Liberty’s Reward

 

They stopped on the bluff and looked toward where the sun sat each day, today was slightly different however. They knew they were at the edge of Shawnee land, to the north were the lands of the Miami and ahead was the Illinois, or at least that was what they had been told before they left the last Shawnee village.

Pale Bear and his wife Elk Woman (now with their first child) were heading toward the setting sun to be as far away as they could from any contact with the advancing English settlers that Pale Bear wanted to avoid. Pale Bear now almost never thought of himself as William Fowler, but that is who he once was not all that long ago. An English indentured servant who had escaped from Virginia. He had decided to leave their Shawnee home and friends because he did not want to bring any trouble upon the people he now called family.

Now choices needed to be made, directly to the setting sun or somewhat to one side or the other. Pale Bear wanted to be a lot farther from the Shawnee but also knew they needed to be somewhere safe long before winter set in. Elk Woman would need female help and they both needed to be settled in a village if possible for combined survival, now to include an oncoming child. Alone the starving time might be their end.

“What do you think my husband?” Elk Woman asked as she looked over to Pale Bear.

“I am thinking we follow what I remember Grey Hawk told us of the tribe that was close to some large river to the left of the setting sun from here, as he heard about over the winters of time.” Pale Bear replied to her as he kept looking in front of them in that direction.

“Do you think they will welcome us, being as we are Shawnee and not of their related tribe?” She asked.

“That we cannot know for sure, we can br respectful and hope. There has been no war or reprisals between our two people that we know of so there is every possibility of a place for us to at least be near through the starving time and while you birth our child. Then in the green moon we can move on if we need to.” Pale Bear answered her finally turning on his horse to look at his wife.

“My husband this sounds good to me.” Elk Woman finally said.

With this they nudged the sides of their mounts and started their descent down the slope and just to the left of where the sun would go behind the earth’s surface at sundown. They rode on all morning and until the sun was somewhat past full in the sky, before stopping a while by a small stream and walking around as a rest from being on horseback for hours.

The country here was pleasant and very similar to that where they met and had lived. Not yet had they come into territory that was totally unfamiliar in vegetation or topography, thus they did not feel tryly ill at ease yet. They had some uneasiness about what might lay ahead in that they would be meeting peoples of an unfamiliar tribe in that tribes territory without invitation and unaware of that peoples traditions and customs.

After a well needed rest they remounted and continued in the direction they had agreed upon until the sun was beginning its descent to the horizon. Here they found a likely spot to stop for the night where water was available nearby. The sky had been clear so there was no indication of needing shelter from any oncoming weather.

After a warm meal that Elk Woman prepared for them with the horses grazing nearby and settled so far for the night they relaxed and talked again of what the next day might bring. They lay down on their robes held each other close as they slowly drifted into sleep, of those in unfamiliar territory but yet tired of the journey all day.

Pale Bear and Elk Woman traveled this way for the next three days and then as they topped a small rise in a clearing of the trees ahead they saw men and women working in a field. They were seen at about the same time and people stopped working and looking their way and gesturing to each other. Pale bear raised his arm in the trader’s sign of greeting. Eventually one of the men returned it. Pale Bear and his wife started down the slope shortly afterwards to meet these people.

When they stopped near the now amassed growers Pale Bear and Elk Woman dismounted their horses and walked close to the group of people slowly with their hands raised in friendly greeting. As they stopped Pale Bear made the traders sign language for greetings and then pointing to himself and his wife spoke their names in Shawnee. The man in the front of the growers then spoke in a language that Pale Bear and Elk Woman did not understand. As they are standing there a woman in the back of the growers speaks in Shawnee.

“He has said his name is Running Fox, I do not intend to intrude but I understand your language.” The woman said to both men.

“Thank you, we do not speak your language nor are we sure which nation we are in for sure. May I ask your name, is that allowed?” Pale Bear asks.

The rest of the growers are now looking between Pale Bear and the woman, then between the woman and the man who first spoke as those two speak to each other before the woman turns back to Pale Bear.

“My name is Morning Sparrow and I was with some of your Shawnee people when I was small. Most forgot that until I spoke because I have been back and here for many winters now. Running Fox says to bid you welcome to our lands you appear to come peacefully. We are the Cahokia people and are part of the Illinois nation of peoples.” Morning Sparrow told them. “I will interpret your words if that is acceptable to you.”

“I will be in your debt Morning Sparrow as will my wife Elk Woman, Thank you.” Pale Bear replied.

“Running Fox thinks I should take into our village and introduce you to our leaders. We can go as soon as you are ready.” Morning Sparrow said.

As they started to take their horses leads and walk both Pale Bear and Elk Woman greeted many there in traders sings and nodded glances. As the three walked they talked about this land and the Cahokia people. After they rounded a bend in the trail they got their first glimpse of the village, it was somewhat different from those of the Shawnee. The lodges were different not the same wikkums as Pale Bear had grown used to.

As they neared a larger structure a crowd had started to form in the village and some had run ahead to the larger lodge. As the three stopped outside the lodge two men and another woman had just stepped outside to face them. Morning Sparrow spoke with the three for a few moments then turned to Pale Bear and Elk Woman and spoke now so that everyone gathered could hear her words.

“Pale Bear and Elk Woman this is our chief Badger Paw, his wife Shining Star and our medicine man Rutting Antelope. They welcome you to our village and ask for what purpose you have come.” Morning Sparrow said flatly but distinctly.

“My greetings to Badger Paw, Shining Star and Rutting Antelope, We are moving toward the setting sun and would like to request two allowances if they can agree. First as can be seen Elk Woman is with our first child and I would like us to be allowed to rest here or near until the child’s birth sometime around the end of the starving time for she may need the help of other women. Second I would like to trade with your people some, share news of the lands to the sunrise and gain any knowledge I can of the lands farther along our trail. I will work as any of your men do, and we will not make ourselves a burden to any here. We will follow all of your customs as we are made known of them and honor your traditions.” Pale Bear spoke just as loudly as Morning Sparrow had so all could hear. He saw his wife was pleased but not showing much signs of emotion to anyone who did not know her.

There was considerable conversation all around them for some time after Pale Bear stopped talking. He and Elk Woman were mostly focused on that being said between the three in front of them and Morning Sparrow. After a while Morning Sparrow nodded her head to Badger Paw and then turned to Pale Bear and Elk Woman.

“Badger Paw has asked for you to stay at least until a council tonight here in his lodge. I am to show you to an unused lodge until then and he says if you wish to trade some until then he thinks the people here would be glad of the diversion. Tonight what you have asked will be openly discussed by all and we will feast on this occasion of your visit at least.” She said.

Pale Bear and Elk Woman nodded to Badger Paw, Shining Star and Rutting Antelope before they turned to follow Morning Sparrow to the empty lodge.

After settling some of their things in the lodge knowing they would at least be allowed a nights’ sleep, Elk Woman started to prepare them a midday meal while Pale Bear spread some of their extra belongings out on a robe for some of the Cahokia to see.

Elk Woman asked Morning Sparrow to stay and she accepted, so the two women talked as the meal was prepared. A couple of other women came by bringing some wood and food for them to make it easier and stayed to talk awhile as they did.

A few men stopped by during the day sat down and through the use of trader’s sign language a few arrow points and skins were exchanged between Pale Bear and them, each trade seemed to end with both men pleased.

Around dusk people started to gather around the chief’s lodge, Morning Sparrow brought Pale Bear and Elk Woman there with her and seated them close to where Badger Paw was seated.

The council was long with many people speaking, and even more asking questions of Pale Bear, Morning Sparrow at times had a hard time keeping all the questions and answers straight to the right people. Finally Badger Paw stood spoke to his combined people then turned to Pale Bear and Elk Woman and spoke directly to them for a short while before nodding to Morning Sparrow.

“Badger Paw is happy to allow you and your wife the lodge you are now in for as much time to come as you would like. He has heard many good things here tonight from the men who have traded with you today and from the women who were with Elk Woman and I for a while this sun waning time. Some of the women and Rutting Antelope have offered any help they can when the birthing time comes.” Morning Sparrow concluded saying

Pale Bear told everyone how indebted he was to them all and humble by their most generous offer to two unknown strangers.

Over the next several months he and Elk Woman made many friends in the village. They heard tales of the peoples ancestors who it was told were a powerful people many generations before any alive could remember and as the starving time ended were taken to great mud mounds now unused and grown over with grass and trees. But no one knew what they had been for or how long ago they were built. The oral histories eluded to the ones who built them as having angered the gods and losing all their power, but that they were long ago ancestors of the Cahokia themselves.

On a beautiful morning as the sun was rising toward the land of the Shawnee where Pale Bear and Elk Woman had come from. After a long night of hard labor in the lodge by Elk Woman with Morning Sparrow, Shining Star and a couple of other women with her. Pale Bear, Badger Paw and Running Fox finally heard the cries of a new life inside Pale Bears lodge just as they saw an owl headed into the trees to find his roost for the day.

“You have a son Pale Bear and Elk Woman is fine.” Shining Star came out and told them then turned and went back inside.

There was much back slapping and sighs of friendship between the men before Badger Paw asked Pale Bear what he would call his son.

“Owl’s Wing I think” he answered “I am sure Elk Woman will Like that”

“That is a good name, and a good omen from our mother” Badger Paw said.

“Yes my chief and friend, he will make a good Cahokia.” Pale Bear answered.