Survivors

Once there was an island in the middle of the ocean, far away from the mainland. This island was blessed with a warm climate, many fruit bearing trees, and colorful singing birds.

Many generations ago, the tribe of my people discovered this island, and saw that it was good. They packed up all of their belongings and moved the tribe to the island.

Once the people finished building the huts for their village and planting their gardens, they had much free time to enjoy life. They would pass most of their day singing, dancing, and making love on the beach; spending only as much time working as was necessary to tend their gardens and catch fish to eat. Life was good on the island, and went on this way for many years.

One day a large wooden ship arrived on the beach. Strange looking pale men with hairy faces, their bodies wrapped in thin colorful skins, walked onto the shore. They started pointing sharp metal sticks at us, and shouting strange words. We did not know what to do, we were very afraid.

Two of the strangers, one clothed all in black, one who looked similar to us, approached our chief. The black robed man spoke some strange words, the other one translated into a language we could mostly understand: "Our Father says you must not lie in the sand naked, mating like animals, and wasting your lives. We will teach you to be civilized, and in return you will provide us with food for our stay here, and more for us to take when we leave on our travels."

The chief said he would help to feed the strangers, but we had no need for clothing or civilization. The black robed man angrily spoke, and the other translated: "You will do as we say, or you will die as heathens!"

One of the strangers threw a pile of filthy rags in the sand at our feet. "You must cover your bodies as we do, to be civilized! Have you no shame for your nakedness?"

At first we resisted, but the strangers pointed metal spears at us, forcing us to wear the clothing. Then they forced us to harvest much of our fruit, and cut down many of our trees to build huts to house the strangers. There was much sadness in my tribe.

One day one of the strangers came running into the village, holding something in his hands, and laughing and shouting like a madman. The other strangers gathered around him, and got very excited as he held up a large shiny yellow rock.

The strangers forced us to go with them into the mountains, carrying our gathering sacks and digging sticks. We dug many yellow rocks from the earth, and carried them back to the village for the strangers.

That night the strangers built a large fire, and laughed and sang as they gorged themselves on our food. They brought ashore wooden containers, from which they poured a clear brown liquid. As they drank it, it appeared to make them crazy. Their leader offered some to our chief. He tasted it and spat it on the ground, yelling that it had burned his mouth. The strangers laughed at him.

Later on, some of the crazy men came into our village and attacked our women in their huts, forcing themselves upon them. When our men tried to defend the women, the strangers attacked, cutting them with their metal spears. One of our men was killed.

As shaman for our tribe, I decided it was time to ask the help of the gods. I went into the forest and built a small fire in the sacred clearing. I chanted and poured the dried herbs onto the fire, and breathed in the vapors. Soon the visions were upon me.

I saw the boat of strangers sailing away, filled with our food and sacks of yellow rocks. I saw many boats with many more strangers arriving later. I saw the people of my tribe clothed in rags, sick and dying, and forced to dig the yellow rocks from the earth for all the new strangers. I saw our forest of fruit trees disappear, and our people starving. I was very sad... Then I saw a vision of the pig hunt, our tribesmen killing many sleeping pigs. I knew then what we must do.

I walked back into the village in the early time before sunrise. All was quiet, except for the soft sorrowful cries of our women. I gathered the strongest tribesmen and told them to bring their pig-killing clubs.

We crept quietly into the camp of the strangers. They did not hear us; the brown liquid that made them crazy also made them sleep. On my signal we beat on their heads with our clubs, pounding them into the sand. We then took their spears and thrust them into their chests.

We dragged away their bodies and buried them in our gardens, as food for our plants. We took all the yellow rocks back into the mountains and buried them in the earth. We took all of the clothing they made us wear and piled it on the boat in the harbor, then we set the boat on fire.

We have rid ourselves of almost everything that had to do with the strangers, and life on our island is now nearly back to normal. We kept their metal spears, though. If any more strangers arrive, we will be ready.