Badger Mask Continued
Somkin took the pipe away when the sound of drum and chanting of the welcoming elders could be heard growing nearer to the platform. Soon three finely dressed men approached along the houses on the opposite side of the beached canoe. It was Grandfather Whirlwind, Chief Tseycum and the high shaman named Mowa'kek singing the welcome song and shaking good fortune rattles. Four slaves followed a few steps behind beating drums.
The old man and the chief each held speaking sticks and wore badger skins and head crests and the shaman, crowned with many raven feathers, was draped with a rough bark cloak tied with a belt. Like other shaman, Mowa'kek's uncut hair and beard made him look more like a wild animal than a man and every part of his face and arms were covered with tattoos and magic symbols. His eyes were reddened and outlined by deep black lines -- signs that he had spent many days and night communing with the spirits.
Still singing the three reached the platform when the white haired chief lifted up his badger head speaking stick saying, "More than thirty seasons have passed between us son of Klauck. We welcome you and your children -- for we share the same long ago fathers who broke out of creation's clam shell to walk on these shores. May you hide under the wings of our Protector Raven this night and always."
Young women gave each of the guests blue shell necklaces, touching their necks warmly and smiling. Some had exposed breasts, since it was a hot day. The guests tried to remain formal, but could not help but smile at the hospitality.
Spe-eth found one of the storage boxes and took from it a seal ornament about the size of his fist, carved from a white tusk in a new design by Hayoqwis.
"Please, father, accept this gift from the Kaw-Seth to the Selawik. You gave me my name and now I return to give you thanks and to show you my sons and nephews and ask for your blessing."
Soowahlee Whirlwind handed his speaking stick to his son and held the seal ornament up close to admire it with a kiss. "This is beautiful, beautiful. Smooth as a woman's face. He who carved it is inspired by sky world beings. This is your nephew, the carver?" he said gesturing to Hayoqwis.
"He is dressed for a marriage test quest and I can see that his eyes dream of a more precious prize than a deer or bear. Are you the inspired quester that brings Old Red back to my village so far from home?"
"I am on a marriage quest, set to the test by Katee-qwa of the Duwam'ah, my grandfather. We come to hunt bear on this isle and hope that your people will show some of your famous generosity and offer us help in the hunt. We will wager or pay for a guide."
"The men can point you the way, or take you by the hand if you must. I am sure my grandson. But, the proper way is for you to win the right in the bone games. Old Red was always lucky. His blood is in you, too. Tonight, tonight. After a halibut feast and dancing. We will show you a bone game like a mighty fight between a Badger and Coyote. Then you can play the winner until you win a bear hunt song."
Just then Mowa'kek stopped singing and stepped up to stare wide eyed into Hayoqwis's face. The men stopped speaking and the drummers ceased.
"This owl man must not enter our lodge. He has the smell of death." said Mowa'kek.
"An otter spirit is whispering. Owl man has fallen under waves. Cold waves have washed away his soul, washed down into the bottom of the sea. It is floating at the floor of the bay like a piece of cloth. Yes, Sea Ghost sucked life from him. I see a hole in his chest, wide as a drum, where his soul should be. He is a dead man disguised as living. He is dangerous to our house. Owl man must be barred from the lodge."
"None of that Spirit Man," said Whirlwind.
"These are guests on a quest, led by Old Red, initiated in the Selawik way. We would be inhospitable to turn them away. Isn't there a spell or remedy?"
"The smell of death rise from the hole in his heart. The smell invites cannibal beings to haunt us, my Badger Chief. We must separate this one from the others. Keep this walking corpse down there, down in his vessel for the night. I will chant in the forest and and ask the spirit helpers for a remedy. Perhaps they will hear their names and be moved."
He put his face up to Hayoqwis and looked directly into his eyes, as if searching for the missing life force.
"Dead man, go. Dead man go back. Back now before the cannibal beings devour your corpse along with the well being of this place. Go now."
He moved so close that Hayoqwis was forced to step back. "Your owl powers will not help you, dead man. Stay out of our house."
Hayoqwis looked to his brother and uncle.
"My nephew will sleep in Half Moon tonight. He prefers the canoe to a strange bed anyway. We will not offend our guests," said Spe-eth, who moved to speak to Hayoqwis quietly.
"It is best to be separate from them. We will send some feast food to you. You better go."
"First, let me sing the protection song over his head," said Whirlwind. "If his chest is hollow, he will need the blessing of our Island's protectors." Whirlwind rested the carved head of his speaking stick on Hayoqwis's head crest and sang for protection, calling on the spirit of Raven to watch over him that night.
It was not the prayer that Hayoqwis wanted to hear, but he thanked the old man with a nod and waved to his kin as he climbed back down the steps to the beached canoe where he stayed for the rest of the day, sitting up against the shaded side carving a great blue heron prow crest from a large piece of dry cedar wood. Now was a chance to work. He knew that Spe-eth would represent him well in the gambling games.
Next Chapter
The old man and the chief each held speaking sticks and wore badger skins and head crests and the shaman, crowned with many raven feathers, was draped with a rough bark cloak tied with a belt. Like other shaman, Mowa'kek's uncut hair and beard made him look more like a wild animal than a man and every part of his face and arms were covered with tattoos and magic symbols. His eyes were reddened and outlined by deep black lines -- signs that he had spent many days and night communing with the spirits.
Still singing the three reached the platform when the white haired chief lifted up his badger head speaking stick saying, "More than thirty seasons have passed between us son of Klauck. We welcome you and your children -- for we share the same long ago fathers who broke out of creation's clam shell to walk on these shores. May you hide under the wings of our Protector Raven this night and always."
Young women gave each of the guests blue shell necklaces, touching their necks warmly and smiling. Some had exposed breasts, since it was a hot day. The guests tried to remain formal, but could not help but smile at the hospitality.
Spe-eth found one of the storage boxes and took from it a seal ornament about the size of his fist, carved from a white tusk in a new design by Hayoqwis.
"Please, father, accept this gift from the Kaw-Seth to the Selawik. You gave me my name and now I return to give you thanks and to show you my sons and nephews and ask for your blessing."
Soowahlee Whirlwind handed his speaking stick to his son and held the seal ornament up close to admire it with a kiss. "This is beautiful, beautiful. Smooth as a woman's face. He who carved it is inspired by sky world beings. This is your nephew, the carver?" he said gesturing to Hayoqwis.
"He is dressed for a marriage test quest and I can see that his eyes dream of a more precious prize than a deer or bear. Are you the inspired quester that brings Old Red back to my village so far from home?"
"I am on a marriage quest, set to the test by Katee-qwa of the Duwam'ah, my grandfather. We come to hunt bear on this isle and hope that your people will show some of your famous generosity and offer us help in the hunt. We will wager or pay for a guide."
"The men can point you the way, or take you by the hand if you must. I am sure my grandson. But, the proper way is for you to win the right in the bone games. Old Red was always lucky. His blood is in you, too. Tonight, tonight. After a halibut feast and dancing. We will show you a bone game like a mighty fight between a Badger and Coyote. Then you can play the winner until you win a bear hunt song."
Just then Mowa'kek stopped singing and stepped up to stare wide eyed into Hayoqwis's face. The men stopped speaking and the drummers ceased.
"This owl man must not enter our lodge. He has the smell of death." said Mowa'kek.
"An otter spirit is whispering. Owl man has fallen under waves. Cold waves have washed away his soul, washed down into the bottom of the sea. It is floating at the floor of the bay like a piece of cloth. Yes, Sea Ghost sucked life from him. I see a hole in his chest, wide as a drum, where his soul should be. He is a dead man disguised as living. He is dangerous to our house. Owl man must be barred from the lodge."
"None of that Spirit Man," said Whirlwind.
"These are guests on a quest, led by Old Red, initiated in the Selawik way. We would be inhospitable to turn them away. Isn't there a spell or remedy?"
"The smell of death rise from the hole in his heart. The smell invites cannibal beings to haunt us, my Badger Chief. We must separate this one from the others. Keep this walking corpse down there, down in his vessel for the night. I will chant in the forest and and ask the spirit helpers for a remedy. Perhaps they will hear their names and be moved."
He put his face up to Hayoqwis and looked directly into his eyes, as if searching for the missing life force.
"Dead man, go. Dead man go back. Back now before the cannibal beings devour your corpse along with the well being of this place. Go now."
He moved so close that Hayoqwis was forced to step back. "Your owl powers will not help you, dead man. Stay out of our house."
Hayoqwis looked to his brother and uncle.
"My nephew will sleep in Half Moon tonight. He prefers the canoe to a strange bed anyway. We will not offend our guests," said Spe-eth, who moved to speak to Hayoqwis quietly.
"It is best to be separate from them. We will send some feast food to you. You better go."
"First, let me sing the protection song over his head," said Whirlwind. "If his chest is hollow, he will need the blessing of our Island's protectors." Whirlwind rested the carved head of his speaking stick on Hayoqwis's head crest and sang for protection, calling on the spirit of Raven to watch over him that night.
It was not the prayer that Hayoqwis wanted to hear, but he thanked the old man with a nod and waved to his kin as he climbed back down the steps to the beached canoe where he stayed for the rest of the day, sitting up against the shaded side carving a great blue heron prow crest from a large piece of dry cedar wood. Now was a chance to work. He knew that Spe-eth would represent him well in the gambling games.
Next Chapter
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