Modern society has developed many exciting advantages, but, in and out of Indian country, it has caused a retreat from traditional ways and family.
“Red Thunder” by David Matheson takes us back to a different time in pre-contact life amongst the Schee-tsu-umsh people, known today as the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, in their ancestral homeland in northern Idaho, eastern Washington and western Montana.
The narrator, Sun Bear, tells us, across the course of his life, that his people are absolutely committed to the preservation of their families, revering their elders, respecting their environment and protecting their traditional spiritual beliefs. These are not just slogans, but are woven into the very fabric of the tribe’s life.
Matheson writes that the individual Coeur d’Alene is first thankful to the Creator, Kolunsuten, for his life and begins every day with a prayer of thanksgiving for it because He “promised no one a tomorrow or an easy time.”
Sun Bear demonstrates this ritual when he is a young man about to go on a buffalo hunt. He is standing outside in the dawn and thanks Kolunsuten not only for being alive, but also for being blessed with living in such an inspiring and beautiful place. His homeland reaches out to him empathically and welcomes him home when he returns.
There is no questioning or arguing. Sun Bear does these things because they are what his parents and grandparents taught him were the right things to do and the right way to think.
Sun Bear’s grandmother Checheya stands as a shining example of the Coeur d’Alene commitment to family and the dedication of its elders to the younger members of their tribe and family.
Checheya goes off to an isolated cliff ledge to pray for the safety of her family who have gone to rescue her kidnapped great-grandson Sun Boy, Sun Bear’s nephew. She focuses her mind to do what she can to counter the superior numbers and strength of the enemy who has taken the child. Her prayers distract the enemy sufficiently so that Sun Boy is rescued and her family members know that she is responsible despite being miles away.
She expires after her effort, but not before the reader learns that “bravery means disregard for your own life for a higher purpose” not just for warriors, but for loving grandmothers also.
The memoir-like format of Red Thunder is reminiscent of the oral traditions of the subject Coeur d’Alene and many other nations in Indian country. Matheson is telling stories, including some in this book of the legendary chief and mystic Circling Raven, that are likely to have been told around campfires by Coeur d’Alene elders since they happened. The narration makes the story seem so real that the reader is able almost to step right into the life of the Coeur d’Alene people.
Red Thunder deserves the highest recommendation not only for being a well-written story, but also for the moral lessons everyone in Indian country can learn from its traditional messages.
Matheson comes by his rich knowledge of the traditional ways of the Coeur d’Alene honestly.
He was born into the tribe in 1951 in the home of his grandparents, according to information from the publisher. Matheson has served in several tribal leadership roles, including councilor and chairman, in which he has worked to preserve traditional culture, language and practices.
Matheson still lives in the Coeur d’Alene lands of Red Thunder in northern Idaho and holds a Masters of Business Administration degree from the University of Washington.
Media Weaver, LLC,
Portland. Ore., 2001.
315 pages.
