Plant Them Deep by Aimee & David Thurlo Read Free Book Online Page A

situation on our hands, one we felt everyone here should know about.” Rose quickly explained what she’d been hired to do, then read off the list of plants that were believedto be endangered. “My first priority is finding these plants and determining just how low their numbers have become. Also, I’d like to be able to direct the medicine men to new locations where they can still be found.”
    Soon Rose was fielding all kinds of questions, taking suggestions, and offering answers and responses regarding native plants in the area. The other ladies kept turning to herfor the last word, and Rose slowly began to feel the weight of responsibility that had been placed on her shoulders when she accepted the tribal council’s job. She silently wondered how often people became leaders simply because no one else stepped up to do the job.
    “The Plant People are moving away because they don’t feel appreciated,” Clara Henderson said. “The modernists and even the new traditionaliststhink they can go to the closest drugstore and buy the right pill or potion to cure whatever ails them.”
    Rose looked at Clara, who had to be close to ninety-five. She’d outlived all her children, and was one of the most respected members of the Plant Watchers. Clara always had time to help anyone who came to her, and seemed graced with boundless energy.
    “The Plant People want to be among friends,”Clara continued. “They were treated with respect once and they grew to like it. Now they don’t feel loved, so they’ve started to leave us. Maybe if we search for them, they’ll understand that they’re a part of us, just as we are a part of them.”
    Rose placed her hand on Clara’s shoulder. “Well spoken, old friend,” she said softly. “We need the Plant People and we now have to find and take careof them so they’ll become plentiful again.”
    “Some of us may not want to share the exact locations of our own collection sites,” Jane said, “but we can at least let you know if we find any of the plants the medicine men are searching for.” She paused thoughtfully. “I’ve heard that the new traditionalist hataalii has his own garden of native plants and herbs. My sister-in-law told me that anothermedicine man had to go to him for some ‘brittle grass’ that he needed for an Enemy Way Sing. You might ask him if he’s seen any of the plants we’re looking for.”
    After getting directions to John Joe’s home, which was just east of the river but close to Four Corners, Rose and Lena set out. The directions were complicated, first requiring them to go north on Highway 666 nearly to the Colorado stateline, then west down a series of dirt roads back toward the river, roughly parallel to a natural gas pipeline.
    The roads most of the way were nothing more than ruts, alternating between rocky and sandy. “Try to miss at least some of the major holes,” Lena said.
    Just then they hit a rocky stretch that bounced the truck around hard, then a sandy stretch that forced Rose to keep moving or riskbogging down.
    Lena yelped as the rear end of the truck fishtailed from side to side. “You drive like a crazy person. Slow down!”
    “If I slow down, we’ll get stuck for sure. That means digging
out the tires and lining our path with branches to get traction.”
    “What branches? All there are around here are a few stubby clumps of grass,” Lena said.
    “Right. So let me drive.”
    “Why? I know I can pickbetter routes than you do. I certainly couldn’t do any worse.”
    “I don’t agree. Making up your own lane—that’s worse.” Rose glanced over at her and then promptly hit another hole. Muttering under her breath, she made a concerted effort to keep her eyes on the road, such as it was.
    They arrived at the medicine man’s home, on a low wooded bluff overlooking the San Juan, ten minutes later. Therewas a horse in the corral, and two goats keeping it company. A new-looking pickup was parked next to the main house, a