Chief Lightning Bolt Read online

  “William, my friend, the differences between our Peoples, who live their religion and the Europeans, who practise theirs for only a little time on special days, is irreconcilable with common sense. And, for this, I thank the Great Spirit. In our society, we don’t have priests or hell. Why should we? The Creator needs no interpreters to spread his word, nor a place of punishment to threaten us with if we don’t live our lives the way another man says we should.

  “The power your religious leaders exercise in your society is baffling. To presume you have the power to tell others how to worship the Great Spirit, that if they don’t do it your way when they die they will go to this place you call hell to be tormented by eternal burning. It seems an affront to the compassionate and loving nature of the Great Spirit.

  “When I think of the powers of the Councils of Inquisition you describe, where religious leaders convict a person of a thing called heresy and sentence them to be burned at the stake, I shudder. Fire is the most painful thing a human can come into contact with. I could never, in all my life, picture the Great Spirit being cruel enough to countenance burning anyone for one moment, let alone eternity. I will for the rest of my life ask the Great Spirit to have mercy on the persecuted and oppressed Peoples of Europe. I feel the greatest pity for them.”

  This last statement stood out in William’s mind the most. Imagine, him arising from the soils of Europe, arriving in this mysterious and unknown land. Imagine this Chief of the Mi’kmaq spending his hours in prayer for the oppressive nature of European societies. This Chief owned absolutely nothing and yet was surely the most enlightened and wealthy man William had ever met. The revelation was moving and made him wonder why on earth had he been so blessed as to become so free that his very way of thinking about human relationships was changing in such remarkable ways? He wanted more of this kind of change. It must be good. He felt a pleasure in each day that had never existed before. His inner world was being transformed by joy just by being present in the lives of those around him.

  William, without any more reflection, made a decision about his future. He concluded that upon his arrival in the land of the Mi’kmaq he had come home, and that he would stay. It was, to his surprise, a very easy decision. After becoming accustomed to freedom, there was no way that he could picture himself willingly returning to the life of bondage and hardship he once knew. He would miss and hold a soft spot in his heart for his mother and cherish in memory some members of his family. For the rest of his life he would carry this sweet burden of love. But he knew, in his heart of hearts, that even if the means were available to return to Europe, he would not. He could not. Unless he was absolutely forced to do so at the point of a sword, he would never return to his old life.

  With his future decided, he returned to Lightning Bolt’s wigwam early the next morning. Lightning Bolt greeted him, “Welcome again to my home my friend. Did you forget something, or have you reached a decision already?”

  “Yes, Master, I’ve made my choice.”

  “William, my brother, for many Moons I’ve been patiently waiting and hoping that you would, on your own accord, stop calling me Master. I hate the sound of it. It makes me feel that you think I’m better than you, which I’m not. Using a title is something you had to do in Europe. It isn’t the case here. We’re all equals, and treat each other as such. Sometimes, if people feel like it, they call me Chief. But mostly they call me Lightning Bolt, my brother or my friend. I like it that way. Please start addressing me the same way.”

  “Thank you Master, I mean … my brother! Don’t be surprised if for a time I occasionally use my old way of addressing you because such a deeply ingrained habit of scraping to authority will be hard to break. It was something we learned at a very young age because not to have done so would have been a fool’s way to disaster. But, I pledge that I shall leave my European habits behind.”

  “I’m sure that time and lack of use will erase them. Now, what is your decision?”

  “Lightning Bolt, my friend, allow me to put it this way. By allowing fate to bring me to this land, the Great Spirit has brought me home! It is with a feeling of peace and contentment that I humbly request, please will you ask the People if they will consent to have me as a citizen of their great country?”

  Honouring his request to be considered for citizenship, the next afternoon the Chief called the People together to discuss and consider the issue. Without much discussion the proposal was approved, with the provision that he had to be adopted by a family and given a Mi’kmaw name. Early Blossom, knowing that her family had become quite fond of William, solved the problem. She stood and adopted him as her son and renamed him Flaming Hair.

  Lightning Bolt, extremely pleased with the outcome, welcomed Flaming Hair into the Nation with a short but moving speech. “Brothers and sisters, this Sunrise I have another thing to be thankful to the Great Spirit for, a new brother! An unusual looking one I must admit, but one who I sincerely believe will become a true Mi’kmaq at heart. A good omen for this to happen is that he has already accustomed himself to many of our ways and shows respect for one and all. And, since coming among us, he has never consciously shown a lack of respect for the laws of the Nation. What more does one want from a citizen? My brothers and sisters, thank you from the bottom of my heart for accepting and welcoming Flaming Hair as a brother. To have so generously cared for and helped heal a stranger in need, and then accepted him as a brother, shows that you are a true People of compassion. I’m very proud of what you did and I know that the Great Spirit will be greatly pleased.

  “Flaming Hair, my brother, we welcome you home as a member of our family and Nation with warmth and love. This Sunrise you’ve left your old life behind and become one of us. My brother, we have only love and loyalty here. From this Sunrise onward you are part of us; we are part of you. We share all our material possessions equally. As of this Sunrise these possessions are also yours. Use and enjoy them to the fullest. May the Great Spirit always be with you my new brother and may He let you know peace and happiness.”

  Lightning Bolt then embraced his new brother and, to the cheers of the People, asked him to say a few words.

  Flaming Hair turned to the People and said, “My brothers and sisters, how can I ever thank you enough for your gift of freedom? It seems so unreal to know that there will never be another master in my life. As a person who has lived under the iron fist of one, and who has only known leaders who I had to bow before, I can tell you that I never imagined in my wildest dreams that a society where love, devotion, generosity, justice and freedom prevail could exist on Mother Earth. In fact I keep thinking that I’m dreaming and will awake some Sunrise to find myself back in my old life. I shudder to think of it.

  “But, I will eventually overcome this and fully realize that I’m home to stay. My friends, my brothers, my sisters, thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking me in as one of your own. I ask myself how can I ever repay these wonderful People for this great gift? In truth, there isn’t any way that I can.

  “However, I will, before the Great Spirit, promise you this, my brothers and sisters. As long as the Great Spirit permits life to remain in my body I shall without care for my personal safety help to defend the wonderful society that you inhabit. With diligence, I shall always strictly obey all the laws that govern our Nation. Above all else, I acknowledge the supremacy of the Great Spirit’s will in the governance of our Nation and shall always be grateful for His kindnesses. I thank Him now and forever for the kindness of permitting me the opportunity to become part of this great Nation. To you my newfound mother, family and friends, I pledge my eternal love and devotion.”

  The villagers then set about arranging a huge feast to celebrate the occasion. Flaming Hair found the tradition of taking every opportunity to dance and feast, especially Sunrises which marked the passage of landmarks in the lives of beloved friends and relations, one of the most endearing traits of his adopted
community. He became one of its most enthusiastic participants, often encouraging family and friends to let down their hair and get into the swing of the moment by his example.

  While making preparations for the party, Early Blossom and her children took pains to make Flaming Hair feel comfortable, as part of the family. Besides filling him in on its intimate details, they discussed with him the amusing prospect of introducing him as a natural-born son, and brother, to visiting relatives and friends from other countries.

  Little Blossom, watching her children going through the acceptance procedures with Flaming Hair, felt proud and pleased to have him as a son. She felt certain that her departed beloved, Little Bear, would have shared the family’s joy in welcoming a new member and known that her heart’s intention was right.

  During the Winter Season, with Flaming Hair now fully recovered, the men undertook to teach him the ways of the Hunt and how to harvest the sea in the Mi’kmaq fashion. He proved an astute student who quickly learned how to harvest the gifts of Mother Earth with great skill. He embraced the traditions of the Hunt with a passion reserved for the true believer, and as time passed he became one of the Nation’s greatest hunters.

  Many things about his new country’s practices fascinated Flaming Hair, but the way hunters carried out the harvesting of nature’s bounty was always a particular pleasure for him. To watch them acting with the greatest of care to balance the needs of the animals with theirs never failed to impress him. In his old age he would look back over the Seasons and not once recall an instance where the People had abused Mother Earth’s bounty. They took only what was needed, or what Mother Earth could afford to provide. Not a bit was ever intentionally wasted.

  With the arrival of the first moons of Spring, Early Blossom had the pleasure of seeing her youngest daughter married to a young man who worshiped the ground she walked on. This was the Sunrise she had been waiting many long Seasons to see. All her children, except Flaming Hair, were now happily married and could do without her presence. Feeling confident that her new son could make his way in life with the assistance of family and friends, she asked the Great Spirit to reunite her with her beloved Little Bear. Two Sunrises before the second Moon of Spring, the Great Spirit honoured her request and welcomed her home.

  During a Feast of the Dead, people visited and extended sympathy to the family for its loss of a dearly beloved family member, and offered heartfelt homage to her memory. But, although the People dearly loved and respected the departed, they didn’t grieve too long. Some Sunrise in the future, with the will of the Great Spirit, they would meet her again and enjoy her company in the Land of Souls. Flaming Hair was deeply touched to find that Early Blossom’s family and friends put her wishes first and prayed for her speedy return to Little Bear’s arms.

  Flaming Hair discovered over time that each person mourns and respects the memory of their ancestors in their own ways. Some felt the loss over many years. Others seemed able to move on, but remained very respectful to the memory of their dearly departed. All partook at one time or other with the tradition of offering the best gifts of food, prior to many feasts and ceremonies, to their ancestors who had walked before them to the Land of Souls.

  Flaming Hair, at first, found the direct and honest way that the Mi’kmaq lived their lives, so devoted to the Great Spirit, as slightly disconcerting in its simplicity. Before coming to his adopted country, faith in the goodness of God had always been tempered by the words and actions of many religious leaders who were supposed to be God’s disciples on Earth. They often lived in large dwellings and engaged in some of the most corrupt practices known to man — preaching fire and damnation for sinners, while at the same time being among the worst sinners on Mother Earth. One of their biggest sins, in his humble opinion, was exhorting poor people to donate most of their meagre funds to the church to escape the eternal pain of hell. The rich and the mighty received special services and treatment from the religious establishment and special dispensations were given them when they made large donations.

  In contrast the profound simplicity of offering food to the Sacred Fire, in honour of eternal rest for a dearly departed family member, was one of the most beautiful acknowledgments he could imagine. At certain times when the Sacred Fire was unattended, he was observed visiting in prayer and remembrance. He would bring with him secret offerings from the Hunt, and things he had helped the women gather during the height of Seasonal picking. With great care, he would select only the choicest of fruit and berry, leaf and flower, flesh and bone, and bring them to the Fire, or place them under a special remote tree outside the village. During these times, Flaming Hair always held in his heart an intense gratitude for his new mother, Early Blossom, who had given him his rebirth as a child of the Mi’kmaq People.

  Perhaps it is understandable. For a former child of the European nations to be reborn as a Mi’kmaq warrior and a true man of the People, he must surely undertake a serious transformation of nearly every part of his being. This is why the directness, honesty and simplicity of the beliefs and worship that the Mi’kmaq People gave to the Great Spirit became for Flaming Hair such a soothing Sacred Medicine for his soul. The innate beauty, balance and harmony that these teachings and ways of life provide to the People eventually made Flaming Hair one of the most devoted followers of the ways of the People. His complete acceptance and practice of the simple method the People used to honour their Maker made Flaming Hair a true Mi’kmaq. And by honouring these ways with good heart and good cheer, he paid a great respect to the Mi’kmaq nation.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Lightning Bolt, early in his thirty-sixth Spring, was enjoying a few Sunrises of rest and relaxation at his favourite forest retreat. He reviewed the state of his life and concluded that he was a very fortunate man. In his heart he felt a sense of gratitude and he thanked the Great Spirit for many gifts of people, places and experiences.

  The People were prosperous and contented with their lives. His leadership was not questioned and he had very little trouble persuading the villagers to undertake new initiatives. Life with Spring Flower was contented and filled with love. Helping to raise their daughter, Snow Flake, had given him wonderful memories, and his brothers and sisters had produced a multitude of loving nieces and nephews whom he cherished. And, miraculously, the Big Pond had given him a dearly beloved new brother, who, even though he had already reached his twenty-first Autumn when adopted, was an addition to the family that fit in so well it now seemed as if he had been born to it.

  In retrospect, he took immense pride in the way the People of the village, who had been beyond generous in accepting Flaming Hair, had helped him with the utmost patience to adapt to his new homeland. Fitting in completely had taken him a remarkably short time. In fact, considering the most unusual circumstances of his case, it seemed incredible to Lightning Bolt that with the passage of only three Autumns since he arrived, although his appearance still engendered startled comments from visitors, his foreign origins had almost been forgotten by the community.

  This happy state of affairs had a lot to do with how Flaming Hair had so wholeheartedly embraced the Nation’s traditions, including marriage. He had, during his second Autumn with them, sought out and won the hand of Spotted Fawn, daughter of Big Burn and Blue Moon. The feasting and entertainment that the boisterous happy young couple’s relatives had put on to wish them much happiness on their wedding Sunrise was still talked about.

  Their union was almost a perfect match. They had personalities so perfectly suited to each other that it seemed as if the Great Spirit had, with foresight, created them for each other. The bride, who was a fiery, well-developed and big-boned woman, matched the shape, size and nature of her husband. Flaming Hair and she were good natured, playful and could be vocally combative when excited.

  Their mischievous personalities assured that things were rarely dull with them around. It was especially so when they, in a playful mood, showed their lov
e for each other. It was far different from what the Mi’kmaq were accustomed to. Watching them enjoying the fun of teasing and affectionately carrying on was a sight to behold. When in the mood, they would sometimes wrestle, upset the other in canoes, dunk the other into the water of a river or lake when least expected and do whatever else came to mind to amuse themselves.

  Even in communications, their different approach to life stood out. Both had tempers that sometimes erupted like wildfire. This sometimes caused arguments between them, or debates, that could be heard across the entire village. However, there was never rancor afterwards; the argument was soon forgotten. They were exceedingly generous with each other. The great love they nourished was open for all to see and appreciate.

  Then came the Sunrise when they made Lightning Bolt an uncle again. The birth occurred during Flaming Hair’s twenty-fourth Autumn. Early in the morning of that mist-enshrouded Sunrise, Spotted Fawn had presented Flaming Hair with a rusty-haired son. Even though his hair was not as red as his fathers’, they decided to call him Little Red. He was blessed with many of the good characteristics of both parents. Like them, he had a playful nature and his antics, even in early childhood, delighted all who came to know him.

  From the time he was born, Little Red was the centre of his father and mother’s universe. They delighted in the progress he made and described over and over to family and friends the many accomplishments of their pride and joy. Lightning Bolt took almost as much pride in his nephew’s progress as the boy’s parents. This had a lot to do with the fact that Little Red, by the middle of his second birth Season, had taken a shine to his uncle that was remarkable. As soon as he could walk well enough, he began following his uncle around the village, trying to imitate his actions. His hero worship lasted his lifetime. He was also, like all children in Mi’kmaq society, cherished and loved by the entire community. In time he returned the affection with enthusiasm.