Native Americans

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Presents...

3 Check It Out! 4 The Mysteries of Chaco 7 Cowboy Clark & Larry 8 Cheyenne Indian Girl 11 Storytelling Trees 12 Puzzles 14 Living with Native Americans 16 Under the Monument Valley Sky 18 10 Native American Words 20 Crazy Horse Rides Again 22 Would You, Could You, Eat Wood?

24 Face-to-Face with Geronimo 26 The Voice of the Navajo 29 Kids Corner 30 Puzzle Solutions 2

In many areas, the weather is turning cooler. Eventually, it may snow. When this happens, some of you will put on your winter coats to go to school. Your furnace will come on to heat your house. If you lived 200 years ago in a Native American Indian village, there would be no furnace to keep your house warm, and you would not be going to school. You would be helping your family survive. Life in the wilderness was difficult for both Indian and pioneer children. You will learn what that was like – the similarities and differences.

You’ll also discover many fascinating facts and stories, including: carving trees to record tribal events, words that come from Native American languages, cutting the inner part out of a tree to eat it raw or in a thick soup, the only man to live and record the lives of Native Americans with his paintings, and how to draw Geronimo, the famous Indian chief.

Find a cozy spot. Read all about these amazing people who lived here before our nation was established. Their ancestors are living today across the country in over 500 tribes.

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The Mysteries of

by Shirley Anne Ramaley

C h a co

soft wind blows through the empty buildings and down the streets of the ancient town of Chaco. There are many large rooms in the buildings, but the rooms are empty. The buildings are in decay, and many of the roofs are gone. The people have all left. They left long ago. No one knows why. It is one of the mysteries of Chaco.

A

It is quiet in this place. A small group of us, schoolchildren and adults, follows our guide, taking pictures and quietly talking as we learn about the Chaco Culture National Park in New Mexico. We have all come to learn about the people who lived here 1000 years ago.

There are many mysteries about Chaco. One is why did ancient people build here in the first place? The land is harsh. Temperatures reach 100 degrees in the summer.

Winters have subzero temperatures. Winters are long, and the growing season is short.

There is only about nine inches of rain each year. (That is about the amount of rain that falls in Phoenix, AZ, in a year. It’s not enough for most crops.)

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Despite the fact it was an unlikely place to build, Chaco was the center of an active culture a thousand years ago. People started building there in the mid-800s. They constructed huge stone buildings that are called “great houses.�

The people of Chaco appeared to be experts at watching the sky and knew about the sun and moon and stars. Petroglyphs, images carved in rock, show their interest and knowledge about the solar system. Today many wonder how people understood so much about the sun and moon over 1000 years ago.

After the sixth century, before Chaco was built, the Pueblo people stopped hunting and gathering their food as they had done for centuries. They began to cultivate and grow crops. When they created the city of Chaco, because of the little rain that fell, they carefully built dams and canals. With these, they could plant and grow their crops. They were experts at managing the available water.

Why was this city built? The descendants of Chaco, the Pueblo people, say that Chaco was a very special place. Meetings and ceremonies were held there. Perhaps it was a trading area, where shells and other items were purchased from lands far away. Some researchers today think Chaco may have been a place where food was distributed to people who did not have enough, especially during poor growing seasons.

Many descendants still consider it a sacred place. Some Native American clans trace their history to Chaco. Stories are told of their ancestors leaving Chaco and moving to other areas. Some believe the spirits of their ancestors still live in Chaco.

Continued...

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About 300 years after Chaco was established, it was suddenly abandoned. The people left. When they left, many mysteries followed them. Why did they build there? How did they develop such an amazing place, even with their knowledge of the solar system?

How did they learn to construct the canal systems?

Why did they leave? There are many theories. A long drought may have occurred. Did crops stop growing? Was there a famine? Were there arguments among the people?

We don’t know the answers. Maybe someday we will. Mystery surrounds Chaco. As we drive away in the van, we look back. We all feel that mystery.

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“Hold up, Larry,” Cowboy Clark barked. “That there’s a wolf. We don’t get many in these parts, but that surely is a wolf if I ever saw a wolf.”

Larry looked around the park before setting his eyes on the large four-legger up on the hill. Its coat was thick and fluffy, and strands of silver ran through its black fur. The dogs jumped when a voice behind them purred, “Look who’s here. Cowboy Clark and his trusty sidekick Larry. How are you, boys?”

By now they should have been used to Mrs. Whiskers sneaking up on them. It seemed to be her life mission to annoy Cowboy Clark, in particular.

Larry pointed. “There’s a wolf on the hill.”

“Yeah, why don’t you say ‘hello,’” Cowboy Clark chuckled.

“I’ll do just that,” said Mrs. Whiskers, and off she went.

“What the . . .” Larry stammered. “That wolf is going to eat her. We have to save her.”

Before Cowboy Clark could respond, Mrs. Whiskers was at the top of the hill, nuzzling the wolf’s ear. Soon the wolf and Mrs. Whiskers came running down the hill. Larry audibly gulped.

Cowboy Clark thought it best to start off friendly, even if he did take a few steps back. “Howdy, wolf.”

“My name is Pete, and I’m not a wolf.”

“Certainly not,” Mrs. Whiskers stated. “Pete is a Native American Indian dog. Did you know his breed has been here since the 1500s and helped Native Americans hunt, fish, and even babysit their children?”

Cowboy Clark coughed. “Good to meet you, Pete. Now, um, what brings you to these parts?”

Mrs. Whiskers interrupted. “These parts? Oh, really.” Turning to Pete, she continued, “You’ll have to forgive him.

He thinks he’s a cowboy.”

“Hey!” Cowboy Clark barked.

Mrs. Whiskers said, “Well, here’s a question a real cowboy could answer. If you ride into town on Friday, stay for three days, then leave on Friday, how is it possible?” Pete, Larry, and even Cowboy Clark looked at each other, confused.

“Your horse’s name is Friday.” As she sauntered off, Mrs. Whiskers purred, “See you around, boys.”

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by Susan Harness • illustrated by Merle Insinga • colored by Gaurakisora Tucker

C

heyenne Indian girls growing up on the American Great Plains during the mid-1800s were not that different from pioneer girls. In fact, they had many things in common: They played with dolls, played house, cooked, sewed, and did fine handwork. They learned, by playing, all those things that eventually would be expected of them when they grew up and had lodges of their own.

Imagine you are a Cheyenne Indian girl. The land is endless, meeting the sky on the farthest horizon. Your people are nomadic, following the huge bison herds across the grasslands. During winter, snow hides the ground for weeks. Summers are hot, and the buzz of insects constantly rings in your ears.

It is summer, and you are 10 years old. Your uncle named you Whirlwind after the small dusty tornadoes that dart energetically across the grasslands.

You are an accomplished horsewoman, having ridden seven summers. Loving a good race, this morning you and three friends agree on a finishing point off in the distance, a fortress of white limestone. With a quick kick of your heels, you and your horse fly over the plains, the grass a blur beneath you. Barely winning, you let out a victory whoop that sings over the grasslands. Laughing, you agree it was a good race, but the day is young. Playing camp sounds like a good idea.

Several summers ago, your mother taught you how to choose the poles and sew the covering of buffalo skins for your own lodge. It is small compared with the adult lodges, which are large enough for several families. The same was done by your friends’ mothers, so between you and your friends, you have a little village. You agree to meet by the willows by the stream.

The sun is high, and your lodges are set in a circle. A small fire burns in the center.

You wish you had some meat to roast.

When some village boys join you, you tell them to prove they are great hunters. “Go catch a rabbit to eat.” Boasting, they swagger off with their bows and arrows in search of dinner.

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Meanwhile, you work on your project, a pair of moccasins. On a recent trading trip, your father traded buffalo skins for several items, including beads and steel sewing needles. The steel needles are stronger than your old bone needles and make your job easier. Your grandmother is teaching you to sew, and you remember her words as you pull the needle through the leather with strong stitches.

Beading is difficult, but you will master it. It’s one of the many ways you prove yourself as a good and careful wife. Threading sinew, or dried muscle fibers, through the eye of the needle, you tie a knot at one end. Then you push the needle through the moccasin top and pull it out the other side. Once the knot is tight against the back, you place a few beads on your needle, letting them run down the thread. You decide where to push the needle in, continuing to stitch and bead. Your entire design takes shape and lies tight against the leather.

A shout interrupts your work. The boys appear over the hillside carrying a rabbit between them. They are pleased, for rabbits are quick and difficult to catch.

You clean it, then turn it on a spit over the fire.

Soon the overwhelming scent of roasted rabbit tells you it is time to eat. Seasoned with sage and wild onion, the rabbit is tender and tasty. What good eyes the boys must have to catch such a tender rabbit, you tell them, hiding a giggle as their chests puff with pride.

Suddenly, a scream erupts, and one girl points to the western horizon. A silhouette of men on horseback lies against the setting sun. Fearing it is the Cheyenne’s enemy, the Utes, you run, leaving everything behind in haste to make it safely to your village.

Running into your lodge, you explain between gulping breaths what you’ve seen. Your mother instructs you to remain in the lodge. Your father and his brother gather the men of the village together and mount the war horses, riding to meet the enemy. Everyone in camp is tense. Women wait, ready to take down the lodges. Girls and children wait for the command to run.

Older boys, who will become men in the next summer or two, stand bravely at the border of the village.

Continued on next page . . .

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Soon the warriors return, the strangers close behind. Peeking from the doorway, you see men dressed in buckskin, wearing beards and mustaches. One even has blue eyes, the color of the sky! Because you’ve never seen white men before, you stare until Blue Eyes turns your direction and smiles. Scared, you return to the back of the lodge and listen to the men talk.

Your grandfather, the chief, tells the white men his people will offer them food and shelter for one night. This pleases you because you want to see Blue Eyes again.

That night brings dancing, feasting, and storytelling beneath a carpet of stars.

Finally, the white men tell their stories. They are traders, having come down from the mountains to the west. Trapping beaver, they sell the skins to people who live on an ocean to the northeast. The skins are then taken on large boats to a land far across the water you’ve never seen. Marveling at these wonders, you curl up on a large soft buffalo robe and sleep, dreaming things you never thought existed.

Upon awakening, you find the men gone and the buffalo herd moved on.

“Go get your lodge, Whirlwind,” your mother says. “It’s time to move.”

Excited, you pack. This is the life you always wanted to live. It is a freedom you hope to pass on to your children, who will one day inherit the greatness of being a Cheyenne on the Great Plains of America.

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by Micki Huysken

A Tlingit (CLING-it) Indian walks among cedar trees in the Alaskan forest. He finds a strong, straight tree that has been growing long before his grandparents’ grandparents lived there. He marks its rough bark. This is the first step in making a magnificent storytelling tree.

The carver chants to help his concentration and to keep a cutting rhythm. He learned the chant from his father, who learned it from his. Wood chips pepper the air. Black paint is dabbed into pale wooden eyes.

At one time, artists mixed salmon eggs with minerals to make bright-colored paints for the poles.

Long ago, totem poles were carved to tell stories of battles or to record tribal events. Shapes of bears, wolves, and other creatures were carved into the soft wood. Some carvings had human shapes. A storyteller read the pole from top to bottom. Totem poles were read again and again, like a library of wooden stories.

At last, the weary carver puts down his tools. A crane will lift the new pole. He remembers stories of his grandfather’s first pole raising. No crane was used then, just dozens of men holding tightly to ropes.

Their groans rippled like a chorus of bears. Drums and voices swelled like thunder when the pole rose.

Totem poles still stand in Alaska and Washington.

Even today, totem pole carving continues in Ketchikan, Alaska, where Tlingit Indians live.

The old carver blinks away the memories. The steel arm crane is placing his new pole upright.

Visitors look up in awe. Cheers and laughter roll forth.

The mighty cedar growing tall in the Alaskan forest is now a splendid totem pole.

Once, a stone adze (an ax-like tool) brought down an 80-foot giant. Today chainsaws do the work. Thick bark is stripped away. Then knots, once burned with hot rocks, are sanded smooth. The tree is ready for the master carver chosen by the tribe. Poles that once took a year to carve now can be completed in three months.

Think about stories told by your parents and grandparents. If you put those stories on a totem pole, what would your storytelling tree look like?

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by Evelyn B. Christensen

by Evelyn B. Christensen

Native American children Bright Star, Willow Tree, White Owl, and Rainbow each have a different chore today. Use the clues to match each child with his or her chore.

1. White Owl and Willow Tree both have chores involving animals.

2. Rainbow took a cup of water to the girl who is caring for her little sister.

The buffalo was a very important animal for many Native American tribes. It was a source of food, clothing, shelter, bedding, fuel, and tools. Parts of it were used for spoons, cups, ladles, needles, knives, and even toys!

3. White Owl got wet doing his chore.

Bright Star

Willow Tree

White Owl

F B

O

Rainbow

L

catch fish for dinner care for little sister

F

weave a basket

F

check rabbit snares

F

U F B

O

A O F

F

B L

U

A

L

F

O

F

F F U A

Fill in the squares so that each row, column, and 7-square section has the letters B-U-F-F-A-L-O (2 F’s in each).

Use the grid to eliminate possibilities. Put an “x” in a box if you know a child doesn’t go with a chore.

Put an “o” if you know he or she does.

P O W W O W M C A N Y I O B T N D X I O A N T R W I E B E U S R U F S S H E E A T O T N A U Q S

by Stephanie Kelley

A T P L D I E D A C R O

Find and circle the following words. Indians, tribes, and important parts of their lives and history are included. Some words are forward, backward, up, down, and a few may even be diagonal! Write the letters that are unused on the lines below to learn a fact about American Indians.

T S E S N S O W A M S O

POCAHONTAS POWWOW BEADS WAMPANOAG

TEEPEE CORN SIOUX SOWAMS

TRAIL OF TEARS MASSASOIT POWHATAN FURS RESERVATION SQUANTO NEZ PERCE

A R E W A M P A N O A G N R E S E R V A T I O N T R A I

L O F T E A R S

T I O S A S S A M T H A N E Z P E R C E M E R I S A T N O H A C O P C A

Answer:

__ __ __ __

__ __ __ __ __ __

__ __ __ __ __ __

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__ __ __ __ __ __

__ __ __ __ __

__ __ __ __ __ __ __

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ .

by Stephanie Kelley

Complete the crossword puzzle to learn about American Indian tribes.

1 2

5

Choose from the following answers: HOPI

TRADE

PICTOGRAPH

POMO

MYTH PUEBLO CHIEF NAVAJO

8

4 2 5 6

UTE

7

CHEROKEE

3

ALGONQUIAN

LONGHOUSE

PIMA

HUNT

TRIBE

6 7

Across

Down

1. This is a picture used by American Indians to tell a story.

1. This is the leader of a tribe.

2. These southwestern Indians are known for masked dances, basketry, and pottery.

2. Some Indians lived in this rectangular structure made of reeds, straw, or wood.

Often, more than one family would dwell in it.

3. This Shoshone tribe lived in portions of many western states. Most now live on Utah and Colorado reservations, where they raise cattle.

3. This is a large group of Indian tribes from the East Coast to the Rocky Mountains that share the same language. The Cheyenne, Illinois, and Shawnee are all part of this group.

4. Known as some of the best basket makers, these Indians live in Arizona.

4. This Pueblo tribe is known for planting corn. Their land is on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona.

5. Many tribes exchanged food or weapons with Europeans.

This is known as ____________.

6. This is the largest Indian tribe in America. Their reservation includes land in Arizona and New Mexico.

7. This is what a group of Indians using a certain language and practicing certain traditions is called.

5. This is a story told by Indians or any other group of people to explain why something is the way it is. It usually deals with nature, animals, or the skies, but is not based on fact.

6. This Indian community, known for making baskets, lives in northern California.

7. Many Indian tribes did this to feed their people. They used every part of the animal.

8. These Indians were forced off their land east of the Mississippi River and sent west in a movement known as the Trail of Tears. Most live in Oklahoma today, but some live on their native land on a North Carolina reservation.

by David Lindo

Find the letters described by the fraction given in each statement. Print the letters you select, in the order provided, into the boxes. What did you get? Were you surprised?

The last 1/2 of STAR The first 2/7 of AWARDED The middle 1/5 of CHASE The first 1/3 of KIDNEY The last 1/3 of FRIEND The last 1/2 of ARIA The last 2/5 of PLANS

see page 30 for answers

Who were the original inhabitants of Puerto Rico?

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by Philip L. Jewett Everybody has dreams. Many people pursue their dreams hoping to capture a prize at the rainbow’s end. A few fortunate people actually live their dreams while fulfilling them. George Catlin was one of those lucky few. Catlin, one of America’s finest artists, painted Indians and Indian life. Although many artists have painted Indians, no one has 14 matched Catlin’s extensive coverage.

Painting Indians at home, on their own land, was Catlin’s dream. To do this, Catlin lived with the Indians. He literally became an Indian. Catlin hunted with them. He played their games. He beat tom-toms for them during their dances and celebrations. Catlin painted the Indians as he knew them, and he knew them well.

Portrait of artist George Catlin

Starting from St. Louis, Catlin roamed the vast un-mapped wilderness west of the Mississippi River in the early 1800s. Canoeing to Montana, he stayed with the dreaded Sioux while painting portraits of their chiefs and warriors. Traveling to Texas, the fierce Comanches became subjects for his canvas.

Catlin visited the Fox, the Mandans, and many other near-extinct tribes. Catlin never feared the Indians.

For him, they were trusted friends. Indians from many tribes regarded Catlin as a blood brother.

Because of this close relationship, Catlin was permitted to paint scenes of Indian life that other white people were forbidden to see. Catlin painted medicine men as they practiced their secret rituals.

He painted warriors celebrating victories in battles, funerals, and burials of chiefs.

Catlin spent seven years living with and painting Indians. He passed away in 1872.

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by Diane Winebar In a remarkable area of the American Southwest, magnificent monuments rise hundreds of feet into the desert sky. The “monuments” are rock formations found in a place the Navajo people call Valley of the Rocks. We know it as Monument Valley. It is on the Arizona-Utah border, on land that belongs to the Navajo Nation.

There are formations shaped like towers, spires, and super-thin pinnacles. Chunky hills called buttes look as though a giant carved them into fantastic shapes. Some huge rocks have holes in them. Incredible!

Let’s take a pretend trip through this wonderland. Atsa is our Navajo guide. His name means “Eagle.” The jeep is ready for us, so climb in!

Totem Pole

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Some formations have fanciful names.

We’re nearing the famous Mitten buttes. They are massive! The Three Sisters are up ahead.

A Navajo myth says these columns are holy people who were turned into stone. The Owl seems to be watching us from high above.

Totem Pole soars in the distance. At 450 feet, it’s the world’s tallest, skinniest natural spire.

As we ride down the bumpy road, Atsa explains that long ago, the valley was covered by layers of sandstone. Over the centuries, swirling winds and pounding rain wore down the soft rock. Ancient volcanoes helped form buttes and peaks. All this left the awe-inspiring landscape we see today. Even now, nature is still sculpting Monument Valley.

A cave! We go inside and lay on the ground, gazing at the red-colored rock above us. We listen wide eyed while Atsa tells us stories about the Navajos. Then we are back in the jeep, ready to explore more.

Mitten Buttes

Eye of the Sun

Owl Rock

Three Sisters

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by Toni A. Lattimer In southwestern South Dakota, the faces of four presidents are carved into the side of a mountain. The faces can be seen nearly 60 miles away. People come from all over the world to see Mount Rushmore, a US national monument.

The faces were carved into a mountain in the Black Hills, which are sacred to many Native Americans. Tribes went into the Black Hills to pray. This is much like people today, who go to their own places of worship. In 1877, Congress passed an Act that took ownership of the Black Hills away from Native Americans. Now Mount Rushmore is a sad reminder to some people that their sacred place is no longer theirs.

Close by, the Crazy Horse Memorial is being carved from a mountain by the family of sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski. He was one of the people who worked on Mount Rushmore. Lakota chief Henry Standing Bear and fellow chiefs asked Mr. Ziolkowski to carve a monument to Crazy Horse, the great Lakota chief.

Chief Standing Bear wanted the world to know that Native Americans had heroes too.

See the rough sketched outline of the future horse’s head?

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So far, the head of Crazy Horse is visible. Work is being done on his outstretched arm and portions of his horse. It is truly a magnificent sight.

Mr. Ziolkowski realized that Crazy Horse would not be finished in his lifetime. So he and his wife Ruth prepared three detailed books of plans for the monument carving. Mr. and Mrs. Ziolkowski are both gone now. Some of their children and grandchildren continue to work on the monument. When the Crazy Horse monument is finished, it will be the largest sculpture in the world.

If your family is ever vacationing in South Dakota, maybe you’ll see Mount Rushmore. Ask your parents to go 17 miles down the road to see Chief Crazy Horse’s monument too. You can view history in the making!

The Crazy Horse monument peaking through the model statue from a mile away.

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Would You, Could You,

Eat Wood?

by Larry Troyano

They moved down the high mountains to be protected from the cold winters. The forest was thick with ponderosa pine trees. Families set up camp in the forest as they had done for hundreds of years. They hunted and picked berries and seeds all summer to get ready for the long winter. Their dried deer, elk and mountain goat meat were supposed to last all winter.

So were the seeds they had collected. But it was not enough. They were running out of food.

What could the Ute people do?

Ms. Laura is part Ute Native American and an environmentalist. She described how 200 to 300 years ago, her ancestors peeled ponderosa pine tree bark and ate the soft inner layer.

The Utes’ summer camps were in the high western mountains above 7000 feet elevation.

Their winter camps were in the lower mountains from 4000 to 6000 feet elevation.

Explorers Lewis and Clark wrote in Clark’s journal in 1805 that the American Indians peeled bark from pine trees for the “under bark” and ate it at certain seasons of the year.

The outside bark was hard and looked like brown puzzle pieces. Peeling it off a tree was difficult work. While the men hunted, the women and children would go into the forests to find the right trees to peel for food.

The women sharpened rocks and sticks, then made a cut in the bark about five feet above the ground. They tasted the sap dripping from the cuts to make sure the trees were “good” to eat. If a tree was good, the women would force the sharp point of their stick between the bark and the tree trunk. They ripped off a piece and let it fall onto the ground with a thump.

These chunks were about two feet wide and five feet long. They were too big and heavy to carry back to camp, so everyone scraped the inner bark where the pieces had fallen.

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Both women and children used their own wooden scrapers to split and separate the inner bark, called the cambium, from the outside bark. The strips of soft cambium were rolled into balls and tied into knots so they were easier to eat.

Back at camp, the soft cambium was eaten raw or made into a mush or thick soup, similar to Cream of Wheat cereal. When pine nuts were available, the women crushed them and added them to the mixture.

It was a very nutritious meal, full of protein, calcium, carbohydrates, iron, vitamin C, magnesium, and zinc.

What did the inner bark taste like? One researcher said, “The inner bark was sweet and tasted good.”

These trees were peeled long ago by the Ute people.

The white inside of the tree trunk oozed clear sticky sap, or resin, when peeled. The sap dried hard and sealed the exposed wood from bugs and insects. And the sap was tasty too! In the spring, tree sap has lots of sugar in it.

Peeling away the bark of ponderosa pines left scars on the trees. These scars are very different from tree scars made by animals, lightning, or fires. The trees the Utes used for food only live to be 400 to 600 years old. They are disappearing due to age and human destruction.

These special scarred trees, and the use of tree bark for food, has historical importance according to Ms. Laura. She said, “This is our ancestry, and without documenting our way of life, it will be lost forever.”

Do you think you could eat wood? Native Americans did. The next time you walk through a pine forest, maybe your next meal will be from a ponderosa pine tree.

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Face-to-Face with

Geronimo

by Andrew Wales

Let’s make a drawing of Geronimo, a great Apache chief. When you look at Figure 5, this drawing might seem too difficult. But you can do it by beginning with the most simple, basic shapes. Ready to get started?

1 When you take away the background plants, scarf, hair, and everything else, you’ll see that we have a simple subject to draw. Begin by lightly sketching these few rectangular and oval shapes. (See Figure 1.)

2 Now draw the rifle in Geronimo’s hands.

(See Figure 2.) Use a ruler as a straight edge to make sure the rifle barrel is completely straight. Erase some of the guidelines you drew earlier. Now the basic shapes are drawn. You can begin adding some of the details.

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1

3 Begin looking for the curved lines in the clothing. (See Figure 3.)

Curved lines give the fabric the illusion of texture. Also begin looking for the darkest shadows, such as the area to the left of the foot. Finally, begin drawing Geronimo’s facial features.

3 2

4 4 Continue shading. In this drawing, the sun must be overhead because the bottom of the rifle barrel is dark, and the top is light. And the top of Geronimo’s left arm is light, and the bottom is in shadow. (See Figure 4.) Looking for clues like these helps us to shade more realistically.

Begin sketching the background shapes that will make up the bushes. Also look for small details, such as the folds of his scarf and the long, straight lines of his hair.

5 Finish your drawing! Send a copy of your Geronimo portrait to Fun For Kidz, PO Box 227, Bluffton, OH 45817-0227 or email to kidscorner@funforkidz.com.

You’ll see it in a future issue!

5

spatuletail/Shutterstock.com

Geronimo was once featured on a US postage stamp!

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by G.M. Glass • illustrated by Pamela Harden • colored by Gaurakisora Tucker Joyce stood on the front porch, anxiously looking down the road and out over the painted Utah hills. It had been another lonely day, especially since her father had gone to town. Joyce heard their dogs, Jasper and Jane, barking far off.

Estelle Benton joined her daughter on the porch, taking in the purple and gold of the early evening sky. She smiled at Joyce, seeing her flushed cheeks and thick, straw-colored braids that dangled down her back. My poor, lonely girl, she thought. She swiftly consoled herself thinking about the schoolhouse soon to be built in town. Suddenly, Joyce let out a squeal of excitement.

“Here he comes, and there’s somebody with him. Company! We’ve got company,” she cried, smoothing the wrinkles on her dress.

An Indian boy jumped down from the wagon and began helping Tom Benton unload supplies. He was older than Joyce, perhaps 14, she thought, her eyes falling upon the fancy necklace he wore. She had seen Indians in town, trading.

Joyce thought the babies were beautiful, with their black eyes and shiny black hair.

“This is our Navajo hired hand. I call him Johnny,” she heard her father say. “Johnny, this is Mrs. Benton and our daughter Joyce.”

The greeting Joyce was prepared to give him stayed in her throat, for with eyes that were dark and hostile, the boy barely glanced at them before turning away.

Standing by the wagon, Joyce’s father and Johnny talked in sign language for a long time. Tom Benton knew a great deal about Indians from his days as a soldier. In town, the boy had signed him a strange tale, signed because Johnny had made a vow not to speak until he was home. Taken four years ago by the Apaches during a raid, he had escaped and was making his way back to the Navajo reservation in Arizona.

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A late supper was waiting, but Johnny refused to enter the house. Squatting on the porch, he ate Joyce’s mother’s hearty food. Then he disappeared into the barn with one of her quilts tucked under his arm.

By the glow of the oil lamp, Pa shared Johnny’s tale. “Hard tellin’ what that boy’s been through. His religion forbids him to travel at night. If he weren’t half-starved and desperate, I doubt he’d agree to work here for a few days. He’ll have to go through some purification rites when he gets home: sweat baths, healing herbs, prayers, and such.

Strangers are bad medicine to the Navajos. It’s a strong part of their beliefs.”

“Humph! Will they delouse him, too, for being around us?” asked Joyce, refusing to think of her family as bad medicine.

Pa chuckled. “Could be,” he said, then grew serious again. “The Navajos have had a hard road to travel, what with the army starvin’ and burnin’ them out before Kit Carson moved them to the reservation. They’re known for raisin’ fine sheep. Johnny’ll be a big help around here.”

The following afternoon, Tom Benton came home bent over in pain. He had hurt his back and in English asked Johnny to stay a while longer. It turned out the boy understood English fairly well.

The days passed with Joyce chattering away in an attempt at making friends. Johnny tended the sheep, fed and watered the livestock, hoed weeds, cleaned stalls, and chopped firewood. Sometimes, Joyce worked by his side. “They’re building a schoolhouse,” she’d tell him repeatedly. “I’ll go every day and have lots of friends.” Stone-faced, Johnny occasionally gave her a slight nod in response.

One day a sheep birthed a lamb that lay still and cold. Johnny grabbed the shawl from Joyce’s shoulders and gently wrapped it around the lamb. She followed him to the house, where he shocked her by walking in for the first time and placing the lamb close to the stove. Joyce and her mother stood back and watched until the baby stirred into life, its little legs waving, its little nose twitching. continued on next page . . .

27

Johnny’s dark eyes settled on Joyce’s face. He smiled. Placing the lamb in her arms, he went back to his chores. Joyce carried the lamb back to its mother. Although still longing to hear the sound of his voice, she cherished Johnny’s first smile.

Two weeks went by. It was one of the glorious spring mornings of southwestern Utah. The smell of oatmeal, ham, biscuits, and coffee filled the house. Joyce’s parents were strangely silent.

Johnny had failed to appear for his breakfast on the porch.

“He’s gone,” said Pa when Joyce asked about him. “You needn’t get your feelin’s hurt because he couldn’t say a proper good-bye.” Reaching down into the pocket of his faded army pants, he drew out Johnny’s necklace. “He left you this. An Indian would figure it speaks better’n a thousand words.”

Stunned, Joyce fingered the beautiful piece of silver jewelry.

“I let him have old Maggie for all the work he’s done around here. She’ll get him home all the sooner,” said Pa. “Maggie . . . gone,” Joyce gasped. She had ridden the mare since she was a toddler back East. She swallowed hard. “I’m ashamed of trying so hard to get him to talk to me. But now that he’s gone, I’m proud of him for not breaking his vow. It’s a mixed-up feeling, Pa.” “I know, darlin’. Seems like everybody in the West has mixed-up feelin’s ‘bout Indians,” he answered, going out the door.

Months passed. Needing to share the belief that he was home, Joyce told her closest friends at school about him. Many nights, before closing her eyes, she pictured the smiling faces and whoops of joy when his family caught sight of him. When she thought of Maggie, as she did so often, she saw them together . . . riding free.

28

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Fraction-nition on page 13

American Indian Know-How on page 12

P O W H A T A N T T N S

O B I E T S R R R I E A

WW T N E B E A P L E S E W E S A I O S Z P T N

O D E T D N A E L A E O

W X U O I S M R O S R H

M I S T E O P V F S C A

C O R N D W A A T A E C

A A U A A A N T E M M O

N N F U C M O I A T E P

Y T S Q R S A O R H R C

I R S S O O G N S A I A

Answer: Many Indian tribes settled across North America.

Tribes and Trademarks on page 13

1

3

4

P I C T OGR A P H H L O 5 2 8 I L G 4 P I MA C I Y H 2P U E B L O O F N N 5TRADE G Q H6 R H 3U T E P O 7 H O I O K U U A M E N S 6NA V A J O E 7TR I B E

1

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Who were the original inhabitants of Puerto Rico?

ARAWAK INDIANS Native American Chores Logic on page 12 Bright Star cared for her sister.

Willow Tree checked rabbit snares.

White Owl caught fish.

Rainbow wove baskets.

Buffalo Sudoku on page 12

U O L B F A F

L A F U O F B

F B O F A U L

A F U F B L O

O F B A L F U

B U A L F O F

F L F O U B A

Photo Credits: Monument Valley 10: Bernard Gagnon / CC BY-SA 16-17 (bottom); The Mittens: MARELBU / CC BY 17 (top-left); Owl Rock - Monument Valley: Airwolfhound from Hertfordshire, UK / CC BY-SA 2.0 17 (bottom-left); Three Sisters3: U.S. Geological Survey / CC BY 17 (bottom-right); Crazy Horse Memorial by Tbennert / CC BY-SA 20; Crazy Horse Monument Peaking through the Model Statue by Sara Kirpes / CC BY-SA 21 (right); Crazy Horse Memorial close-up by DaveBo206 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0] 21 (left); Ponderosa pine illustration by Adelaide Tyrol 23 (top-left); photo by Jo Beckwith 23 (top-right); photo by Ms. Laura 23 (bottom-right).

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V i s i t U s O n l i n e ! F a c e b o o k . c o m / F u n F o r K i d z • w w w. F u n F o r K i d z . c o m Vol. 19 No. 5 • SEPT/OCT 2020 Publisher: Thomas M. Edwards Editor: Marilyn Edwards Associate Editor: Diane Winebar Graphic Design: Gaurakisora Tucker Marketing Director: Jonathan Edwards Circulation Manager: Mark Studer Science Editor: Larry White Science Illustrator: Alan Wassilak Cowboy Clark & Larry Editor: Lisa Rehfuss Cover Artist: Chris Sabatino

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