At last the people neared, in the middle of plains to the eastward, great towns built in the heights. But in these times the thoughts of their warriors were always those of the eagle or mountain lion or other fierce creatures of prey. Of those they met it was "See, now! If I can seize and overthrow him and eat of his substance, feeding also my kind!" This was all they thought.

   Great were the fields and possessions of this people, for they knew how to command and carry the waters, bringing new soil; and this too without hail or rain. So, our ancients, hungry with long wandering for new food, were the more greedy, and gave them battle. Now as these people of the highlands and cliffs were of the elder nations of men and ¥vere allied to the Akaka-kwe (the Man-soul 1) 1nce-gods) themselves, these onr peol)'le, cre they had done, were well nigh finished of figllting. I~ or it was here that the K8y7.1kweina 6ksyatsilii, or AnGient AVomall of the ~'yakweina, who carried her heart in her rattle an(l was deathless of wounds in the body, led the enemy, crying out shrilly; all of which, yea and more, beyond the words of a sitting, is told in other speeches of our ancient talks, those of the Ka'ka. Thus, it fell out ill for the fighting of our impetuous ancients; for, moreover, thun(ler raged and confused their warriors~~ rain descended and blinded them, stretchillg their bow-strings of sinew, and quenching the llight of their arrows as the ilight of bees is quenched by the sprinkling plume of the honey hunter. But the strong 'Elleetokwe devised bowstrings of yucca, and the Two Ijittle Ones sought counsel of the Sun father, who revealed the life-secret of the Demoness and the magic power over the under-fires (koltne) of the dwellers in the mountains an(l cliffs; so that after certain days the enemy in the mountain tOWII were overmastered. And because our people found in that great town some survivors hidden deep in the cellars thereof, and plucked them forth as rats are pulled from a hollow cedar, and found them blackened by the fumes of their own war-magic, yet comely and wiser than the cornmon lot of mell withal, they spared them and called them the Kwinikwa. kwe (Black people), and received them into their kin of the Black Corn.



©1996, Richard Hooker

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