Nancy Bellzona's Picture Book
Chilocco - Me-Tah-Ing-Gay

The little girl stretched and yawned as she looked about her room, softly lit by the dawn. Her mother's voice she could hear from outside and she reached to pull the light curtain back from her window. The morning light faintly shown around the figure of the woman from her place in the field behind the house. Me-Tah-Ing-Gay saw her mother's arms were raised above her head and her long flowing black hair hung loose about her upper body. The soft spoken words of their native Ponca tongue flowed, rising and falling in a lyrical sound almost like a song. There was a pleading continuity to the words and they came rapidly sounding urgent in their appeal. The child listened.

"Great Spirit, I have no great intelligence, but I can look around me and see the beauty of your creation. I see this great sky you have wrapped around us. Your sun is coming up now, to warm the ground beneath our feet. I listen, and I hear the sweet chirping of the little things you have made to give us pleasure with their song. Daily, I come to you at this early hour and I speak with you first before I do anything. As I look about me to see these things, great and small, I come to you to plead, on this day, you will look to the things we do. See that our paths be straight. Even as I straighten and comb my hair for the day, I will part it directly in the middle of my head to remind me of this straight path. My shawl I pull around my shoulders will be edged with fringe to touch my legs and remind me of your many good laws."

As Esther Broken Jaw Little Cook continued her morning prayer, Me-Tah-Ing-Gay, slid slowly from her bed. She could hear her father in the kitchen and knew he must be getting the fire in the stove ready for her mother to start breakfast. The year was l888. Sam Little Cook, Me-Tah-Ing-Gay's father was already dressed and ready for his work. Sam owned a lumber mill at the little town of White Eagle and although he was full blood Ponca, he was dressed in the costume of the day, a suit coat, white shirt, shiny leather shoes, the typical dress of the businessman of that day. As he was working about the stove he observed his little girl standing in the door way.

Me-Tah-Ing-Gay was only four years old but she had managed to touch his heart with her goodness. He felt honored he and his wife had been given this child who was so intelligent and good, their youngest now. She seemed so totally aware of everything around her. She was their joy, this youngest child.

Esther walked into the kitchen and Me-Tah-Ing-Gay saw her hair was smoothly combed, neatly parted down the middle and pulled back into a bun at the back of her neck.

"Good morning, little one," Esther told her small child.

"Good morning, Mother," the little girl ran to her mother.

Esther gathered the child into her arms and easily lifted her from the floor. "Did you sleep well, my girl?"

"I didn't wake once during the night, only when I heard you speaking with Great Spirit, this morning."

"That is good. Now, I want you to wait for me while I get breakfast. Your father has promised to take us to town today, in order for me to shop for a few things I need around the house."

Esther finished preparing their breakfast and turned to Me-Tah-Ing-Gay, "Come on, little one, let me get you ready while we wait for our biscuits to cook. That evening as the couple was visiting and going over the events of their town day Sam spoke to his wife, "Esther, I must tell you, I learned from some of the town people the agent is coming to visit."

"And now, what is his business with us?" Esther wanted to know.

"Who knows? We will just have to wait until he gets here. Maybe it will be something good."

When the agent arrived, Sam made every effort to be in subjection to the man's authority. The Ponca's were a strong but gentle people and although they were in subjection there was an uneasy peace.

" Esther has a fine meal prepared for you," Sam was practicing the ever present hospitality in offering the man a meal.

"As you know, I'm here on business, and I really think we should get that over before I do anything else," the man was not easily distracted.

"Well, Sam, what I'm here to do is register your last child with a Christian name. Where is your last child?"

Sam looked at Esther, "Go find the girl and bring her here, won't you? The agent wants to give her a new name."

Quietly and quickly, Esther returned with the child.

"Come shake the hand of the gentleman, and speak politely to him in his language," Esther told her.

"How do you do, Sir?" the little girl spoke a greeting to him in English.

"Well, now, little lady, can you tell me what you are called" What is your name?"

"Me-Tah-Ing-Gay," came the soft whispered name that meant, "Little Bright Moon." She knew she was of the rain band and her mother and father had named her after one of the elements of the sky, as was the custom.

"Well, now, Me-Tah-Ing-Gay, from this day on you will have a new name. From now on you will be called, Elizabeth. See, I will write it here in this book and you will be registered as Elizabeth Little Cook. This is your Christian name and that is what you are to be called from here on out."

The events transpired rapidly and before Esther had a moment to think about it, the child was named, and assigned to a boarding school.

That evening as they returned home from depositing their child to the authorities of the boarding school, Esther did not go to the house. Instead, she went to the timberland that edging their property. Late into the night Sam could hear her mourning cries. The calls to her Great Spirit were the grief wails the women cried at the time of the death. Years later the chill of the grief cries would be heard by the white man, and cold shudders of the thing grabbed at their hearts until they would make the statement, "nothing has ever been heard like it."

Sam did hear, but he did not go to her. This was her time with her Great Spirit, he did not intrude. When she returned her hair was cut short. The mud she had covered her head with as a symbol of her sadness was caked and dried. Day after day continued with her mourning until Sam had to speak with her.

"Today, my wife, you must put aside your mourning,. I have sent for our Indian doctor to pray with you."

"I am greatful," Esther spoke.

The medicine man stayed with them for a number of days and this is what he advised Esther, "I know this is something you cannot understand. You must believe, I know the ending of the matter. Put away your grief. Brace yourself up. Your daughter is not dead and you must be alive when she returns to you."