Page 27 of Citiali: Teach
Axe steps in front of me. “Touch is felt by him. Too much and you’ll drain him.”
I nod and step to his side. “I can shield but too much is too much.” I send energy out feeling it. “It’s a happy energy I feel. Content is always a good way to leave a gathering. Be sure to show appreciation to the ancestors for bringing us together.”
They surprise me moving around us with the group. Okay then.
Axe laughs and I give him a shove. Shit. “Sorry, Michaels.”
He straightens Axe up and smiles my way. “I’d do the same but he’d blast me. Thanks for this. Atseeltsoi is excited and will ask his questions in the chat. He said your brother is a red-tailed hawk.”
I smile. “He is. Atohi is a Warrior Teacher. Now second to Andrew in Virginia.”
He winces. I shake my head. “They brought the Officer compound together and it’s working well.”
“That’s good. I just wanted to thank you for this. The kids don’t all remember their tribe and White Wave has storiespassed down or from books. This is going to give them all a connection to what they’ve only read about.”
I touch his shoulder. “We do it together. I didn’t live on the reservation so I don’t know that life either. I’m just as excited to learn.”
“I’m glad you’re here, Brother. I need to find the kids before Kristoff quits on me.”
I nod not understanding that. Parker and a dog step closer. “I want to be Indian.”
Axe laughs and I swat back at him. “Welcome to our tribe, Parker. I bet you have traditions you can share with us.”
His eyes light up as if he expected me to say no. “I teach the dogs and build bikes and know how to make food in the kitchen and help with my brother-twin-nephews.” He’s cute showing me his fingers as he lists his qualifications.
I hold my laugh at the long word he spouted fast but don’t ask. “Those are all good things to know. Did you work in the kitchen?”
“Alpha Club and here I have a job. Larry comes to show me how to make new food. I made ambrosia with coconut, pineapple and marshmallows. It sounds gross but the Brothers ate it all.”
I laugh. “It sounds weird but Brothers like different food. What’s your favorite?”
“Granola bars but I make them with the Alpha-Bits. Nova took me to Elan so I could learn from Jane. She’s good at them and I’m big so I squish them good.”
I love this Brother. “It’s a good thing you’re big. Can you make granola for next week? Not too much, just for the people that show to the meeting. It’s a good way to meet the people in your new tribe.”
He takes quick steps to the side then runs. “I have to tell Nova, and Mikey and Garren and Michael!” He stops short andan Indian woman steadies him. “Oh, Oh! I can call Alex, he’s a Prince and knows about Indians.”
Axe laughs. “Tell Alex I said hi, Brother. He definitely knows Indians.”
Parker turns toward us and I see the woman’s smile. She loves the big guy too. “I’ll tell him, Axe!” His excitement has me laughing as the Brother is running away again.
“He’s cute. Thanks for the help here, Brother. I need to get back. I promised the Alpha-Bits some time.”
He pushes my shoulder. “Go. I got shit to do before meeting Nash at Alpha.”
“Later.” I turn and blank the thought of the girl I saw in Virginia. “Dyani, did you have questions?”
Her smile throws light into her eyes. “No, you answered everything. I was going to ask if you need help with the meetings.”
“I’m sure I will but that isn’t tonight. It’s new so it needs fine tuning. I’ve got a week to do that. Do you know your tribe and…” I stop with her laugh. It’s a pretty sound and her face changes to much younger with that little laugh.
“You don’t read unless it’s open to you. I remember now. I’m Cherokee from Tahlequah Oklahoma.” Her name is deer in Cherokee but I just assumed that she is from the east.
I’m shocked. The Indian Removal Act, Trail of Tears, genocide of eastern tribes, while being moved to the other side of the Mississippi River, is a painful part of our being. Time diminishes that pain from being physical but our hearts feel it. The idea that genocide of our people happened for no other reason than greed, is never forgotten and serves as a lesson to us all. Greed almost wiped out our existence, nothing is worth more than our family, our people.
The government didn’t learn our lessons. In 1832 Samuel Worcester, a missionary, testified before the Supreme Court onbehalf of the Cherokee, only because he was living with them. The Supreme Court originally wouldn’t hear the case of non-citizens. In the end, the court ruled Georgia’s laws undermining federally protected treaties granting Cherokee sovereignty were unconstitutional, giving Cherokee a huge victory. It was short lived because the Senate passed a treaty law three years later stating Native Tribes had two years to move. Our history is littered with sad land and water battles but the Trail of Tears is one of the worst, because despite what American history books show, many tribes were evicted from the parceled out land the federal government allowed us in treaties. I can count on one hand the few tribes that were able to stay on their granted land.
Her serious expression tells me she knows the history and feels what we all do about it. “Do you have family to contact?”
