Algonquin Sunset by Rick Revelle

Author:Rick Revelle
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dundurn
Published: 2017-04-24T04:00:00+00:00

13

Searching Out Our Allies to Strengthen Us

ZHASHAGI

“You can’t wait until the spring warmth comes, Zhashagi,” my brother, Omashkooz, said, “hoping that I’ve healed enough to take the red wampum war belts to our friends, the Naadawe and Odishkwaagamii. That’s too much of time from when the Nadowessioux ambushed us on the river to when we seek revenge. If you wait until spring to seek out our allies to the east, you’ll lose a hundred moons of travel. Going in the next few suns and leaving during the manoominike-giizis (man-oom-inik-gee-zas: Ricing Moon — August) will ensure you’ll make it back by the iskigamizige-giizis (is-ki-gamo-azing-a-gee-zas: Sugar-Bushing Moon — April). By then I should be fully healed and might be able to paddle. If you wait until spring and I’m still not completely healthy at that time, you’ll lose all the winter months to visit our allies. The three cousins will be more than enough help for you. They’re strong, brave, and great warriors and hunters. No harm will come to you with them as your companions. Misko will also be with you, so you’ll be well looked after.”

“Brother, you make it sound as if I’m a weakling and need these three men and my dog just to survive,” I replied.

“No, Brother, just concerned.”

“All right, then, I know your wife, Dagwaagin (dag-waa-kin: Autumn), has done well looking after you, but I’m going to ask the Mide healer to come and visit you. If you’re to stay here, I want you fully able when I come back in the spring. I’ll also ask some of the younger boys to hunt for you this fall and winter until you heal. I’ll tell them if they do a good job we’ll take them with us in the spring when we go to war. In the meantime, before I leave, I’m going to attend the Midewiwin ceremony for the Wiikwandiwin (wick-wan-de-win: seasonal celebration for the summer season). Hopefully, there I’ll receive the blessing I need for a good future and for my coming trip.”

After leaving Omashkooz, I visited the three cousins in their aunt’s lodge, where I found them with some of the children playing a game of makizin ataagewin (mak-e-zin a-tash-win: moccasin game) punctuated by a great deal of laughter, shouting, and cheering. The game they were taking part in was played with four moccasins and a round pebble. There were two teams that took turns dropping the pebble or finding the small stone. The team hiding the pebble had one member take it in his hand, wave his hands over the shoes, and drop the stone into one of them. The other team then tried to guess where the pebble was until it was found. Once it was discovered, a certain number of counting sticks according to the number of guesses taken was given to that team.

The cousins’ aunt was cooking venison, which added to the pungent atmosphere inside the lodge: smells of cooking meat, body odours, and smoke. Enhancing the aromas was a group of Elders watching from the sidelines, smoking their pipes and farting.

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