Tala by B.C. Burks

Author:B.C. Burks
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: B.C. Burks
Published: 2018-06-10T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 4

The Green Horn Dance

Now that I’m sixteen, I’m expected to be married. I hear others talk of how I have grown up to become a beautiful, strong, and skillful young woman -—and that I would make a good wife. I also hear that I have truly lived up to my new name, Red Wolf. I want to believe that like the red wolf, I am sharp and outgoing, yet I can be territorial as well.

It’s also the time of year for rejoicing and purification. The biggest festival of the year, the Green Horn Dance, is almost here. There will be plenty of food, dancing, singing, and the playing of music with drums and rattles. Some will drink too much of the home-made Spirits, while others will pray. Even though the dance is mostly for the enjoyment of the men, it is a time of excitement for the women and children too.

Fifteen days before the event, the medicine men send out what they call, “heralds” from the lodge. They announce when the dance is to take place. All the different camps: The Wolf, the Tiger, the Otter, and the eight or more other camps, all hang up fifteen small sticks. Each day one of the sticks is thrown away. The day the last stick is thrown aside, the families go to the appointed place where the Green Horn Dance is to be held.

My people take much care in preparing for the dance. We paint our faces, comb our hair differently and dress up with lots of decorations. Some of us copy our outfits that was worn by great legends from the past. Others wear the skins of the buffalo or the bear. As for me, I just dress up to look pretty, something that I didn’t have the opportunity to do in the past. But regardless of the reason, we are all here to celebrate.

My heart is racing because I know that I will get to see that boy, who is now a man, at the festival. I never forgot the way he looked at me when he left the tent of meeting many moons ago.

***

The day of the Green Horn Dance is finally here. Everything has been set up. The Dance Circle or O-pun-ka-to-lo-ka-ti is in the middle of the ground. In the center of the circle is the Fire or O-pon-ka-tot-kit-a.

To the east of the dance circle, the Medicine Men will sit. They also have their own sacred fire and appoint men to watch the medicine fire.

On the west side of the dance circle, there is a house set up just for the Warriors. We call the house, Teok-ko-claco. I know that Pal-la-ton from the Tiger clan will be there.

Usually the people from one clan is related – except for the husband, who lives with his wife’s family once he marries. So, I know that the boy that my heart loves is related to Pal-la-ton, the warrior. If only I knew his name.

Women are not seated with the men.

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