Talk about a jolt into the past. When you’ve been reading 1990’s made-for-the-Hallmark-Channel dramas, it takes a bit of a kick-start to lose oneself in a 1958 Newbery Honor book. The language is different. The pacing is different. The action is different. Throw into the mix an entirely different culture and your reading brain can be ground to a jerky halt. It’s like starting school again after a lazy summer.
Young Elk is a member of the Cheyenne and the time is the 1830s. I had to search for that last tidbit. The Cheyenne, Kiowa, Comanche and Arapaho have no solidified alliance. Sometimes they scout around each other, avoiding each other. Usually they plan raids to steal and kill each other. When blood is spilled, vengeance planned. It is expected and respected.
Young Elk’s father and mother are both from Cheyenne Warrior clans and his older brother, Two Wolves, has followed in their footsteps as expected. Young Elk is also expected to become a great warrior to bring honor to his family and clans. He is required to acquire scalps and coups. He must earn his right of passage and name in this way – killing.
Early on, Young Elk realizes that it does not feel right for him to kill, not even for food unless absolutely necessary. Instead of a name, he earns the shame of believed cowardice. He finally kills a Kiowa warrior in self-defense and saves his people in the process. He is given the proud name of Kiowa Killer, but refuses to wear it. Rather than joining his people in feasting and celebrations, he leaves the village to catch horses. Leaving becomes his self-defense.
Fortunately, he is very good at catching horses and not just the tamed horses of other tribes and villages, but wild ones – special ones. He is stubborn and determined almost to death to catch his prize. He begins his collection to satisfy his own needs and desires, perhaps the heart of a young maiden named Red Sleeves, but is unable to earn the respect of the important men of his village.
Leaving his clan more frequently and for longer periods of time, he travels far to the north as well as far to the south and earns the respect and admiration of distant relatives and even members of other tribes. He makes a name for himself abroad, but he is still uncomfortable living among his family.
Eventually, Young Elk is able to prove that his family, village and tribe are of the utmost importance in his heart. He is willing to make significant sacrifices for them even if he is unwilling to shed blood for them. He proves his worth by maintaining his convictions.
I recommend this book to anyone interested in Native American history and customs. It would be an excellent addition to a study of the Cheyenne tribe. I would have benefitted from it in my schooling. But reader be warned, it was hard to pull me out of the present and immerse me in the alien culture. When I finally arrived, it was like a breath of fresh air. A young man with convictions based upon his heart whispers.
No comments:
Post a Comment