Ways of Indian Magic

Stories Retold

Teresa VanEtten (Pijoan)

• Publisher: Sunstone Press
• Year: 2016
• eBook ISBN: 9781611391602
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Native American Studies
• Index: Social Sciences

These stories are based on Pueblo Indian legends collected by the author over a ten-year period. Most of the stories were told to her in Tewa, the Pueblo language she learned while working in her family-owned trading post, the San Juan Mercantile at the San Juan Pueblo. Being at the Pueblo gave her the opportunity to become familiar with Indian customs, rites and beliefs. Teresa (VanEtten) Pijoan was raised on the San Juan Pueblo Indian Reservation in New Mexico and later her family moved to the Nambe Indian Reservation. She is a national lecturer, storyteller, research writer, college professor, and teacher. She has lectured throughout Central Europe, Mexico, and the United States. "Booklist" reported: "This addition to an excellent series of books about Native American culture and people presents new renderings of traditional Indian folktales... These stories of imagination, of creativity, and of morality will strike a deep and resonant chord within readers of folktales and native American legendry."

1

VOICE OF ROLLING THUNDER

"You are but a young Anglo girl. The sun is not up yet. Here you are working." The storyteller's face smiled through time at my eager face. "The wood stove is warm in this two-hundred-year-old store because of your thoughtfulness and the caring of your family."

She stopped, listening with her head cocked to one side. "The floor creaks with the passing of time, It is important to listen. You find the time to listen. I am old, few listen to old people. I have known you now for two years and will you listen and remember?" Her dark brown eyes met mine.

"I will remember, I am trying to learn the language." I was not anxious to interrupt her. Her presence was calm, secure and my voice broke through the feeling.

"If you must write this down to remember do so after I have left you this morning. These stories are important someone should listen and remember so all is not lost." Her voice had sharpened with meaning.

I nodded.

"This is the story of true love. A love that is only found through patience and belief. Such a love is not found easily. If you have a hard time with the words ask Uncle Tito, he will help you with the translations."

She started her story. Her brown wrinkled face spoke not to me but to the hot potbellied stove. All the groceries, dry goods, kerosene lamps and magazine faces listened. I listened too.

It is a long walk up a hill carrying arms full of corn, with the sun hot against your back, and the wind pushing you down from where you came. Powin povi pulled her skirts up with her two fingers and trudged up the hill. Her eyes teared from the wind and her hair blew wildly in the breeze. Her forehead was wet with sweat. She sighed when the view of the shelter came into sight. Her eyes were cast down as she passed her father. Her sister Tho-tu-e walked behind him. She had a smile on her face and her arms swung freely. Powin povi dropped her heavy load onto the corn pile. She mopped her brow with her skirt and sat down next to the water basket. Her sister and father had been talking again. What had they been talking about? Powin povi looked up. No clouds and the sun was brighter than ever.

Powin povi glared at the cackling birds in the tree above her. They were ready to swoop down and pick over her hard work. "Get away from here you beggars." Powin povi flung her arms at them. They flew off for a distance and then started their cackling again. Powin povi frowned and wiped her hand on her skirt. Perhaps she should just ask them what they were talking about. She pushed her long brown hair away from her face and ran down the hill. Halfway down she lost her footing and fell. She rolled laughing all the way to the bottom. Tho-tu-e and her father ran towards her. Father grabbed her up in his strong arms, "Are you all right?" He hugged her to his chest. "Are you laughing or crying?" "I am laughing. I was so tired all I could think of was lying down in the sun and I tripped. The Great-Up-Above Spirits must have read my mind. Too, I wanted you to talk to me."

Father stood her up on the ground. He let go of her only when he was sure she was all right. "You wanted us to talk to you?"

Powin povi nodded her head, "You and Tho-tu-e have had long talks. What were they about?"

Her father stared at the ground. "Tho-tu-e and I are going to the feast at Abechu-Ougeche. It is the day after tomorrow. You are both of age, but I have only one ceremonial dress for the occasion. The dress was your mother's. Since Tho-tu-e is the oldest and the daughter who has helped me since your mother died, it is her time to go out and make a life of her own."

Powin povi looked at Tho-tu-e. Tho-tu-e was pretty and very shy. She never had any suitors for she was loyal to her father. Tho-tu-e liked pretty things and worked only when her father was out there right beside her. Tho-tu-e had raised Powin povi and had given her all the love of a mother and a sister. Tho-tu-e did deserve to start her own life.

"I am happy for you, Tho-tu-e," said Powin povi. Tho-tu-e smiled, "Then you are not angry with me for not telling you sooner?"

Powin povi put her hand into her sister's. "I am only angry that we are out here doing men's work when we should be in sewing your manta and binding your moccasins. Let’s go into our home and see what you are going to wear."

Their father put his hands out. "Wait. We have to bring in the rest of this crop. We are not going to leave you here alone, Powin povi, to bring in the corn, while we are at a feast. When we are finished you can sew."

The wind blew hard as they loaded up the last of the corn. Powin povi and Tho-tu-e ran to their home. They pushed open the heavy blanket over the door opening and fell on their bedrolls. "What are you going to wear?" Powin povi asked as she jumped up and ran to the mud shelves. "There are only a few things here that Mother left."

Tho-tu-e lay back on her bedroll. She pushed her hair back, wrapped it around her fingers and rolled it up. She took a long stick from her pocket and hooked her hair up on her head. "Let's wait for Father. He will show us what to do."

Powin povi went to the storage room and started mixing up some cornmeal. Her father came in and pulled his long moccasins off. His head was wet from hard work, he had a mark across his forehead from his head scarf. "Tho-tu-e, bring me my bedroll blanket, please."

Tho-tu-e rolled over on her bedroll and got up. She pulled his blanket up and brought it to him. Father carefully unrolled it. There were layers of blankets inside of it. Underneath all of the blankets were two rolled black cloths. He carefully unrolled them. They were the two sides of a manta. Around the base of the dress was a dark deep red embroidered border.

"Your mother worked very hard on these for our wedding dance. She was an excellent weaver. These shall be yours to wear, also here is the waist wrap that she started when she was waiting for Powin povi to be born. She never finished it. Powin povi dropped into our lives sooner than we had expected, so your mother put it away. Now, Tho-tu-e, you can finish it for her."

Tho-tu-e picked up the two pieces of the manta. It would fit her perfectly. All she needed to do was seam up the sides with a bright red yarn and knot the corners. Tho-tu-e picked up the waist wrap. It had become unraveled in the blanket and needed tightening. Tho-tu-e sat down next to her father. "Why is it that you never speak of Mother?"

He turned his head aside. "She was so beautiful. I loved her very much. She is still very much inside of me. I look at the two of you and I see her. She would have been so happy to have you with her in her life. I thank her for you. Her memory is still so strong in my mind that to talk of it, I could never say what I feel, what I see inside of me."

Powin povi came into the room. She looked at the manta and the waist wrap. "Oh, Tho-tu-e, you are going to be beautiful. You get your dark yarn and I will help to sew the manta. The waist wrap, you will have to weave. Father, when did Mother wear this manta?"

He smiled. "It was at the wedding dance. The first time I saw your mother was at the feast that I am taking your sister to. Your mother wore her hair down. She was grinding the cornmeal along with the other women at the dance. She had five or six young men dancing around her, chanting and singing about her cornmeal and her beauty. I felt very small. The other young men were runners in the Pueblo. They were strong and had wealth and families who had power. Your mother did not look up when her turn was finished. I heard the men remark that she had not given any of her cornmeal to anyone. It was the third day. She was there to find a man to share her life with and she hadn't even found anyone that pleased her. The line was long and she looked very tired. I thought to bring her some water, but my father told me that I must not speak to any woman in the line. The next time it was her turn, I danced around her. She stood up when the dance was finished and gave me all three of her bowls of cornmeal. Her smile gave me wings. We were married four days after that.

"She would sing and laugh all the time. She made work easy and life a joy. She left me the two of you. We did not know that she was so delicate, until after she tried and tried to have children. She would get sick. Then she had Tho-tu-e. After you were born, she would sing from her bedroll all day long. When Powin povi was born, we both felt that the Spirits were with us. She got stronger and helped with the work, but when winter came, she went away. You both are my life now."

He got up and walked into the food storage room. Tho-tu-e and Powin povi did not look at each other. They were busy with their work. They felt honored that their father told them of their mother. In the Pueblo the people would talk of the beauty and happiness their mother had carried with her when she was alive. Tho-tu-e held up the waist wrap. "He can talk of it now. Do you think that this will be long enough or should I put some fringe on the side?"

They were busy with the weaving and the day passed quickly. Night fell with a sudden silence. Tho-tu-e was sad that she had to leave her little sister behind and her father was deep in thought. Would his fourteen year old daughter be all right alone in the house, so far out in the country? Powin povi was worried. No one spoke. They did their chores. The embers burned low while they all snuggled into their bedrolls.

The sun shone down on the little farm on that cold frosty morning. Their father was in the field and had let the sheep out. The corn that was special was already rolled up and bundled. Tho-tu-e had her manta on and her moccasins tight around her ankles. The food bundle was tied and Powin povi gave each of them a silent prayer and a hug. Father and Tho-tu-e were off and on their way from her to the feast.

Powin povi sat down on the ground and watched as they became smaller and smaller on the horizon. She was all alone. Powin povi walked down to the sheep. She patted them and asked them how the old stiff yellow corn stalks tasted. "No one would know but you. I shall not taste it." Powin povi smiled and walked away. The corn was neatly covered and stored. Her father had thought of everything. Powin povi went inside. She took out the bread dough and started kneading it. If the wind was not too strong she could bake it outside in the horno. The dough was stiff and her hands were still sore from carrying the corn. She went outside and started a small fire in the horno. The wind blew it out. "You stop that. I would like some fresh bread. You rest, Wind, and let me bake."

Powin povi stood with her fist at the wind. It blew her hair into her face. Powin povi walked into the mud home. "Fine. Then I shall have to go to the river and get some water to soak the dough in."

Powin povi picked up the water baskets, that were hard with tree sap, and started out the door opening. The wind lifted her skirt up and flung it in her face. "You are not going to leave me alone, are you? Very well then keep me company, but help me." Powin povi ran down the hill and this time she did not trip. She dipped the water baskets into the fast moving river. The water baskets were heavy.

"Here, Wind, you carry this one." She tossed her head back and laughed. The wind blew some water from the bucket onto her skirt. "Oh, no you don't. You are not going to get me angry." Powin povi pulled the heavy water baskets up to her home. She carefully looked on the ground for rocks. She did not want to spill a drop of water by stumbling. She made it to the top of the mountain and set the water baskets down. "There you old wind. I did it." She brushed her hair back and glanced at the mud hut. Her home had a large corn plant growing in front of it. The corn plant was not there when she left. "Wind, is this one of your tricks?"

Powin povi looked around her. The wind was not blowing. Could the wind pick up a large corn plant and plant it in front of her home? The corn plant began to sway back and forth but there was no wind. Powin povi walked up to the corn plant. She reached out to touch it. The plant swayed out of her reach. Powin povi stepped back. Powin povi looked around for the wind, or even just a breeze. There was none.

"Wind, what have you done?" Powin povi questioned the air. The corn plant began to sway again. Powin povi reached up to touch it. A voice of rolling thunder came pouring out. "Powin povi, do not touch me. I have been sent by the wind to help you."

Powin looked around. Had her father come back for her? Corn plants do not talk. The plant began to sway and pollen spewed from the top of it onto the ground. "Do you want to go to the feast at Abechu-Ougeche?''

Powin povi stepped back, cocking her head to the side she answered, "Yes. I would like to. But I need a dress, moccasins, a man to take me, and some good corn to grind, too." The corn plant's pollen fell down on her feet. Powin povi jumped back. "Then you shall go. What you need will be on your bedroll in your home. If there is something that you cannot find, I will make it for you."

Powin povi stared at the corn plant. She knew that this was all great magic. Hesitantly, she moved to the mud hut. The pollen followed her. Her bedroll was opened by the pollen and as she stood there, the pollen wove her a manta. The colors of it were the same as the corn plant's pollen. The pollen wove her a waist wrap, and on the floor where the pollen fell was a tall pair of white buckskin moccasins. Powin povi pulled off her clothes. The pollen swayed around her body and washed her clean. The pollen tossed her hair until it shone.

Powin povi's eyes were filled with wonder. The manta was lifted by the pollen and placed upon her. Her hair was braided and then let loose to fall to her knees. She sat down and reached for the moccasins, but they were already on her feet. The pollen stopped. Powin povi listened, she turned her head. There was no sound from outside. She jumped up and ran outside. The corn plant was still there. She cautiously approached it.

"You are truly beautiful, Powin povi. Now here is your head dress." The pollen spewed forth once more onto her head. She was given a head dress of feathers. The voice of rolling thunder spoke again, "Powin povi, what else do you need to go to the feast?" Powin povi looked up at the corn plant, her hands grasped the softly woven manta, "I shall need corn and my matate and mano." The corn plant bent its leaves and fat thick blue corn fell from the side wall of the mud hut and flew next to the basket. Powin povi whispered, "I shall need someone to go with me?" The corn plant shook and the rolling thunder said. "You shall go alone. You must grind your cornmeal for four days. On the fourth day a young man shall come to you. You will know who he is. Give him your cornmeal that you have. You must be patient. Wait for four days." The corn plant was quiet and no longer spewed forth pollen.

Powin povi picked up her things and started down the road. It was a long walk. She was not sure of the way and she only hoped that the wind would stay with her and help her get there safely. Powin povi stopped at the top of the hill. She wanted to glance back and see her home. She didn't. She kept on walking. Should she have left the sheep out to graze? Perhaps the wind would drive them off. The gate, she forgot to change the lower irrigating gate. Should she go back? Powin povi looked down at her manta and her beautiful moccasins. Perhaps, but no, that would be too much, would the corn plant look after her home while she was gone? She knew somehow that the corn plant would not disappoint her. She shook her head. This was all so magical and it all happened so fast. She decided not to think about it further. She would go to the feast and dance. She would wait four days and find the man that the corn plant told her about.

The road was long and the trail at times steep. She glided over the rougher strip of gorge and entered the Pueblo just as the sun was going down. Powin povi started to look for her family. Then she remembered what her father had said about trying to find people in such a large crowd. There were people everywhere. Powin povi found the women all lined up grinding their corn. The line was long. She carefully mo...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Dedication
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Foreword
• Introduction
• 1 Voice Of Rolling Thunder
• 2 Wings Of Wrath
• 3 The Mountain Eagle
• 4 The Story Of Montezuma
• 5 The Basketmaker
• 6 Sai-Ya
• Afterword