|
|
|
|
|
Listen as Lawrence Aripa shares the important family story of Four Smokes. Why did the Schitsu'umsh go on the difficult and dangerous journey to buffalo country? What lessons from this story can be applied to your own life? Part 1 (originally developed as part of the 1993 Me-Y-Mi-Ym Project; recorded and edited by Dan Kane; project director Rodney Frey)
|
 | | Ann Antelope Samuels, ca. 1997 |
A common theme in the oral traditions is the account of a human hero. These stories often involve a young boy, who in the face of the intimidation from a camp bully or certain defeat at the hands of an enemy uses his courage and tenacity to overcome his adversary. This theme is well illustrated in the Schitsu'umsh story of Four Smokes. While in Crow country and with the men of the camp out buffalo hunting, the camp becomes surrounded by enemy warriors. A young boy, "tall for his age," is asked to "use a stick as if a rifle," and attempt to divert the warriors away from the camp while the rest of his family escapes. Out of care for his family, the young boy reluctantly accepts. But he also knows that the Crows are great marksmen and that he will surely be killed. On each of four attempts, the young boy gives a war cry and, with lead bullets flying about him, runs to a nearby bush. On each occasion he makes it to the brush "without a scratch." The warriors come to believe that this "man" has "special powers," and they give up on their raid. That evening in a council of elders the young boy is given the name, Four Smokes, in honor of the four times the Crow rifles discharged gun smoke but failed to hit the boy, thus saving his family.
|
|
Lawrence Aripa continues telling of Four Smokes. Part 2 |
© Coeur d'Alene Tribe 2002
< previous |
next >
|
|
|
