From One Smoke Stories: Mary Austin — 1934

From ONE SMOKE STORIES Mary Austin-1934 A'WA TSEIGHE COMES HOME FROM THE WAR

How come I going to this war? Well, sir, me an' this San Juan Pueblo boy, name Onorio Sotero, we been going to Santa Fe Indian School, U.S. Government, ever since we been kids, learnin' good educashun. We got geogafy an' fractions an' the capitals of Europe, an' readin' Hiawatha, “an' all that. But when we get back to our pueblo we not knowin' what to do with all this good educashun.

That's in 1917 right after first corn hoein'; an' long come one U.S. Government movin' picture, all about this war, an' those German Kaisers, an' everything. An' they say all 'Mericans got a right to enlist. This San Juan boy, name Sotero, he sayin' to me, 'By Golly!' he says.

'We got all this good educashun; we got the biggest country an' the best army, an' everything. We gotta go over there an' show 'em.' That's how.

When we come along by those Italy boys yeh, that's where we been fightin' in my company. That's where we meet that Oglalla Sioux, name McKinley Two-Elk. Hees one fine feller.

Well, sir, I don' understan' them things. Like I don' understan' why you wantin' know 'bout those Oklahoma dance. But I tellin' you just the same. Anyway, those Oklahoma Indians, they likely to do most anything, so, when I hear they goin' to have scalp dance, I ain't surprise. That's long 'bout five-six months after I come home from this war. Sotero he writes me a letter, tellin' me that. Then a bunch of Navahos come through my pueblo, they tellin'. An' some Santo Domingo boys, they say maybe they go over to Oklahoma for little trip soon as they get their corn in. So I write Sotero to meet me at Albuquerque an' bring money 'cause he gettin' money from the U.S. Government on account that piece shrapnel in hees shoulder an I say, Less go see old soldier friends an' hear some news.' Well, by golly, when we got to that place, they got maybe three four hundred Indians; Sioux an' Blackfeet an' Comanches, Utes an' Paiutes, an' Cherokees an' Creeks, an' lots kine I didden' never know before.

Well, sir, that was one swell reunion! Everybody feel good; lotsa eats; whole steers they roastin', an' frijoles an' coffee an' those Oklahoma Indians that belong to those oil lands, bringin' their ottomobiles full all kine grub like what we have in the army, white bread, an' cakes, an' canned pineapple, an' cigarettes, an' chewin' gum. Swell! An' not a white man on the place. Not a damn one! All that day we eatin', an' visitin' each another, an' that night we have speeches. All those old war chiefs an' big men from different tribes, they speakin' to us Doughboys. Me, I one interpreter, on account I got all this lotsa educashun, an' McKinley Two-Elk he interpretin' Sioux an' Cheyenne an' Blackfeet, an' two-three other languages, an' four-five other interpreters, so every feller he hear what they sayin' in his own language. 'Cause those old men that speakin', they kinda ignorant, they don't speak 'Merican, only those language what they got. Next day we dance.

Well, now, I goin' tell you 'bout those scalp dance. White people seem like they didden' understand scalp dance. They think scalp dance is all on account they givin' those enemy hell. But Indians didden' have no hell in their religion. When they killin' those enemy, they didden' go off to heaven an' hell, they stay right 'round old home place makin' all kine trouble. 'Cause they mad they been scalp. If you don' want no trouble with enemy after they been kill, you gotta take those scalp an' have dance to make friends with 'em right away. Huh! I been hearin' 'Merican soldiers talkin' at that 'Merican Legion, Montoya y Montoya Post No. 1, how everything been happen pretty darn bad to those Europe Peoples since that war been finished. That didden' surprise no Indian soldiers. Indians know, since long time back, that soon as they killin' those enemy they gotta have scalp dance, adoptin' those enemy in their tribe so they don't make no more trouble for 'em. 'Sposin' we got some German scalps at those reunion? Well, those Germans, all what got kill in that war, they pretty good Indians by this time. Then we ain't sayin' no more bad 'bout those Germans, sayin' everything good, like they damn good fighters an' much brave. 'Cause they belongin' to 'Merican tribe now, on account those scalp dance.

Well, sir, I guess my father been round when my mother packin' my suitcase. What you think? When I get to that place I find all my father's dance clothes; moccasins, feathers, paint; every darn thing. An' my grandfather's shield like he usin' when he fightin' those Navaho long time back. Thass one swell shield; buffalo hide, with long hair all round Navaho hair an' rattlesnake an' thunderbird painted on it. My grandfather he been one sure'nough fighter. So I sayin', 'Well, I got all these swell clothes; I might as well dance.' McKinley Two-Elk, he got one first-class Sioux war suit an' bonnet. One White River Ute, he got one dance suit, all solid beadwork, all colors. Swell! Lotsa other fellers, they dancin' too, but we three the best-lookin'. An' one old chief I bet hees a hundred years old they callin' Pottawatomie though I didden' know where that tribe been livin' he ain't hardly got no clothes, only paint an' deerskin, like old times, an' he so weak he gotta be held up at first. But soon as he get warmed up, by golly! you otta see that old feller dance! An' that McKinley Two-Elk! I bet you could see daylight under that feller's feet every minute.

Well, we dancin', an' those medicine men an' Sun priests, they workin' round that Medicine Lodge. All those other old chiefs singin', an' the drums going. Bymby everybody singin' an' dancin', like they do in their own place. Every tribe Indians, they got scalp dance, only they all different. Like Christians. So every tribe gettin' together with their own, dancin' an' singin', like they been Baptists, or maybe Presbyterians. Twothree hours they goin' like that, not thinkin' 'bout no Germans nor no white men, nor nothin', only feelin' good in their heart.

I thinkin' 'bout my grandfather, an' all old-time Indians. Seem like they all comin' back, dancin' with us, all just Indians, an' not no white men. Like all those old peoples comin' on that Spirit Road goin' across the sky, touchin' those Oklahoma hills, an' bein' happy with us. An' I ain't tired nor nothin', only maybe like I been drunk, an dancin' all that night. Well, sir, when I waken up 'bout ten o'clock next mornin', all those Indians been pull their freight. Only just Navahos an' some Utes an' Paiutes what live long way off, an' those Oklahoma that takin' away that Medicine Lodge. Turtle-Top gone, an' that Oglalla Sioux name McKinley Two-Elk. So me an' that San Juan boy, name Onorio Sotero, we fixin' to ride back with those White River Utes what have some friends in Taos, an' show them the way. Thass all.