A Different Introduction, from many moons ago.
Many moons before the palefaces came to America in their big ships with sky-wings, the red men lived and hunted in the great woods and upon the broad plains of America.
Food was plentiful. In the water were fish and shellfish. The woods were full of game. In the trees and along the waters were many birds.
Arrows and knives, drills and tomahawks were chipped from flint. Drills were shaped from bone. Skins from animals were used for clothing and for tepees. Some simple cloth was woven from grasses. Feathers and claws and teeth and shells were used as ornaments. Baskets were made from bark and twigs, Jugs and water vessels were made from clay. Canoes were made from hollowed trees or from birch bark.
Various animals were tamed by many tribes. Other tribes grew Indian maize and other plants. When there was plenty of food, there was time for handicraft and painting. Picture writing began,
The Indian was deeply religious. He felt the presence of the Great Spirit at all times and in all places. Almost everything he did had some religious meaning.
Many of the tribes lived in villages of tepees or lodges. The council of braves was in charge. With the chief, the council debated around the council fire as to what should be done. Certain hunting grounds were claimed by certain tribes and their wars were mostly about such rights.
‘Twas into such a picture that the “iron-tool civilization” of the paleface intruded. The buffalo and the deer disappeared before the railroad, the plow, the city. The hunting grounds became farms, the forests were cut for lumber and later for paper. Before this new civilization, the red man was pushed back – it was too strong for him. But upon this new way of life he felt a lasting touch of character, or art, and of ideals.
In the face of it all, the Indian carried himself with the dignity of self-control.
Aware in the night
“Hoo,” called the owl in the darkness, and Mowgli, the little Indian boy in the tepee below, was wide awake! While he knew the owl was no enemy, its call always made little shivers run up and down his backbone. He lay very still. His ears were wide open.
Other sounds came out of the forest silence. One sounded like the “meow” of a great cat. From a hill across the lake he heard a wolf call and another answer.
Once in the evening, Mowgli’s father had crept with him up close to a gathering of wolves. He had watched them form a big circle about the old wolf, the leader. Mowgli almost jumped when the whole pack gave out a grand howl of welcome the old wolf. Then the whole pack went off together to hunt, following the old wolf and each helping as they hunted together for their food in the great woods. Mowgli thought what fun he and the other boys would have playing as wolves - and the next day they held a little council ring of their own. All this came quickly to mind as he heard the wolves’ calls fade away.
He wasn’t exactly afraid, because he had already learned that these animals were afraid of fire. And outside the tepee there burned a fire. Like a mute watchman on guard. Also, the animals had learned to be careful of humans because when one human was attacked, he had friends who came to help him.
A Strained Silence
But above these strange noises, Mowgli heard something different from the wild noises of the forest; it was a step. It was a step trained to be light, yet his now eager ear could catch it. It was not the step of some animal prowling. It was a human step. He could hear whispers as the steps died quickly into a strained silence.
“Boom” went the deep muffled beat of the great ceremonial drum. Then he knew that the men of the tribe were gathering for some big pow wow. How he wished that he, too, could answer that call. He wanted to be a man. He wanted to do his part.
That very day he had dropped a running rabbit with his swift little arrow and had proudly brought it home to his mother. All day he had stalked and hunted and shot, had run and chased and hidden. Now he was tired. His eyes closed.
Meantime, things were happening at the great council fire ring on top of the cliff. Here it was they met to worship the Great Spirit. Here they met to start a hunt or warpath by asking the help of the Great Spirit. Here they met to thank Him for success. Here they met also to decide what should be done in war or peace or hunt.
Chief of the WEBELOS
Akela was the big Chief of the WEBELOS. Tall, stalwart, straight as an arrow, swift as an antelope (SWOOSH!!!), brave as a lion. He was fierce to an enemy but kind to a brother. Many trophies hung in his tepee. His father was the son of the sun. His totem was the Arrow of Light.
The medicine man and the fire maker had come early to the council ring. Everything was in readiness.
The fire maker had built the ceremonial fire. As it crackled and burned, tongues of flame shot upward, throwing strange shadows into the deeper darkness of the forest.
It was out of these strange silences and noises of the great woods that there had boomed the great tones of the stump drum as the medicine man beat it. Three times its heavy tone had boomed into the night. It called the braves from the village below, lying at the edge of the lake and protected by sharp cliffs. One by one, in silence, the braves had answered and quickly sealed the narrow ledge that led to the council fire.
The dance began. In turn, each dancer told a story of the tribe’s greatness.
One recited the old legend of the first chief who single – handed had bested 10 enemy war canoes filled with braves. They were waiting around the point of the lake to attack that village. He swam underwater and broke through each birchbark canoe in turn and then escaped. As the enemies swam ashore, his braves tomahawked and scalped them one by one.
Another told of the chief’s bear – claw necklace. One day when stalking a deer, while passing through a rocky place, the chief found a grizzly bear about to attack an Indian boy. He rushed in, and with stones he attracted the grizzly’s attention and the fight began. Like boxers, they dodged and rushed at each other until the chief’s tomahawk reached its mark and brained the grizzly, saving the life of the boy. The big hide kept the chief warm through the long clod nights. The claws became the necklace. When the boy grew up he always fought near his chief, guarding him. And that boy was the dancer.
Another, by step and gesture, pictured the chief chasing the buffalo. Food had been very scarce and there was hunger in the tepees. So the chief traveled far and saw a lone buffalo. The chief began to stalk. Finally, he was so close that he started to run toward the buffalo at close range. Suddenly the buffalo turned and charged straight at him. It was all so quick he could not dodge. So the chief leaped clear over the head of the bull. Turning quickly, he sank his spear in the animal’s shoulder. As the buffalo stumbled, the chief found his heart with a second spear. This food brought much joy to the hungry ones.
Another brave told of the laws the chief had urged for the happiness of his people. The law of the forest had been “live and let live.” The tribe killed nothing needlessly. Then came Chief Akela. He taught a new law – “Live and help live.” His warriors were brothers. They were unmatched in battle and fierce in attack. But they were very kind to their women and children. With their neighbors they lived in peace, together fighting off invaders. Of all the tribes near the great woods, they gave the most care to helping their boys learn the ways of the brave.
One after another told his tale. Then all was quiet. It was silence that could be felt. Something important was about to happen.
Akela’s Life Story
Chief Akela, bright in his warrior’s headdress and in ceremonial paint, stepped into the lighted circle. The tom – tom beaters began. Low and slow, then growing like a storm, they beat fiercely as the Chief told in graceful gesture of the greatness of the tribe.
His dance pictured his own life story. He told of the strength and wisdom of his father Arrow of Light. He told of his mother Kind Eyes. From her he learned those wondrous things that mothers know. His father had helped him make a little bow and arrow. And once when an enemy would have tomahawked his mother, he, Akela, shot the pursuing enemy in the eye, and his mother escaped.
A little later he began to understand the speech and signs and calls of the WEBELOS.
1. Little Indian Boy
2. Mother’s name, “Kind Eyes.”
3. Father’s name, “Arrow of Light.”
4. Was top – man of the tribe (chief)
5. Mother chased by enemy with tomahawks, little Akela shot little arrow in his eye.
6. Enemy dropped tomahawk; mother quickly took it and struck enemy twice on head, killing him.
7. They went into the woods.
8. Talked with and learned from the wolf about tracks.
9. Talked and learned from bear about birds.
10. Talked with his den leader about “eagle – feather” (courage).
Then he was taken on little trips into the forest among the great
trees and the streams. Here from the wolf he learned the language of the ground, the ways to food. From the big kindly bears he learned the secret names of trees and the calls of the birds – the language of the air. But before he might become a scouting “brave” on his own, he had to look a warrior in the eye and learn the language of the stout heart – which feared nothing and which never gave up.
Then, and only then, did Akela’s father admit him to the lower ranks of the young braves.
11. His father had a “big heart.”
12. He had the sun (or wisdom) in his head.
13. He was a great speaker
14. He held many council fires with other tribes (treaties)
15. He stated that all men were brothers.
As he closed the dance, Akela told the braves that the tribe could be no greater than its boys. He said, “ The future is hidden, but if we are strong and brave and help our boys to be the same, our tribe will be strong. If our boys are square and game, they will take our places and our tribe will continue to be great.”
The tom – toms closed in a final burst, and all the braves gave the great guttural “How!”
Then, in silence, the warriors stood beside the dying fire. There was no noise except the crackle of the embers and the mysterious noises of the forest. Raising their right hands towards the sky and the Great Spirit, with the left each joined in the living circle with his brothers, as a pledge to the tribe and to the Great Spirit – a pledge to the future through the present.
This narrative was printed in my Wolf handbook, copyright 1967. It was an adaptation of the original text of the Jungle Book story, which I will not print herein, but it can be found by a simple search on the internet. I have always loved this version of the story of Akela, and if you let the spirit of the words fill your heart, you will understand the importance of being Akela, not only to your son, but to his den, and ultimately, the entire Pack.
Welcome to the family.
