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Site, content and pictures
copyright 2009 Kristen Bailey
copyright 2009 Kristen Bailey
| The River People |
. . . . The River People flourished. River-Song’s father, Chief Sits-and-Thinks, is growing old and sick, but he trusts in her to lead their people. Her best friend has become her rival as they compete to marry the same man. She must use her gift of words when a wandering band of braves seek a new home with them. River-Song feels pulled to their leader. Can this young girl hold her tribe together when hostile warriors attack? River-Song lives in a valley of meandering streams that give them salmon and trout to eat. Oak trees abound in the valley. A forest of cedar and fir surround them, making a canopy and giving them planks for their long houses, canoes, and totem poles. Prologue In The Fall Sits-and-Thinks, the village chief, held the salmon bones as he danced, singing low and soft. He wore a deerskin shirt and pants, adorned with shells they had bartered from coastal tribes, and painted with symbols for their clan. His hair, now gray, did not glimmer in the sunshine, but his eyes were alert and shiny with thankfulness. As she moved with the people, his daughter River-Song listened to his voice, and the soft crunch that his moccasins made on the worn river pebbles under his feet. The people danced on the riverbank behind him, voices lifted together in prayer. Chief Sits-and-Thinks held the bones above his head and the singing stopped. “Chief Salmon, return again.” No one spoke as he let Chief Salmon’s bones slip into the river to return to his home. They paused, surrounded by the morning beauty, to give honor to the fish that gave them life. Only by showing the first salmon this respect every fall would they bring the salmon back. The circle begins again, she thought. The harmony of their traditions held them together and bound them to the land. When the ceremony ended, braves went to fish, but River-Song stood beside her father, lifting her face into the weak sunshine. She would miss the sun through the winter. She loved listening to stories in the long houses during winter, but she felt so free and happy in the summer. Next year, when they traveled to the summer games at the main village, she would prove herself to Walks-with-Pumas, the big chiefs son. She would marry him next year. This summer hadn’t gone as she planned, and she hadn’t married. Many girls married after seeing fourteen summers, and this summer had been her fifteenth. But that couldn’t take away her joy at the beauty around them in their valley of winding streams. The leaves on the oak trees were changing to their fall time colors. She liked to walk through the fields of tall oat grass, where it grew above her head. The summer heat had dried it yellow, and soon they would burn it along with the underbrush around their village. Hills surrounded them, rising up where the oaks blended into the ancient cedar and fir forests, canopying high above to catch the rains. “You are dancing inside.” Sits-and-Thinks turned to her and smiled, love for his daughter shining in his eyes. “Why not, father? We have so many reasons to be joyful.” She lifted her hands to the clear blue sky. “We grow in number and make a good life in our valley.” But when she saw her father’s face, her arms fell and her smile went away. “Why is there sadness in your eyes?” “I have seen many falls and springs come and go. I have lived a happy life.” “Father, you talk like the old men. You’re not half as old and wrinkled as Singing-Owl.” She could not loose her father! The village could not loose their chief! “Singing-Owl is strong. I am not. I have held my thoughts for a long time, River-Song. But your desires are pushing you to action. I want to see things completed before I walk to the Long house in the woods.” She did not speak at his sad words, but held back her tears. Tree-Song, her mother, had walked to that long house many winters ago, leaving her song knowledge and her language to River-Song. “You want to be with Tree-Song again.” She wanted to see her mother, too, who had come from their brothers over the mountain. River-Song, remembering her mother’ s loving eyes, hoped she had her mother’s looks. Because her mother was from their cousin tribe, River-Song’s forehead had not been flattened as a baby. The other girls thought she was ugly, but she didn’t care. Her beauty came from her heart, just like her mother’s. “I know you don’t want to think about my death, but you are strong.” He took her by the shoulders, his eyes both stern and proud. “You can lead our village.” She understood that her father saw things in her that the other braves did not. “What does Chief Blue-Lightning think?” This chief led the four villages of their tribe, and he made decisions after seeking council from the three village chiefs. “You will have to prove yourself to him next summer. The games are the best way.” “No, I’ll bring the sacred token to him next year.” No one could speak against that. She failed before, but she would be ready and stronger at the games next summer. “No, daughter, you couldn’t this summer. Focus on what you can do. Use reason. Use your strengths.” He gave her a gentle shake because he could not see her expression. “This is a time of plenty. You do not need to tend to your work yet. Go welcome the salmon.” |
Klamath Falls called The River People "A nicely told tale that discusses American Indians from a different perspective. It combines history with romance, with a hint of early women's liberation, and a larger dose of Indian culture." This fictional story is set in the Umpqua valley, where the author grew up. Book includes map of River-Song's valley, "Fact and Fiction: The Real Umpquas," and pictures of Umpqua Indians taken in early pioneer days. . |
| Buy Now On Amazon |
Read "Salmon and Summer
Games; A Way of Life,"
a short story based on the
book.
Games; A Way of Life,"
a short story based on the
book.
Review by Tricia Dias of the Douglas County News: The characters are well developed; the reader cares about them and what’s going to happen next. River- Song is a complex person, as all 15 year olds are. However, in her culture, she is no longer considered a child and one day will become the leader of her village. During this critical summer, she leaves the last trace of childhood firmly behind and gains a maturity that stands her in good stead as she faces many challenges, both within herself and from the outside. What direction should she lead her people? How will she meet the threat to her happiness and to her people as a whole? The answers are cleverly woven into a good read. |