08 Sacred Circle

Chapter 08 Sacred Circle The sun was going down as the three ponies galloped for home. The deep blue sky was streaked with golden red light. Back at the Lakota camp, the circle of tepees glowed in the setting sun. People were gathered around a large fire. Black Hawk led Jack and Annie to the camp. They got off their ponies and went over to the fire. Grandmother rose to greet them.

“ You have been gone a long time, ” she said. Black Hawk looked her bravely in the eye. “ Grandmother, I tried to hunt the buffalo alone, ” he said. “ One charged at me, but Jack saved my life. Then Annie and White Buffalo Woman stopped all the other buffalo from a stampede. ” “ Let this be a lesson to you, ” Grandmother said sternly. “ Your pride led you to show off. Showing off made you behave foolishly. Your foolishness frightened a buffalo. He frightened others. One thing always leads to another. Everything is related. ” “ I am sorry, ” said Black Hawk. He hung his head. “ I have learned. ” Jack felt sorry for Black Hawk.

“ I make mistakes sometimes, too, ” he said softly. “ Me too, ” said Annie. Grandmother looked at Jack and Annie. “ Buffalo Girl and Rides-Like-Wind showed great courage today, ” she said. Jack smiled. He loved his new Lakota name: Rides-Like-Wind. “ We welcome you to our family, ” said Grandmother. The evening shadows spread over the camp. Someone began beating a drum. It sounded like a heartbeat. “ Come, sit with us in our circle, ” said Grandmother. They sat with her near the warm fire. A cool breeze blew sparks into the gray twilight.

An old man held a long pipe up to the sky. He pointed it to the east, the south, the west, and the north.

Then he passed the pipe to the next man in the circle. The man put the pipe to his lips and blew smoke into the golden firelight. Then he passed it on.

“ The smoke from the sacred pipe joins all things to the Great Spirit, ” Grandmother said to Jack and Annie. “ The Great Spirit?” asked Annie. “ The Great Spirit is the source of all things in the sacred circle of life, ” said Grandmother. “ It is the source of all spirits. ” “ What spirits?” asked Jack. “ There are many, ” said Grandmother. “ Wind spirits, tree spirits, bird spirits. Sometimes they can be seen. Sometimes not. ” “ What about the White Buffalo Woman?” said Jack. “ Who is she?” “ She is a messenger of the Great Spirit, ” said Grandmother. “ He sent her when the people were starving. She brought the sacred pipe so that our prayers could rise to the Great Spirit. He answers by sending us the buffalo. ”