by Holle Abee

Created on: November 23, 2007

Red Hawk

Ren Talbot, a dual history-sociology major at the University of South Dakota, had always had a fascination with the tribes of the plains Indians, especially the Sioux. So when offered a chance to live among a small group of them on a reservation, he jumped at the opportunity. His fiancee, Lisa, was not happy about the idea. It meant that the couple would be 400 miles apart for nearly a year, with only the occasional weekend visit. But she knew how much the opportunity meant for Ren, so she tried her best to put her emotions aside.

Ren found an apartment in Blackrock, a little town about an hour from the reservation. He would live among the Sioux during the week, then return to his place on the weekends to write his reports on his computer. He had brought along some of his furniture and appliances, including a microwave, a big screen TV, and a DVD player. Just before he left, he decided to load up his huge freezer, with the plan of filling it with wild game he hoped to bag with the help of his new Sioux friends.

His first few days with the Indians were great. They welcomed him openly, and he soon realized he would learn more in the next few months than he had ever learned from a score of textbooks. He had always considered himself knowledgeable about the customs of the Sioux, but as the group learned to trust him, they slowly began to reveal many secrets, especially about their religion and belief in the supernatural.

The tribe members were devoutly Christian to the outside world because of neccessity. The government had sent missionaries long ago to "save" the souls of the "red savages," and the Sioux had learned that compliance was the simplest path for them to take. So they smiled and learned to pray and to repeat often phrases like "Jesus saves" and "God is great," and the missionaries left, feeling that their job was done. The tribe had carried on this facade for generations, but secretly, when in times of dire need, they turned to the old gods - the gods of their ancestors, and to their shaman, who served as their spiritual guide.

This particular group had an ancient shaman named Red Hawk. Ren was unable to determine the man's age. His face was craggy, with deep lines carved into the dark flesh. His long locks were the color of polished iron, and the skin hung loosely from his thin arms. But his eyes were young, and even in the absence of dental care, his teeth were strong and white. Ren was told by other tribe members that the shaman was 112 years

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