Lakota Flower by Janelle Taylor Read Free Book Online Page A

coerced into signing a treaty at Fort Laramie to evoke peace between Indians and whites and between enemy Indian nations. It failed because some nations or tribes refused to sign and because whites didn’t keep their side of the bargain. This current trouble started last August over the simple killing of a stray cow that wandered into a Brule camp and was slaughtered and eaten. A soldier named Lieutenant Grattan went to their camp to recover the cow or to arrest and punish the slayers. He took many men and even cannons with him, and a drunken and abusive translator. Naturally the Brules felt they had done nothing wrong and refused to surrender their friends to be punished for a foolish reason.”
    Cloud Chaser observed her closely as he continued. “The soldiers fired first and killed the chief, the very man who had been chosen by the whites as the head chief of all Lakotasfor the treaty council and signing, a man of peace who was once a great warrior. The Brules killed the entire unit while defending themselves and their camp. Some raided the American Fur Company, others raided at Fort Laramie to replace the animals slain and to retaliate for lost lives and for damage done to their camp. But the owner and workers at Bordeau’s Trading Post were not slain. Nor was Private Cuddy, the one survivor of the battle; he and others told the officer at the fort what happened, but their words changed nothing. Your government and army blame all Lakotas for those deeds and plan to punish us all, though we were not involved in that battle or those raids. Remain silent for now and I will speak more after I wet my throat.”
    Cloud Chaser took a deep breath and a few sips of water and said, “Let me explain about our nation so you can understand my meaning better. Our nation is called the Dakotas; it is like a giant tree with three huge branches: the Dakota, Nakota, and Lakota. Each branch has many small tribal limbs, with the Lakota, which is often called the Teton, having the most, seven. Each tribe has many bands, like leaves on the limbs. We belong to the Oglala tribe and the Red Shield Band. The Brules are also Lakotas, Tetons. They are our allies and friends, but we are not of the same limb.”
    “Why are you called Red Shields?” Does it signify blood, death?
    “In years long past, band members carried red shields to represent the earth color of the sacred racetrack,” Cloud Chaser explained. “The tall black ridge of the first rim of our sacred hills far away parts the grassland from a valley where red dirt forms a near circle around the inner mountains. Long ago, The People and animals began to hunt, slay, and eat each other, destroying the harmony between them. The Creator was displeased, so He commanded the animals to race around the red trail to learn if they would be predator or prey in suns to come. A halhate, a magpie, raced for The People; he used trickery and won, so man earned the rank ofhunter and animals, the hunted. To show their victory, hunters carried red shields to remind the animals of that great race. Many seasons following that time, warriors were told to make different shields during their vision quests.”
    Caroline found that story interesting but it wasn’t what she needed to learn. “Why is the army so convinced all Lakotas are to blame for the Grattan incident? Why doesn’t your father or the other chiefs explain matters to them?”
    “They see all Indians as the same, as the enemy. They have been told of their mistake, but it does not matter to them. It gives them an excuse to attack us and take our lands. To do so is like punishing the French for evil deeds done by the Spanish because both peoples have white skin.”
    “But the soldiers said Lakotas are carrying out raids and killings.” So did you earlier, she thought, but didn’t remind him of that.
    “Some raid stages so soldiers will have no pay and supplies and will become disgruntled and perhaps leave. Horses and goods are stolen to