A Special Powwow

A quick trip to Northcroft this week gave me a chance to visit old friends and make some new ones. As I entered the valley I couldn’t pass up the farm house at the fork in the road, even though an extra car was in the driveway and I knew Evelyn had company. Of course I was welcomed and invited to stay and chat awhile. I so enjoyed the warmth of the wood cook stove as well as the conversation around the kitchen table. Evelyn’s son, Charles, was at the house and Gene’s cousin and her mother were visiting. We nibbled on home-made, fried apple pies and some freshly cooked cushaws (they taste a little like pumpkin and sweet potatoes mixed together) from Evelyn’s garden.

Some how the conversation got around to a full -blooded American Indian who came to Evelyn’s one day and brought some of the jewelry he designs and makes. After I expressed interest in learning about the guy, Evelyn gave me his card and gifted me a lovely pair of “jingle” earrings made by Chief Harry Dakota.

Well, when I woke up the following morning I couldn’t resist calling the Chief, introducing myself, telling him I would like to meet him and see his jewelry. He said okay, how about now! Well, within the hour, Chief Dakota and I were deep in conversation about his journey, Indian life, feathers from the great golden eagle, his award winning pow-wow dancing and looking at his handmade earrings and necklaces. He gave me a feather (bound at the quill end in leather) to protect me and a bundle of sage to burn as I pray over the land at Northcroft. He also gave me a CD of Indian chants to copy and protect until I returned it to him when I invited him to dinner and introduced him to my tribe. ;) He wasn’t kidding!

Odd, yes, but delightfully so: I again was treated to fulfilling moments that added to my collection of life-giving memories from Northcroft.

"Every blade of grass, every leaf on the tree has raised us.
We are children of Mother Earth, and we have a sworn duty to protect that."
Chief Harry Dakota

of the Oneida/Ojibwa Tribes