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The Legend of Wesoomi:
Thirty-Five: The Counsel of Elders:
October 28, 2002:
Come first light, Wesoomi called the Quiet Folk to the shrine.
There he showed them the etching of the Golden Earth Mother on
the offering stone. He explained to them what must be done with
the tree of life. Their fears were removed and their hearts were
gladdened by this. They had feared the loss of the protection
of the Golden Earth Mother. Now they knew it would not be forfeit.
They but needed to carve her likeness into the tree.
While Wesoomi instructed the Quiet Folk, Cat Foot returned to
the village.
"What of Crazy Wolf?" asked Little Warrior.
"The five continue toward the wild country, Chief."
"It be as I thought, then. One of them be Crazy Wolf. So
Wesoomi has informed me. There be evil in him yet. We must needs
deal with him soon."
"Aye," agreed Cat Foot.
"I would ask you to take your three warriors and return
to our village."
"Of what purpose, Chief."
"To set a guard against Crazy Wolf. You must warn Hawk.
He is to send warriors to keep vigil on the wild country. He
must be ready, err Crazy Wolf returns to do more evil."
"It be wise thoughts chief. I will so tell Hawk."
"It be good. Take food and rest, then depart."
"As you command, chief, so it will be."
After partaking the morning food with the Quiet Folk Wesoomi,
Little Warrior, and the remaining warriors left the village.
In four days time, they arrived at the village of the Husbandmen.
Then, runners were sent out by Wesoomi to all of the villages
of the Nation of People. He called for each village to send two
elders to a counsel of elders. The meeting would take place at
the village of the Husbandmen on full moon, next.
On the following days, the Husbandmen set themselves the task
of building lodges for the expected visitors. They also built
a new longhouse, adequate to the number of visitors expected
and hunters went out to bring meat for the occasion. In addition
to last harvest's grains there would be the early roots and plants
from the gardens. There would be no want of lodging or food for
the guests.
On the morn following full moon, the elders assembles in the
new longhouse. As Wesoomi had hoped, all villages were represented.
Wesoomi spoke to them first.
"I be Wesoomi. Many of you know of me and my duty. I am
the chosen messenger of the Great Spirit. It is I who will travel
through the villages to bring the People of the Nation back into
the way of truth. I will teach the words of the Great spirit,
that all may find the path to service in the Great Spirit.
"That is what will come. Now the Great Spirit gives us another
task. The Nation of People has become separated. Each village
is different and we drift apart in purpose and understanding.
That each village is different be a good thing. We discover different
crafts and wisdom for sharing. That we drift apart in purpose
and understanding be not a good thing. Out of this separateness
comes mistrust and loss of sharing.
"The Great Spirit has made note of our divisions. He has
noticed that we have come to a time of choosing. We can continue
as we are and become more separate, sharing less and trusting
less. Else, we can choose unity of purpose. We can come together
in a time of greatness. It be a time for greatness.
"Knowing this and all things, the Great Spirit has given
us a leader; a new chief of all the People of the Nation. He
is a chief who had been through battle and the fire of evil spirits.
Yet, he threw off the evil spirits and now comes to his time
of greatness. It is given Little Warrior of the village of the
Bandar to be the chosen Chief of the nation. So the Great Spirit
has spoken. So my mother, the Golden Earth Mother, has instructed
me. Little Warrior will now speak to you of his task and of your
duty. It is given you, it is given me, and all people to aid
Little Warrior in his task."
Wesoomi stood aside as murmurs and whisperings rippled through
the longhouse. Little Warrior then stepped onto the speaking
log and the seated elders became still. They listened as he spoke.
"Some of you know of me. All, I be sure, know of the Bandar.
I be of the Bandar and you have cause to think ill of me. The
Bandar did fall on evil times. The Bandar did evil things. The
Bandar did raid and slay people of many villages. The Bandar
did take the stores and the maidens of many villages. All these
things the Bandar did.
"These evil deeds lay heavy on the spirit of the Bandar.
These evil deeds lay heavy on my spirit. Even more, these things
lay heavy on the spirits of all of you and your villages, for
we be all of one people. This I have come to know. We be all
of the Great Spirit.
"Now it is given me to lead. It is given me to bring all
of the people into a true nation. It is given me to lead the
people into oneness. It is mine to make us one people in deed
as we are now in name only. It is given me to create a great
nation in the guidance of the Great Spirit. That these evil spirits
may never visit us again we must come to a new unity.
"It be a time for rule and unity. For this, I must needs
beg your counsel and you good will. It is you who must bring
the guidance of your wisdom to my counsel. I will not command
you. If the Bandar know one thing, it be that command without
consent lead to disaster. We learnt this thing from Crazy Wolf.
You must needs act for your villages and for the nation. It is
you who must give verity to my acts. Only then may I lead the
Nation of People to greatness.
"Today, we may have a beginning, but only that. Many things
must be achieved as the days go on. We must needs begin a regular
gathering of elders. These I believe should come one in summer
and one in winter. We must agree to a way of sharing the products
of our skills and crafts. We need a way of trade that all may
use and understand. Those who harvest the big water may trade
with those who harvest the earth and the forests.
"That is one thing. There be also a nearby danger to our
people. Crazy Wolf, the mad chief of the old Bandar still be
a great peril. Since he has fled to the wild country, it be necessary
to stand guard against whatever he may do. He may bring warriors
from the wild country. I must needs have warriors for that purpose.
Raiders from the wild country must be pursued and punished.
"The wild country be a peril, but it also be a duty. It
was told Wesoomi that these wild ones were once of the Great
Spirit. They did wander onto an ill path, but they are not lost.
Nothing of the Great Spirit is ever wholly lost. We must needs
send teachers to these wild ones. We can bring them into the
nation to the gain of all. It be better to know them than not.
"We must also seek knowledge beyond the boundaries of the
nation. There be always danger in the things we know not and
power in the things we know. We must needs ever look to new things
and new knowledge. We must ever seek ways to make the Nation
of People great in the service of the Great Spirit.
"So, I will ask you to counsel and consider these things.
"First, agree to aid me to act as chief of the Nation of
People.
"Then make a regular counsel of elders to meet once in summer
and once in winter.
"Make a trade festival for every second moon where all may
come to trade and celebrate.
"Send from each village ten young men to me to act as warriors
against the evils of Crazy Wolf and the wild ones.
"Make in each village a lodge for the teachings of the Great
Spirit through Wesoomi.
Direct your wisdom to these and any other things you see to bring
the nation into unity."
After Little Warrior stepped down, there was much whispering
and stirring in the longhouse. Then the elders began to separate
into smaller groups. there was much speaking, some of it quite
loud. Wesoomi moved among them listening quietly. A few times
he spoke and reminded them of their need to serve the Great Spirit.
Little Warrior did not interfere.
In time, the elders put a single person in charge of the counsel
and they continued in a more orderly way. They made smaller groups
to discuss separate points. They came together once each day
to find what agreement they had. Wesoomi continued his quiet
counsel. It took fifteen days, but the elders did come to agreement.
They agreed to all of Little Warrior's requests. He would be
chief and he would have ten warriors from every village.
They decided that the meetings of the counsel of elders would
be held two each year at the village of the Husbandmen. The quality
of their hosting had not gone unnoticed. In addition, the trade
festivals would also occur in the Village of the husbandmen.
They also agreed to the building of the teaching shrines. In
most villages, that would simply be a renaming ceremony.
It was not a complete submission of the elders. They also gave
Little Warrior a permanent staff of elder advisors to go wherever
he went. These would be ten elders who would serve for a while
and be replaced by others. There would always be elders to advise
little Warrior and notice his acts. Little Warrior was pleased
with this. He knew that wisdom comes with age and he would be
well advised.
And so began the rule of Little Warrior and the unifying of the
Nation of People.
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