Little Eagle

As part of my writer's group, we are sometimes prompted with pictures. I find that the visual stimulation tends to evoke random, but sometimes very pleasant results. In this instance, the photo reminded me of the Cree and Blackfoot Heritage that my son and my grandchildren possess. The person though I had in mind when I wrote this was a young man clad in prairie grouse regalia that I saw dance at a Friendship dance my grandchildren and I attended in Edmonton, Alberta.

Sun and Sunshine are the Cree names given to my granddaughters by the elders of the Louis Bull tribe, on their naming day July 25, 2017.

Writing prompt: https://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium-large-5/on-sacred-ground-series-4-ricardo-chavez-mendez.jpg

A silhouette of a man, whirling rapidly in coloured plume and brilliant regalia was accompanied by the thrum of voice and drum. The high keening wail of the drummers joined in to add to the already loud wail that had arisen from the crowd. The steady beat, of the four male elders on the drums, and their voices added to the power that was being called forth in the room.

‘Great spirit, hear my prayer with favour.’

He danced for his brother, who had graduated from high school that year and had such a promising future ahead of him.

Little Eagle held his head high, an eye casting out to the sea of faces. Some of which were familiar some were not.

He danced for the revitalization of his culture, and for the bringing forth of the language of his people. Onward he danced. His passion evident in the pounding footwork, and the flying fringe of the leather and beadwork that covered his body. His steps sure and purposeful.

His intensity could be seen in his eyes, eyes as piercing as the eagle he was named for. Nose, as sharp and curved as the beak of that same regal bird. He was a sight to behold, but like the bird of his name day, he only lived to fly and was unconcerned with his appearance.

His brethren and he, danced onward, the intensity and passion of the movements increasing as the tones of the male singers followed an ancient pattern, a call to movement, a call to restore what was lost.

He saw his gangly little brother, Spotted Brown Eagle dancing ahead of him and he smiled and danced harder.

It had been a hard summer that year on the reserve. There were many incidences of gang violence, far too many young lives lost to the senseless stupidity of boys playing at being thugs. It had been an even harder winter previously, as they struggled to keep warm in housing that had intended to shelter them, but had fallen to disrepair to a degree. His Kookum’s cough still lingered after such a long bout of pneumonia.

He danced too for her. She had taken him in, a small lad, with just a fluff of hair when his parents had all but left him on her doorstep. What he lacked in parental support, his grandmother made up in such large ways. He had always known how privileged he was in ways other children in similar circumstances were not.

He danced, remembering the smell of the hot bread coming out of her stove, his smile and sparkling eyes found her in the crowd. Her craggy face, her hair pulled forward in two braids, braided with beaver pelt strips, and circular beaded discs. She had brought him to his first pow wow, and she had first danced with him on the dirt of the floor over twenty five summers ago. Her eyes sparkled back at him, and she gestured with her lips for him to stop gawking at her and get his eyes back on the dance at hand.

Laughing, he whirled and dipped, intricately stepping in and out, mimicking the prairie grouse in its mating dance across the barren prairies.

He saw his little cousins though in the crowd, and he made sure to turn the back plumage of the regalia to them, he knew they would laugh for days, as he shook and strutted. He was rewarded with an audible exclamation of ‘Wahstaghts!’ from his auntie who saw to the cousins.

The cousins, Sun and Sunshine laughed and laughed. Till one nearly fell over the other.

He whirled again and again, his heart now matching the drumming, his feet matching the rhythm of both his heart and the music and his soul reached out to the great spirit in joy and his prayers were heard in the most favorable of ways.