Sante was the medicine man of the village of the people of the river. His father, and his father before him were medicine men; he learned from them and had the gift at a young age.
He helped his father daily and it seemed when they worked together their medicine was stronger. But that was many seasons ago for Sante’s father had died and he, at a young age, was left with his father’s duties. Now Sante was an old man, the oldest of his village and there were times when he felt sick and was very tired, but his people were important
to him and depended on him.
He decided to take on a young man with a good heart who was always interested in healing. This man was Elk Child. When Sante and Elk Child would sit at night by the fire he would always tell how the spirits would talk to him and sometimes even sing him to sleep. Sante was very pleased with Elk Child. All was well until summer came to the river people.
It seemed there were so many sick and death took its toll on many. The medicine man prayed, sang and mixed his roots and made many medicines to help his people, but it seemed he was losing. Elk Child at his side helped all he could for he saw the medicine man was getting ill. Sante finally could not help his people and Elk Child took on the job of medicine man as he cooled Sante’s lips and prayed and sang by his mentor.
Sante had Elk Child ask the spirits who came to him at night for help. “Please call upon them to help us,” Sante begged. “I will tonight,” replied Elk Child. Elk Child stayed to comfort Sante until sleep filled his head and he fell into a dream world of spirits. But it was not a dream world. The spirits came and invited his inner spirit to their world. Elk Child was amazed. It was like a whole new beautiful world. There were wolves, bear, coyote, elk, deer, people, birds and even butterflies and insects that talked. All were so peaceful.
Elk Child finally opened his mouth and asked the bear who was approaching him. “Brother Bear, where am I? Bear laughed and said, “The forest of miracles. Did you not call upon us for help?” “Yes, I did, replied Elk Child, but I had no idea this would happen.” Brother Bear grinned. “I know you need our help and many are sick in your village and even losing the battle of life. We are hope and miracles. All of us you need to find in the forest and bring your people to it. There we will meet as one. Everyone will have their own spirit that will always be with them to guard them, make them strong and always let them know hope never dies. All we ask is that your people be true and never do wrong to one another beginning with taking care of their spirits.”
Elk Child was happy to hear this news and assured Brother Bear that his people would abide by the spirits’ wishes. His only concern was “How will I find this spirit forest?” “Follow your heart,” said Brother Bear, “and the song of Mother Earth’s balance and we will be waiting there for you and your people.”
Elk Child opened his eyes and it was morning. He told Sante what the spirits said and rushed to get all the people together for the journey. The people that were very sick were pulled by their horses on travois and the children were carried and the healthy helped the sick. In Elk Child’s heart he knew he could find the forest. He just had to rely on his inner spirit and hoped he knew it could do this. The people walked for what seemed like days, but Elk Child put his hands high in the air and sang for joy because before him was the forest he had visited. The birds sang. All was green and filled with animals; turtles, snakes all flew, crawled and walked where they were waiting for them. As the people entered the forest, an animal, bird or snake entered the peoples’ bodies. The sick were well and the well had spirit helpers to keep them well and help them all when life gets hard.
Sante smiled as he lay on the travois. “All is well now; I may go on my journey now. You are the medicine man now,” and closed his eyes. Elk Child was sad, but in his sadness he heard a gentle voice call his name. He turned his head and there was Sante, a spirit helper of the forest of miracles. He smiled, for he knew all was good.
The people made their way back to the village and always remembered to take care of their spirit helpers and Elk Child, well, he found he had a new spirit helper, his friend in life, Sante.
Lim Lim
Ken “Rainbow Cougar” Edwards, from the Colville Indian Reservation in Washington state, is an accomplished painter and storyteller. Edwards is a graduate of the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, N.M., and a longtime cartoonist for Indian Country Today.
