaker 1: hear about the unusual powers of her grandfather. Recalled how she,
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  Speaker 1: the wee girl, had coveted the medicine bags, beaded and
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  Speaker 1: embroidered in porcupine quills in symbols designed by the great
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  Speaker 1: medicine man her grandfather. Well, did she remember her merited
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  Speaker 1: rebuke that such things were never made for relics. Treasures
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  Speaker 1: came in due time to those ready to receive them.
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  Speaker 1: In great expectancy. She lifted the heavy lid of the
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  Speaker 1: cedar chest. Oh, she exclaimed, with a note of disappointment,
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  Speaker 1: Seeing no beated Indian regalia or trinkets quite as my
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  Speaker 1: grandfather sends such a light gift in a heavy, large box,
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  Speaker 1: She was mystified and much perplexed. The gift was a
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  Speaker 1: fantastic thing of texture, far more delicate than a spider's
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  Speaker 1: filmy web. It was a vision, a picture of an
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  Speaker 1: Indian camp, not painted on canvas, nor yet written. It
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  Speaker 1: was dream stuff suspended in the thin air filling the
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  Speaker 1: enclosure of the cedar wood container. As she looked upon it,
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  Speaker 1: the picture grew more and more real, exceeding the proportions
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  Speaker 1: of the chest. It was also elusive. A breath might
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  Speaker 1: have blowned away, yet there it was real as life.
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  Speaker 1: A circular camp of white cone shaped teepees astir with
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  Speaker 1: Indian people. The village crier, with flowing head dress of
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  Speaker 1: eagle plumes mounted on a prancing white pony, rode within
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  Speaker 1: the arena. Indian men, women, and children stopped in groups
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  Speaker 1: and clusters, while bright painted faces peered out at keepy
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  Speaker 1: doors to listen to the chieftain's crier. At this point,
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  Speaker 1: she too heard the full melodious voice. She heard distinctly
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  Speaker 1: the Dakota words he proclaimed to the people. Be glad, rejoice,
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  Speaker 1: look up and see the new day dawning. Help is near.
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  Speaker 1: Hear me every one. She caught the glad tidings and
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  Speaker 1: was thrilled with new hope for her people. End of
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  Speaker 1: Chapter eight, read by Carrie Adams Your Book Voice at Mesa, Arizona,
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  Speaker 1: on the nineteenth of August twenty twenty two.