Tribal Life

[Nailah Weaver]

The next morning would find Sam by herself. Apparently Do'noma has gotten up early. From outside the tent she can her the shaman's voice, talking in her native language, occasionally being interrupted by the voices of children. From the sound of it it's some kind of lesson in story-form.

[Samantha McManus]

She muzzily stirred before her eyes snapped open with the recollection of just where she was, and where she'd left her clothes the night before. Looking about, she searched for something to wear so that the tribe wasn't about to see a wolf leaving the tent.

[Nailah Weaver]

There's plenty of No'doma's clothes made from leather and weaved cotton stashed away to one side.

[Samantha McManus]

Concerned mostly with modesty, she slipped some on and ventured outside the tent, heading quietly for the sound of the voices.

[Nailah Weaver]

They're not too far away from the tent, sitting a couple of meters away around some kind of blanket with images stitched into it. Do'noma doesn't notice her, sitting with her back to the tent, though some of the kids do. To their credit they seem to remember what they've been told yesterday and only watch curiously.

[Samantha McManus]

Not wanting to interrupt, she took a seat nearby.

[Nailah Weaver]

Noticing Sam she shoots her a quick smile before returning to the story. If Sam mentally 'tunes in' she'll notice that it's a story about a porcupine hunting buffalo?

"<In olden days when mostly animals roamed this earth, a Porcupine set out to track some buffalo. He asked the buffalo chips, "How long have you been here on this trail?" He kept on asking, until finally one answered, "Only lately have I been here." From there Porcupine followed the same path. The farther he went, the fresher the tracks. He continued until he came to a river; there he saw a buffalo herd that had crossed the ford onto the other side. "What shall I do now?" thought Porcupine as he sat down. He called out, "Carry me across!" One of the buffalo replied, "Do you mean me?" Porcupine called again, "No, I want a different buffalo." Thus he rejected each member of the herd, one after another, as each asked. "Do you mean me?"

Finally the last and best one in the herd said, "I will carry you across the river." The buffalo crossed the river and said to porcupine, "Climb on my back." Porcupine said, "No, I'm afraid I will fall off into the water." Buffalo said, "Then climb up and ride between my horns." "No," replied Porcupine. "I'm sure I'll slide off into the river."
Buffalo suggested many other ways to carry him, but Porcupine protested. "Perhaps you'd rather ride inside of me?" offered the buffalo. "Yes," said Porcupine, and let himself be swallowed by the buffalo.

"Where are we now?" asked Porcupine. "In the middle of the river," said the buffalo, After a little while, Porcupine asked again. "We have nearly crossed," said the buffalo. "Now we have emerged from the water; come out of me!" Porcupine said, "No, not yet, go a little farther." Soon the buffalo stopped and said, "We have gone far enough, so come out." Then Porcupine hit the buffalo's heart with his heavy tail. The buffalo started to run, but fell down and died right there. Porcupine had killed him. Others in the herd tried to hook Porcupine, but he sat under the buffalo's ribs, where he could not be hooked. Soon the herd tired and ran on their way.

Porcupine came out and said aloud, "I wish I had something to butcher this nice big buffalo with." Now, Coyote was sleeping nearby, and woke up and heard him. Coyote went to Porcupine and said, "Here is my knife for butchering." So they went together to the side of the buffalo. "Let him butcher who can jump over it," said Coyote. Porcupine ran and jumped, but only partway over the buffalo. Coyote jumped over it without touching the dead animal, so he began to butcher, cutting up the buffalo. After a little time, he handed the paunch to Porcupine and said, "Go wash it in the river, but don't eat it yet." Porcupine took it to the river, washed it, then he bit off a piece. When Coyote saw what Porcupine had done, he became very angry with him and went after him, "I told you not to eat any of the paunch." Coyote picked up a club and killed Porcupine and placed him beside the buffalo, and went to his home. Then he told his family, "I have killed a buffalo and I have killed a porcupine. Let us go and carry them home."

Before Porcupine had come out of the buffalo, he said magic words, "Let a red pine grow here fast." Then at once red pine began to grow under the meat and under Porcupine. It grew very tall and fast. All of the meat and Porcupine rested at the top of the red pine tree, high in the air, Porcupine magically coming alive again. Coyote and his family arrived and were surprised that all of the meat was gone. They began to hunt for it. "I wish they would look up," said Porcupine. Then the smallest child looked up and said "Oh!" The family looked up and saw Porcupine sitting on top of the meat in the tall red pine tree. Coyote said, "Throw down a piece of the neck, we are very hungry."

"Yes," said Porcupine. "Place that youngest child a little farther away. "Yes," they responded and took him to one side. "Now make a ring and all hold hands upward," said Porcupine. So the family joined hands and held them up. Porcupine threw down several pieces of the buffalo meat, killing Coyote and those in the ring. Porcupine then threw down the rest of the buffalo meat, and climbed down the tree. He took charge of the young coyote and fed him all the meat he desired. Porcupine took all the meat he could carry to his home. He and the young coyote became good friends and helped each other hunt buffalo together for a long, long time.>"

[Samantha McManus]

Remembering Do'noma's admonition to listen, Samantha made contact with the seer's mind, quirking an eyebrow at the odd story.

[Nailah Weaver]

"<Now, try to think on what Porcupine and Coyote have taught us. Maybe Fire-Hair would like to tell us what she thinks?>" she smiles encouragingly at Sam.

[Samantha McManus]

For a moment she gave a meaningful look to Do'noma, not wanting to cause a stir as she did the last time she spoke to their minds to bridge the language barrier. Then again, she was being invited to this time.

"Those with sharp eyes do not go hungry."

[Nailah Weaver]

"<That's... certainly one of the lessons, yes.>" she says, though there's a bit of 'Well duh' swinging with it in her thoughts. She just doesn't want to embarrass Sam it seems.

"<Yes, Onawa, go ahead.>"

"<Buffalo paunch is no good. Eat it and you end up dead.>"

"<Indeed. Porcupine didn't listen to Coyote and that's what happened.>"

[Samantha McManus]

She smiled apologetically, and let the lesson continue.

[Nailah Weaver]

She lets the kids take a few more stabs and, to be fair to Sam, they're not all winners. Granted they're also little kids between 4 and 8 years. After a while she sends them off to see if they can figure it out until the next lesson, either by themselves or asking others or in a group.

"I apologize. Should not have sprung question on you but thought maybe you wanted to be part of lesson..."

[Samantha McManus]

"It's alright, and I think we've established that I'm not that wise as of yet."

[Nailah Weaver]

"Is easier when you grow up with stories."

[Samantha McManus]

"It's alright. I improvised. It wasn't the first I've done that, today." She said, looking down at what she was wearing.

[Nailah Weaver]

"Look good on you. More like one of our kind now." she smiles.

[Samantha McManus]

"They smell like you, though. It's... comforting."

[Nailah Weaver]

"Oh... Thank you..." she blushes slightly. "Good nose like this too."

[Samantha McManus]

"Didn't always, but after awhile living like this, it never quite seems to leave."

[Nailah Weaver]

"Maybe annoying sometimes, but nice last night." she smiles faintly.

[Samantha McManus]

"I'll do my best not to embarrass you in front of your people, though."

[Nailah Weaver]

"Would be nice but probably happen." she chuckles.

[Samantha McManus]

"Thank you for the vote of confidence," she chuckled.

[Nailah Weaver]

"Would be the same if I was with your people. You are doing fine. Trying is important, not being good at once."

[Samantha McManus]

"So this is what you do?"

[Nailah Weaver]

"Other things too but teach young ones, yes. Make sure they know of spirits. Hunting and weaving and cooking they learn from others when older. Then go out gather herbs and helpful plants, that how I found you, advise Chief when he has question. Sometimes ask spirits directly if something important."

[Samantha McManus]

"So you weren't exaggerating. They honor you here."

[Nailah Weaver]

"Is... complicated. See me as two people a bit. Shaman who is honored and opinion valued but also know I'm young for shaman and see that."

[Samantha McManus]

"It's not their decision who the spirits call..."

[Nailah Weaver]

She chuckles. "No. And they not unhappy with it. Just sometimes I notice. And don't mind. Am still my own person, shaman or no."

[Samantha McManus]

"And none of them will question you about whose tent I just came out of?"

[Nailah Weaver]

"They... might." she admits. "But maybe you only there to change into clothes of mine, yes? Better not say truth before they see you a little more like one of us."

[Samantha McManus]

"I wasn't about to go telling tales," she said with a faint smile.

[Nailah Weaver]

She nods. "Give time so they accept you for more than Dreamwalking."

"Would be best if you take part in everyday things, but not sure what you can do..."

[Samantha McManus]

"Lived on my own for years. I don't know if I do things the right way for you, but I can help out."

[Nailah Weaver]

"Ask if they let you hunt with them." she nods. "Be... uhm... humble? They intimidated by Skinwalker and more because you woman so is polite to let them think they in charge even if you are spirit-touched and hunt your own way. Is silly but they proud."

[Samantha McManus]

"True. Maybe they shouldn't see how I hunt."

[Nailah Weaver]

"You skinwalk for hunt?"

[Samantha McManus]

"Quieter than a gun."