Legends, Beliefs and Stories of the People
by: Gail Lang

In the Native American village what one had, they all had. The village members shared completely. Respect for each other was equally as great as their respect for the land and creatures around them. The Native Americans strongly believed in the importance of caring for Mother Earth and her inhabitants. According to their beliefs the four-legged, winged-ones, finned-ones and other animals were on earth first. They were the Grandfather's or Great Spirit's chosen ones. They believed that if you truly opened your heart, you could understand them, and talk to them, not in a language but through an understanding. The Great Spirit put the native people, the humans, on earth to care for Mother Earth and all her inhabitants. The humans used animals only for survival; their purpose was to protect the animals. The human was the keeper for the creator, the care-giver for Mother Earth, for the winged-ones, for the four-legged ones, for the finned-ones, for all that he created.

These beliefs guided Native American lives, building a spirituality that led them in each step. Their care for each other and all around them was evident in the smallest aspect of their lives, right down to the simple gesture of "gifting". To an Indian, gifting meant a lot. It is hard to accept a gift, without thinking you have to return a gift. When people receive a gift, they think the giver wants something from them, or that they must give something in return. But gifting has nothing to do with that. A gift can be as simple as a small bundle of sage or tobacco or as generous as a person's entire belongings. When an Indian felt the desire to "gift", he did so without hesitation. Life does not require analysis or answers for everything. Life only requires us to live and learn to love others.

Native American heritage and legends have a strong impact on Indian lives. Belief in the strength and value of the Eagle soars above many others. Legend held that if an Eagle feather fell to the ground, a great warrior had fallen. Many powwow ceremonies have been unexpectedly halted when a feather fell in honor of a great warrior. Before retrieving this feather special ceremony had to be performed to honor the unknown warrior. Lynette Jefferies shares a solemn personal story that shows the strength of the belief in the fallen Eagle feather.

I used to teach for a high school. I always ironed my clothes the day before. But one morning I woke up and just didn't want to wear what I had prepared from the day before so I rushed to iron something else and still manage to get to work on time. I frantically prepared my turquoise dress and was running so late, wondering which earrings would I wear with this dress? I was always there no later than a quarter of eight, and time was running out quickly. The kids come up at eight and, as I ran up, I was pushing at five minutes to eight. I was in such a rush when the English teacher stops me, "Lynette, you wouldn't happen to have a dream catcher in your room would you? My students are making dream catchers and writing a paper on what it means to them." I said, "No, but here you can borrow this" and reached up pulling the dream catcher earring from my ear handing it to her. She was speechless so I said, "Well you may as well take both of them." So I reached up and took the other earring off and gave it to her as well. Then I ran to my room to get on with the day.

Now, at 2:30 the principal calls on the speaker asking for all teachers to come to the band room for a very important meeting. We were sure we were getting blessed out about something because it wasn't faculty meeting time, and there were no other meetings planned. But we all went and assembled to see what he had to say. He then gave us trivial information, more something to just pass the moments to the real matters. Then it came. He said the reason he'd asked us there was to deliver some bad news. Miss. Huff had died that morning, but they didn't want to upset anyone. She was one of our guidance counselor and worked so hard to look after the children. She would call each child if she missed school and worked so hard for them. When the absentee list came up, if there were 50 children, she would keep track of every one of them! She would call "Why aren't you in school?" "I was tired," they would say. "Get your clothes on and be ready," she would tell them. "I'm coming over to pick you up!" And she'd drive all over the county to pick these girls up and drive them to school. She had Crones disease and it would attack her every so often. That morning she had an attack and was so frightened she called the school, which was in the northern part of the county, instead of 911 for help. They were unable to get help to her in time. She was a young woman. We all sat there stunned. After a bit we left to return and gather our things to go home. Tears were streaming from my face. Then I saw the English teacher coming up the stairway carefully carrying my earrings. She looked so very upset as she approached me and said, "Lynette, I'm so sorry, I apologize, I was so careful, so very careful, but one of the feathers fell off. I can't imagine how, I was so very careful, but one fell off." I just looked at her calmly through my tears, taking the earrings from her and told her, "Legend says that when a great warrior falls an eagle feather falls. We lost a great warrior today."

She had been so very careful holding the dream catcher and was so upset at the loss of the eagle feather, but I knew it was meant to be. A great warrior had been lost to us that day and no power on earth would have prevented that feather from falling. The counselor was a true warrior. She gave her life to the children, many of whom would not have graduated were it not for her valiant efforts on their behalf. She may not have fought in blood battles, but she was a great warrior fighting for the future of our children.