The first fire
8:00 A.M Thursday, August 16
“Thunder Chief we need food”, said the young fisherman. “So you and your son go catch some fish, you are one of the fishermen of Chippewa Tribe right”, said the Thunder Chief. “Yes, Yes, and we did, but the white government threatened to kill us if we didn’t give them the fish we caught”, said the young fisherman. “Did you try offering something you had”, said the Thunder Chief. “I offered some rice, but they took the bag and poured it all out on the ground”, said the young fisherman. “Selfish, ignorant people! Did you try offering something to give them, like clothes”, said the Thunder Chief. “All I have is bead work”, said the young fisherman. “Then I guess you can give them the beadwork since that’s all you have”, said the Thunder Chief. “I will try. I hope they will accept it”, said the young fisherman. The Chippewa fisherman goes down to the pond and goes up to the white government. “Here I will give you some of my finest beadery instead of fish”, said the young fisherman.
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| Native American Beads |
The white government took the beadery, and ripped the beadery apart. The white government said, “I will make you a deal. You bring your so called “Chief” to meet with me and I will give you all the food you want”. “But why do you want to meet with my Chief”? , said the young fisherman. “Because it would be such an honor to meet a Chief”, he said as he laughed and walked away.
“Thunder Chief come quick! I have caught the biggest fish you will ever see”, said the young fisherman. “The government did not take it away?”, asked the Thunder Chief. “No, I hid it in the bushes”, said the young fisherman. “Aren’t they always watching you young Chippewa”, said the Thunder Chief. “No, not this time”, said the young fisherman. “I don’t trust what you are saying, you have a distrustful look in your eyes”, said the Thunder Chief. “Please, Thunder Chief come with me so I can show you my big, big fish I caught”, said the young fisherman. The Thunder Chief comes out of his teepee and goes with the fisherman to the pond. “So you did bring this chief of yours”, said the white government. “Yes, isn’t that what you wanted”, asked the young fisherman. “Fisherman, I thought you said that you wanted to show me a fish”, asked the Thunder Chief. “I know, but the white government said he would give me all the food I wanted if we came down here”. “And you trusted him after he took all of your fish, poured out your rice, and broke your beads?”, said the Thunder Chief. “I was desperate”, said the young fisherman. “No, you were foolish”, said the Thunder Chief. “Sorry to interrupt, chief, but I think it is an honor to”….BOOM! The white government shoots the chief while laughing and gloating in his face. Dying the Thunder Chief says, ”tell my wife and kids I love them and will always be with them spiritually”. “Yes, Thunder Chief, I will do anything you say”, said the young fisherman. The young fisherman was crying. The fisherman yells at the white government man “you mean, evil person. Why would you do such a thing? Do you know how you’ve just hurt my tribe?”, said the young fisherman. “Like I care, your tribe is nothing to me”, said the white government. “This means war”, yelled the young fisherman. “Come on chief I am going to take you up to our village so we can pray then you are going to buried.
“Thunder Chief come quick! I have caught the biggest fish you will ever see”, said the young fisherman. “The government did not take it away?”, asked the Thunder Chief. “No, I hid it in the bushes”, said the young fisherman. “Aren’t they always watching you young Chippewa”, said the Thunder Chief. “No, not this time”, said the young fisherman. “I don’t trust what you are saying, you have a distrustful look in your eyes”, said the Thunder Chief. “Please, Thunder Chief come with me so I can show you my big, big fish I caught”, said the young fisherman. The Thunder Chief comes out of his teepee and goes with the fisherman to the pond. “So you did bring this chief of yours”, said the white government. “Yes, isn’t that what you wanted”, asked the young fisherman. “Fisherman, I thought you said that you wanted to show me a fish”, asked the Thunder Chief. “I know, but the white government said he would give me all the food I wanted if we came down here”. “And you trusted him after he took all of your fish, poured out your rice, and broke your beads?”, said the Thunder Chief. “I was desperate”, said the young fisherman. “No, you were foolish”, said the Thunder Chief. “Sorry to interrupt, chief, but I think it is an honor to”….BOOM! The white government shoots the chief while laughing and gloating in his face. Dying the Thunder Chief says, ”tell my wife and kids I love them and will always be with them spiritually”. “Yes, Thunder Chief, I will do anything you say”, said the young fisherman. The young fisherman was crying. The fisherman yells at the white government man “you mean, evil person. Why would you do such a thing? Do you know how you’ve just hurt my tribe?”, said the young fisherman. “Like I care, your tribe is nothing to me”, said the white government. “This means war”, yelled the young fisherman. “Come on chief I am going to take you up to our village so we can pray then you are going to buried.
6:00 A.M Friday, August 17
The warriors of Chippewa went to war with the government and his army. They were giving all their best, but it was just not enough. The Chippewa’s were dying and losing, but they weren’t going to give up. They did the sun dance and prayed to the spirits for help. Then, they sent the rest of their men to war. When there were only 26 men left, the Thunder Chief was watching from above and he was sad that his people were dying. He had an idea. He put all his power into six zigzag rods that later became known to us as lightning bolts.
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| Lightening |
He threw them down to earth and hit six trees. The six trees fell and caught on fire near the white governmentand his army. The white government had never heard such a loud noise or seen a fire, so he ordered his army to retreat.
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| Fire |
The Indians knew their prayer reached the Thunder Chief. They knew the Thunder Chief was the one who made the trees fall and catch on fire so they were not afraid of the fire.
Instead, they used the fires to cook their fish instead of eating it raw. They white government and his army never went near the Chippewa’s again.
THE END