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WHEN in the course of their
journey they reached the other portion of the tribe, and were united once
more, there was great satisfaction in the camp. White Buffalo had returned;
White Buffalo was a source of strength to these people. They felt that in
him they had a real leader, and the head chief, the aged man in the camp,
said, "Let us be glad; let us heartily rejoice, for among ourselves there
has arisen one worthy to lead. I do not know what may be in the thought of
all the men and people in this camp, but I very well know what is in my own
mind, and for some time I have said to myself, 'Now you can retire from the
chieftainship of this people. You have been spared many years, and the
people have listened unto you and obeyed you and followed your advice. You
have great reason to be thankful. But now you are old and feeble, and in the
meantime the Great Spirit has smiled upon you and upon your friends, for He
has raised a man up who is worthy, who is strong, who is brave, who is good,
and He has blessed him. He has given him a good wife, a wonderful woman. Her
own folk called her the Little Mother, and truly she is the good mother, for
all our children believe in her and love her very much. And now this man and
woman, they are already in this camp as our chief and queen.' Therefore it
is my wish, it is my strong desire, that ere I pass away this man and this
woman shall be accepted as the chief man and woman in our camp. Tell me, oh
my people, what you think."
And there came a unanimous
shout of assent to the old chief's thought and desire, and he again spoke:
"Then, my friends, as we are
of one mind in this matter, we will shortly fix a day and a time and a
place, and I will step out into my own lodge and among my children and be as
any other among you, and we will make White Buffalo and his wife, the Little
Mother, as our chief ones in this camp."
And the whole tribe began to
sing, and to rejoice, and the drums beat, and all took up the chorus of the
praise of White Buffalo and his Nagos. Snake Skin was overjoyed. This he had
hoped for, this he had felt was what ought to be. And the Little Star was
also greatly rejoiced, for she saw how her husband felt, and she had
profound love and respect for Nagos and White Buffalo, and the way and
manner in which these were received among their people made her feel very
much at home in this new environment.
In a short time the large
camp moved onto a beautiful spot on the bank of the Beaver, and an immense
pavilion was erected, where, amid feasting and dancing and much ceremonial,
the chieftainship of this portion of the Cree nation was conferred on our
hero. The retiring chief congratulated the camp on securing one so well
qualified as White Buffalo to lead them. Said the venerable man:
"We live by the hunt, and we
have been given a great hunter in this young man. He is equally good in the
woods and on the plains. He is strong of limb and big of lung and very brave
of heart. Distance and storm and fierceness of game make no difference to
him. From the big Mistaya, the great grizzly, to the rabbit, he knows them,
every one, and has hunted and killed of all. We have no man in this land who
can use the weapons of our fathers like he can. Thus, my children, in this
respect White Buffalo is a fitting leader.
"Then we, as a people, have
many enemies, and these are numerous and strong and we are forever in danger
from them. During the last two summers this young man has shown that as our
avenger and defender, he is the greatest among us. To him has been given
wisdom and strength and he has made no mistakes since he came out as a young
warrior. Already he has many scalps to his credit. Blackfeet and Sioux have
fallen before his skill and bravery. In every opportunity he has shown
himself as born to lead in war. Our old leader, leader, the Great Traveller,
Papainotao, did say, 'This man is chief among warriors. He is made for to be
a trusted leader.'
"Then, my friends, we all
know his heart is good. He is a man of peace, he would not kill if it was
not necessary to do so, and this is the kind of a war chief we want, a man
of kind heart, strong in war and strong in peace.
"Every one in these lodges,
and all our acquaintances, know that such a man is White Buffalo. More than
this, he has the favor of the spirits. These blessed his childhood, these
touched his heart, and guided his growth into young manhood these sent him a
strong and ever-watchful Pawakun, the spirit of his dream; these gave him a
good father and mother, and when the time came led him forth into a strange
and distant land, and there revealed to him a wonderful maiden, who now is
his much-loved wife and is as the queen of our hearts in this camp. Thus you
will see, my friends and children, it is fitting and it is right that we as
a reasonable and grateful people, make this great and good man our head
chief. Verily this is as my heart and head prompt me to desire and speak,
and I believe this is as the great father and all the spirits would have us,
as their children, to do at this time."
Thus spoke the aged chief,
and without discussion all the people shouted:
"Even so may it come to pass.
We want White Buffalo as our head chief!" And Kosopachekao, the seer, and
Snake Skin, were sent to bring our hero in order that this large camp would
acclaim him chief. They found White Buffalo in his lodge, and told him their
errand, and he answered:
"Surely it cannot be. I am
not fit. I am still too young." But they prevailed upon him, and he said to
Nagos:
"Come with me before the
people," and she hastily made her toilet, and came with her husband to the
Place of honor in the big pavilion, and Snake Skin said:
"Oh, Chief and people! We
have brought this man, White Buffalo, and his wife, Nagos, even as you bade
us to do."
And all the camp shouted in
acclaim, and the drums beat, and the multitude sang in the chorus as the
seer and Snake Skin improvised a hymn of eulogy to the honor and praise of
the new Chief. Then the aged Chief did say to White Buffalo:
"My son, we have chosen you
as our Chief. We know you have not sought this place, but we also know that
you will obey our call, and the call of the spirits, and be found in your
place in our hearts and in our camp, and among our friends and enemies. And
now from this day I retire, and you, my son, become Chief, and your good and
beautiful wife, Nagos, will be your great helpmate in leading us as a people
and camp, and may the Great Father and all the spirits bless and guide you
at all times!"
Then White Buffalo spoke: "My
friends, I am astonished at what you have done today. I am but as a child in
your midst, and as our Chief has said, I have not sought this honor. You
have thrust it upon me. But now, with the help of all the Chiefs and
headmen, and with the faith of all our people, and the continued friendship
of the Seer and Snake Skin, and with my own wife beside me, I will do my
best to lead you both in peace and in war."
Just at this time, when White
Buffalo ceased speaking, a boy called everyone's attention to the presence
of a huge timber wolf, who from a nearby hill summit was quietly looking
down upon the camp, and did not seem to feel any fear or strangeness in thus
coming close to the crowd. And White Buffalo and Nagos and the Seer and
Snake Skin looked and saw him, and the Seer broke out into one of his
religious hymns, and when he was through all the camp did shout and sing and
dance and feast, and were full of joy because of this great event in their
history.
And now that we have fairly
launched White Buffalo into his new career in the early years of the last
century, and have tried faithfully to depict his manner of life at this
time, we will leave him with you, who may read this humble tale of native
life in Canada's great western territories, one hundred years agone. White
Buffalo is Chief indeed, and Nagos is his queen. The Seer predicts for them
a long and blessed reign, and feels honored as their constant friend. Snake
Skin has regenerated, and is loyal and true and is supremely happy, for the
Little Star alternately smiles and blushes by his side, and both are proud
to be so nearly allied to White Buffalo and Nagos.
And as this big wild
wilderness country, with its countless buffalo, and abundant animal life,
and continuous war and adventure between the tribes, will remain, even as we
have narrated its conditions, for another half century or more, therefore we
may again come before you with the further life and experience of White
Buffalo and his people.
So now we will say adieu. |
