There came a time when the people for whom Síweluhsiwa and Síwiluhsitsa had gone to seek the way, could delay no longer and wait for them; for, hearing the earth rumble, the Two Beloved and their Warrior-leaders of the Knife summoned the tribes forth to journey again. Now in those days the people had grown so vast of number that they could no longer journey together; but they travelled in great companies like herds of bison severed when too numerous for the grass of a single plain. The Bearers of the Ice-wands and the Ancient Brotherhood of the Knife led the clans of the Bear, the Crane, the Grouse and others of the People of Winter (and in small part others, too), through the northernmost valleys, carrying in their midst the precious m&úetone . The Fathers of the People, Keepers of the seed, and the Ancient Brotherhood of Priests led the clans of the Macaw and other Summer people (and in part others still) through the middle valleys, carrying in their midst the precious k'áetone . They, being deliberate and wise, sought the pathway between the northward and the southward for the place of the Midde.

   The Seed-fathers of the Seed-kin, the Keepers of Fire, and the Ancient Brotherhood of Paíyatuma (Néwe-kwe) led the All-seed clans, the Sun, Badger and other Summer people (not of the Midmost), through the southern valleys, carrying in their midst the precious chúetone .

   Leading them all, whether through the northern ways, through the middle ways, or through the southern ways, now here, now there, were the Two Beloved ones, and with them their Warriors of the Knife.

   Now although those who went by the northern way were called the Bear and Crane father-people, yet with them went some of all the clans, as the Parrot-macaws of the Middle, and the Yellow-corn ones of the Southern people.

   And although the People of the Middle way were called the Macaw father-people, yet with them went Bear and Crane people of the north, nevertheless, (a few) and Seed people of the south, also (a few) those of the White Corn.

   And although the people of the southern way were called the All-seed father-people, yet with them went a few of both the northern and the middle ways. And this was well! That even though any one of these bands might happen to be divided through wildness of the way or stress of war, they pathless might retain, each of them, the seed of all the kin-lines. Moreover, this of itself speedily came to be, through the mingling of the clans from one to another in the strands of marriage.

   And although the peoples journeyed apart, descending from the westward the valleys toward north and toward south, like gathering streams from a wide rain-storm, yet also like rain-streams gathering in some great river or lagoon, so they came together and thus lived in seasons of rest. Strong and impetuous, the Bear kindred on the one hand were the first to move and farthest to journey; on the other hand the Seed kindred led the way; whereas, the heart of them all, the Macaw kindred, deliberately (as was their custom) pursued the middle course of the Sun-father.

   In such order, then, they came, in time, within sight of the great divided mountain of the Kâ'yemäshi. Seeing smoke and mist rising from it, they all, one after another, hastened there. The Bear peoples were first to approach, and their dismay was great when, on descending into the plain, they beheld a broad river, flowing, not as other waters would do in that land, from east to west, but straight across their pathway, from the south to the north. And see! on the farther side were the mysterious mountains they sought, but between them swiftly rolled these wide turbid waters, red with the soil of those plains.





©1996, Richard Hooker

For information contact: Richard Hines
Updated 6-6-1999