Tatsuwa's Cloud

Tatsuwa's Cloud

By Kitty Sutton

         

         Tatsuwa (Raven) gathered pieces of his regalia laying them on his buffalo sleeping robe in the order, he would put each item on.  It was early morning.  The village was just stirring from sleep.  It was an important day for he would dance for the tribe.  All the people, parents and the old ones would participate in this end of season dance before the tribe moved to their winter hunting ground.

         The day was special to Tatsuwa for he would be joined with a mate.  The lovely Tsitsi (Wren) agreed to join with him and start a new family.

         On every buffalo hunt, he made at least one kill, if not more, so when time for joining came Tatsuwa would have the needed skins for their lodge.  Lodge poles were harder to come by, out on the prairie.  His friend Kanunu (Bullfrog), gave him a gift of four poles.  It was Kanunu's joining gift to Tatsuwa and Tsitsi.

         It was a perfect day.  The air was warm, not hot like in the middle of summer on the prairie.  He would be able to dance for many hours without tiring.

         Tatsuwa stepped out of his uncle's lodge, heading for the nearby creek to begin cleansing his mind and body.  His joy was almost boundless as he walked toward the creek running by the camp.  Just as he approached the dip in the land where the water was running shallow, he noticed that in a very small part of the eastern sky was a faint looming dark cloud.  Almost unnoticeable.  Odd he thought.  Storms have never come from the east before.  Maybe it is a small storm up from the south going north and this is the far edge of it.  Tatsuwa dismissed it from his mind.

         Tatsuwa was now in his eighteenth summer.  Taller than the other young men of his tribe, he could run faster, jump higher and dance longer.  His uncle was Chief, having replaced his father who died last summer.  Tatsuwa was next in line.

         Tsitsi, now fourteen summers, was in her first year of womanhood.  She was known to be modest, strong and fearless.  She was considered a valuable member of the tribe.

         As Tatsuwa entered the camp again he felt a tug on his elbow.  He turned to find Tsitsi, who looked at him briefly in the eyes before casting hers down.

         “Tatsuwa, do I find you well today?”  she asked.

         “Yes,” he chuckled.

         “I would like to speak with you Tatsuwa.  I am troubled,” she raised her clear dark eyes to him as she spoke.

         Tatsuwa was happy to talk with her anytime, even now on this special day.  He quickly led her to a place behind his uncle's lodge.

         She spoke, before he had a chance to ask what the problem was.

         “Tatsuwa, have you seen that dark cloud in the eastern sky?  When I look at that cloud I feel frightened.  Rain does not usually come from the sunrise place.  The old ones say it is nothing, but I cannot shake off this feeling that something is coming.  Something that is not good, coming from an unusual place,” she said as she placed her small smooth hand on his bare arm.

         “Yes, I noticed the cloud.  I did think it odd, but you say the old ones do not worry?”  he replied now with a worried line on his forehead.

         Tatsuwa looked again at the cloud to see that it was bigger and darker.  Tsitsi gazed at him with earnest eyes, and waited for his council.  He thought for a moment, and then spoke in more of a whisper.

         “It is possible that this thing is for you and me to see and worry about.  Let us be cautious this day.  Keep alert for any threat, I will do the same.  Since it is we who are worried over this cloud, then maybe it is we who will see the trouble as well.  Let us continue with our preparations.  As we fulfill our duties, let us find each other with our eyes many times, for I think that if this cloud means trouble for us, we will need to be together to meet the challenge,” and with that he departed to finish dressing for the dance.

         The day continued to be bright, mild and pleasant with the People enjoying all the activities, proceeding without incident.  Tatsuwa and Tsitsi found each other with their gazes several times.  It seemed that few noticed the cloud, and it's increasing size.  The couple was beginning to think that they were the only ones to see it, and if others did see it, they did not feel it's foul portent.

         At midday the joining was ready, and the couple continued through the ceremony, only they feeling the mounting anguish bearing down on the tribe.  Feasting followed.  Late in the afternoon the dancers prepared to begin.  The drummers took their places around the large dance drum covered with buffalo rawhide.  Soon a low slow beat began as dancers entered the dance circle.  The singers began their chant, and the drum, dancers and singers increased in pitch and speed.

         Tsitsi suddenly could feel a tingly sensation in the air.  Immediately, she looked to the dance circle and ran to Tatsuwa.

         “It is time.  I can feel it.  Something is here almost upon us,” she shouted to be heard over the drum and singers.

         The drumming stopped as all looked around questioning what had stopped their celebration.  In the hush of the moment, Tatsuwa could hear a tinkling sound.  He took Tsitsi's hand, and together they ran toward the sound, stopping at the edge of the camp.

         Tatsuwa could barely see a head coming into view.  Much taller than the surrounding tall grass, moving in a strange loping way.  They could hear a sound like hooves striking the ground, much the same as a walking buffalo might make.

         Soon more heads appeared, all bright and glittering.  All the heads were attached to shiny bodies that rode some sort of large beast like gigantic elk.  Tatsuwa counted six of the shiny ones on the beasts, and one walking that was clothed quite differently.  This one wore black made of a material he had never seen before, and it appeared that his skin was very light.  The tinkling sound was coming from several long beaded strands attached to the black-robe's round waist.

         The visitors stopped a few yards from the couple which remained quiet.  The black-robe began to make hand signs.  Signs that they could understand.

         The black-robe said, “I am friend.  These with me are warriors for my protection.  Do not be afraid.  I come to help you to believe in a new god.  One that is better than your gods and stronger.  I also come to help you to stop living like animals.  I will help you.  I can save you by magic words and water.  Let me stay that I may teach you who you should worship and how you should live.”

         The couple looked at each other in disbelief.  What can this one be talking about?

         Just at this moment, warriors of the tribe crept forward, not knowing what to expect.  Unsure how to defend the tribe.

         Tatsuwa's uncle, the Chief, stepped to the front and began to sign his displeasure wildly.  “We do not know you, we do not want you.  Take your magic and your terrible man beasts away from us.”

         As the Chief lost his composure, he pulled his knife from its sheath and raised it high.  He did not get to make a step before a loud deafening noise with a puff of smoke issued from a stick that one of the shiny men carried.  The black robe grabbed the end of his dangling beads, and held up a shiny object something like the four directions symbol, while backing up against the beasts behind him.  The Chief fell at Tatsuwa's feet, his face now unrecognizable.

         Now, all stood still, only the crickets chirping in the tall grass as the remnants of the loud noise echoing off the hills and nearby lodges combined with the cumulative gasp that issued from the People.  Without realizing it, Tatsuwa had taken Tsitsi's hand, and simultaneously their eyes were drawn to the dark menacing cloud looming, now almost taking a quarter of the eastern sky.

         Tatsuwa raised his hand so that all the tribe could see.  No person made a move, no sound from the People's lips.  This was like a dream, a bad dream.  Unthinkable.  Unreal.

         Tatsuwa and Tsitsi stepped forward together.  The black robe was trembling violently now.

         “You must leave us and never return here again.  If you return, we will kill you and burn your beasts.  We will put your heads on a stake for all to spit at.  We do not kill you now for I believe that we had been warned, but did not obey.  You have killed our Chief, and now I am Chief.  My word is law.  Go,” Tatsuwa signed as he spoke the message.

         “It was not our intention to kill your Chief, but remember this.  More of our people will come.  More than the hands can count, and you will have to learn our ways.  Our tribe has conquered this land, and it now belongs to us,” the black-robe signed.

         “I know nothing of who you are.  We are the People.  No one owns the land, not the People, not you.  The Creator decides this for us.  Now, if you do not go, I will not be able to hold my people back,” said Tatsuwa.

         The visitors slowly backed away.  One of the shiny men pulled the black-robe up onto his beast, and they began to move away very fast with their hard hooves making a staccato sound on the parched ground.

         Tatsuwa signaled for Tsitsi to have the women take his uncle's body to be prepared for his journey.  Then, he slowly walked to the abandoned dance circle and began to chant and dance.  Tatsuwa danced while facing the black cloud. He danced for hours as the People watched the black cloud begin to move away.  They chanted with him, lending him their hearts and strength.

         When the cloud was gone, Tatsuwa knew that it would come again.  Maybe not in his time, but soon enough.  He knew that the People were in grave danger, but for now he would have to be satisfied with passing down the warning to be told over the camp fires of the future, and it would be called the story of Tatsuwa's Cloud.


Word Count 1818