amount of planning and extra work to get everyone home. The journey here was easy; we did not have the extra weight of the meat.
There was also the worry of our most feared enemy, the Haudenosaunee. We were near their lands.
20
The River Home
NOW THAT THE HUNT was over, our people gave thanks to the animal’s spirit for its sacrifice, enabling us to survive.
After the ceremony, everyone started working at their tasks. The warriors had the responsibility of making the rest of the travois for all the men and women, plus smaller ones for the dogs. The canoes were finished and we sent a group of warriors to take them back to the river. They then had to return to help carry the meat out.
The women placed the buffalo on its side with the help of the warriors. They then tied rope to the animal’s feet. This let them roll it into position to butcher the beast. The women then cut the buffalo down the belly and took off the top half of the hide, cutting away the meat from the bones. They then tied the rope to the feet and flipped the animal over to continue the other side.
The big bulls were hard to move so they placed them on their bellies, with the legs spread. They then cut across the brisket and neck, folding the hide back so they could cut the forequarters at the joints. The women next split the hide down the middle.
After cutting the meat off the bones, they put it on drying racks to preserve it. Our people put to use every part of the buffalo. We knew that this great beast might never come this way again and the people had to make the most of this stroke of luck.
After the hides were cut off, the brain of the animal was used to tan the skin by rubbing the under surface and then staking it out in the sun to dry.
After about four days the stench of the dead animals was stifling. This brought the crows, ravens, and turkey vultures who were trying to get their share, in company with the coyotes and wolves that were lurking around. Chasing all these scavengers away kept the camp dogs busy day and night.
While the women were doing the butchering, warriors were carrying what they could to the canoes. It was at this time that a meeting of the family heads convened.
“The warriors who have been carrying meat and robes to the canoes tell me that maybe they should start off for our summer home with what is already loaded. I agreed with them and came up with a plan to help us speed up the journey home for everyone. They say that in the next day they will have forty-five canoes loaded. My suggestion is to send ninety warriors home. There is still several days’ work here to do. If we wait to finish, the trip home will be cumbersome with one hundred and fifty canoes and only one hundred and thirty warriors to help paddle. The warriors say that they can make the round trip in nine or ten days. When they return downriver, they will be able to meet our people as they are returning and help them from there.”
“Mahingan,” said Pangì Shìshìb, “if we send ninety warriors home, we will be left with only forty men. What happens if the Haudenosaunee arrive?”
“Our scouts tell us that they have not seen any activity from across the big lake, plus the Wàbanaki will be here until the end. It is an easier trip for them because they will be going with the current of the big river home. After the ninety warriors leave, we will be leaving in groups of sixty-five, including ten warriors, in twenty-five canoes over the next several days. As the ninety start to come back to us, they will be able to relieve our loads and give us extra manpower in the canoes.
“I see your plan now, and it is a good one,” said Pangì Shìshìb.
“Do we all agree then on the final plan?”
“Yes, Mahingan,” they all said in unison.
“Fine, let’s get started. The ninety will leave now.”
Over the course of the next several days, all the groups left. My group was the last one. I had nine warriors with me. There were my three brothers, the two warrior women Agwanìwon Ikwe and Kìnà Odenan, Minowez-I, his son Nigig, Makòns, and Miskwì. Furthermore, we had fifty-five women and young boys divided into twenty-five canoes.
“Mitigomij, we are finally heading home.”
“Yes, brother, but I have a feeling that the Haudenosaunee will still make their presence felt. We have to be cautious and anticipate that a few of the ninety will reach us in good time.”
Wàgosh and Nigig, who were standing near Mitigomij and me, also expressed their concerns of our enemy from the south.
“Don’t worry. Kitchi Manitou has been with us up ’till now. He’ll watch over us until we are safely home.”
The first day of our trip home was uneventful. We divided the warriors among ten of the canoes. Each warrior’s canoe had a young boy in it. The other fifteen canoes had three paddlers each, mostly women. Four of the warrior canoes took the lead, two in the middle and the final four safeguarding the rear boats of the small group. The warriors had been positioned so that if there were any trouble they would be near by to lend a hand. In my boat, I had a boy named Pashkwadjàsh (Coyote), the small white dog, and Ishkodewan. The boy was the same age as the twins and asked many questions about the sìbì. He was good company and a strong paddler. His father was one of the ninety warriors who had left nine days ago. The boy’s mother did not make the trip because she had a very young daughter to care for that was born last fall. Each canoe was loaded with as much meat and robes as it could handle. Near dusk, we portaged at the big rapids and made camp. Sentries were posted, and for watchdogs they had my wolf and the small dog. All was well so far.
The party awoke the next morning to rain. We decided to continue, but if the winds came up we would head to shore. We travelled until our next portage and stopped for the day as the weather had worsened.
At this encampment, there were lean-tos from our previous trip downriver. There we waited out the weather and stayed dry. The next morning would hopefully bring a break in the conditions.
The following day the weather started to break. The plan was to eat and then with a bit of luck we would be able to leave before the noon sun. The ninety had been gone ten days now. In the next day or two, the first couple of groups would start reconnecting with the returning warriors. With the extra boats and labour, this would hasten their return trip. Our expectation was that we would see the warriors in a couple of days. The four groups that left after the warriors would not make very good time. With only ten men in each group, the portages would be time consuming. We would have to make many trips during the portages because of all the meat and robes that were in each canoe. The women were an immense help but could not carry as much as a man. We kept a few travois to help us with the transporting of the buffalo meat and the robes on the portages, but it was still a burdensome time.
We were able to get away before the noon sun and calm water ensured the easiest travel since we had started the trip home.
After we had been out on the river for quite awhile, Mitigomij doubled back with his canoe.
“Mahingan, Makadewà Wàban has appeared along the shore twice. When he shows himself like that, it only means one thing. He sees something he does not like. Someone must be following us!”
“Mitigomij, there is a big bend in the river up ahead. We can put ashore there, and then we will be able to look back onto the river for a great distance. If anyone is following us, they will come into our view at that spot.”
As
