Shaman Mask
In the next few days Snowy Owl reacquainted himself with the life of the village. Because he was under arrest by the chief, he didn’t have to work at the war lodge as before and spent much of the day with his mother. He was treated more like a visiting traveler than the high-ranking slave of his former life. He drew strength from her encouragement and always felt surer of his powers when he was near her. He made the walk to the village of Kashwik and saw her stringing clams for dying at the beach form afar.
He did not speak to her of course because that is not our way, but he was struck by how familiar she looked and was pleased with the choice of the elders. She stood tall and had fine facial features and her long, black hair reminded him of the night sky. He liked the way that she laughed with her sisters and other women helping her. She will make a fine wife. Naidah said that Kashwik is a slave taken from the Helisuk tribe – another people wiped out by the Tsonox when Namquaw first began his raids up and down the coast.
“Her people have a knowledge of the Creator and their heritage stories are like ours,” she told him with pride.
Not everyone in Raven’s Harbor was happy with his return. Braves could be heard complaining that a banished man could return and not be killed as is the Tsonox way. Snowy Owl felt their bitter stares as he walked between villages and knew that the only thing keeping them from ambushing him and tossing his dead body in the brush was the word of his friend N’ha-itk who announced that punishment would come in the jaws of Babakawquit himself.
It was reported to him that the braves in the war lodge doubted his stories of visiting the other worlds.
“He made up stories constantly when he lived with us. He refuses to follow the cutting rituals of union with the spirits, so how could he have supernatural power? He is a fake shaman and is fooling us with trickery. Why do the young girls pay attention to him. He is just a fancy painted slave boy,” they agreed with disgust.
The annual funeral is held one moon cycle after the snow is melted and morning when that day arrived, N’ha-itk called the elders and clan leaders together to test the sacred fire during a sweat house ceremony. N’ha-itk ordered a large sweat house be build behind the winter lodge in it’s usual location. He ordered that it be made of newly budding willow branches, fir boughs and mud and large enough for ten braves. It was built over a jade rock lined pit. When it was completed, a shaman dusted it with swan down feathers, walking around it five times and chanting the whale song.
Then the chief himself went into the winter lodge and took down the bear effigy that Snowy Owl had carved. Chanting the purity song, he held the carved figure with the clamshell in its mouth above his head and walked wearing a think cedar bark rope with charms around his waist to the sweat house. Snowy Owl watched with the crowd, still holding the status of a slave. Four clan elders, two warrior leaders and two young shaman came with him, shaking rattles and beating sacred drums and singing as they do each year.
Continued
He did not speak to her of course because that is not our way, but he was struck by how familiar she looked and was pleased with the choice of the elders. She stood tall and had fine facial features and her long, black hair reminded him of the night sky. He liked the way that she laughed with her sisters and other women helping her. She will make a fine wife. Naidah said that Kashwik is a slave taken from the Helisuk tribe – another people wiped out by the Tsonox when Namquaw first began his raids up and down the coast.
“Her people have a knowledge of the Creator and their heritage stories are like ours,” she told him with pride.
Not everyone in Raven’s Harbor was happy with his return. Braves could be heard complaining that a banished man could return and not be killed as is the Tsonox way. Snowy Owl felt their bitter stares as he walked between villages and knew that the only thing keeping them from ambushing him and tossing his dead body in the brush was the word of his friend N’ha-itk who announced that punishment would come in the jaws of Babakawquit himself.
It was reported to him that the braves in the war lodge doubted his stories of visiting the other worlds.
“He made up stories constantly when he lived with us. He refuses to follow the cutting rituals of union with the spirits, so how could he have supernatural power? He is a fake shaman and is fooling us with trickery. Why do the young girls pay attention to him. He is just a fancy painted slave boy,” they agreed with disgust.
The annual funeral is held one moon cycle after the snow is melted and morning when that day arrived, N’ha-itk called the elders and clan leaders together to test the sacred fire during a sweat house ceremony. N’ha-itk ordered a large sweat house be build behind the winter lodge in it’s usual location. He ordered that it be made of newly budding willow branches, fir boughs and mud and large enough for ten braves. It was built over a jade rock lined pit. When it was completed, a shaman dusted it with swan down feathers, walking around it five times and chanting the whale song.
Then the chief himself went into the winter lodge and took down the bear effigy that Snowy Owl had carved. Chanting the purity song, he held the carved figure with the clamshell in its mouth above his head and walked wearing a think cedar bark rope with charms around his waist to the sweat house. Snowy Owl watched with the crowd, still holding the status of a slave. Four clan elders, two warrior leaders and two young shaman came with him, shaking rattles and beating sacred drums and singing as they do each year.
Continued
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